1908 Schwinn Indian (schwinndian)

[fasteddy]

That's very helpful and good to know Steve. I remember reading about this on your thread awhile ago but the details weren't fresh on my mind. It helps knowing it's been done. I'll take another look at the form you made but not sure if I can match a furniture builder. Did you use a sanding drum?

Hi Ralph,

I used a sprocket with another sprocket welded to it. Something I tried that didn't work clamped in the vise. Usually I go to Home Depot and get a 2x4' piece of MDF. If it's 3/4" and I need a 1" thick piece I glue and nail on a 1/4" piece of plywood if they don't have MDF that thin.

Mark out the shape you need, cut it out and drill a hole in the MDF where one end of the tubing will be and use it as an anchor point and put a small muffler clamp or U bolt through the hole and tighten it down to hold the pipe against the MDF. Longer the tubing is the better so you can increase the leverage.

I have a 12" disk sander but belt sanders or an angle grinder work to smooth the working surface of the form if needed. Small pieces of wood nailed to the sides of the form as I mentioned keep it from sliding off.

Hope this helps.

Steve.

 

[Ralph hop]

Finally got to see the metal I ordered over the web. Got a 4 ft piece of 1" DOM .120 wall tube and a 2" x 3/16" flat stock for the rear dropouts. That flat stock has a giant bow in it. I'm not sure if this is acceptable or if I should call and ask for some flat flat stock.. The picture doesn't do the bow Justice, that might be eight flat inches on the whole four foot piece.

 

[Ralph hop]

I think it's just the nature of this steel. I'll put some weight on it and warm it up a little. Edit: I'm pretty certain the bow came from the box standing vertical in the garage with temperature fluctuations for almost a weeks time. I'll leave it on the bench with weight on it and see what happens and in the meantime work on the frame.

 

[indian22]

3/16" x 2" x 4' won't bend on it's own. Narrow pieces of relatively thin plate can get damaged along the way, but most likely was bowed before shipping. At any rate it was damaged, but the whole bowed section can be straightened easily without heat, just use cautiously applied pressure till it suits you.

Rick C.

 

[PeteMcP]

That's when I find a set of rolling bars comes in handy. Used mainly for putting curves INTO things, they also come in handy for flattening metal that has become bent in transit. I have resorted to returning bent metal back to the stockholders in the past, but most were salvageable after being run through the rolling bars.

 

[Ralph hop]

I am a lot better at bending metal than straightening metal. The farm store will have what is needed for gussets and brackets. I'll use the bowed piece on an old car to brace where the J bolts for the gas tank straps hook into the subframe.

 

[Ralph hop]

I got the tube bent today using the boat trailer wheel clamped to a lawnmower trailer but didn't get any photos of the process due to incliment weather and plenty of concentration on getting it right. Everything fits together after some Dremel work on the bottom bracket so I'm pretty pleased. Although it's not the most esthetically pleasing bottom tube it gets the job done. I'll have to do some practice welding before I go at it since I didn't do as well as I'd hoped welding brackets to the wheel. Just angles to hold it down, not very fancy. I stacked blocks of wood that were screwed together underneath the wheel and clamped it to the side with wood so all of the force was on the floor of the trailer.

 

[Ralph hop]

I learned that bronze metallic colored sharpies will stay visible and change colors with the heat, pretty neat to watch. There will be a tube that runs down across the bottom bracket and to the front of the bend.

 

[Ralph hop]

 

[indian22]

Ralph you got a really smooth bend from that setup. Your tube lines are distinctly different than I'd imagined, long and elegant.

Rick C.

 

[Ralph hop]

Thanks Rick, my own biased opinion would be the same and there is still a long road ahead for me on this bike with the added layers and bracing. As a new bike builder I hope to set a good example to other new builders in showing that there is some work involved in strapping a 5hp+ motor to a bicycle. Most of the postings in this thread are my own inner thoughts as I find out what works and what doesn't with the much appreciated advice of others here. Thank you to everyone following along on this build, it is much appreciated.

 

[MEASURE TWICE]

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I had been off the website for a while and was looking at the recent stuff posted from January 2020 and your well on the way to great stuff I see! I was looking back at the beginning of the thread as I usually do if as I forget who is who building what. I got that straight and then noticed the Schlitz Beer Can. I have used parts of a Schlitz Retro Brew Beer Can on my motor bike. The retro is stuff still being made in small batches in California with a license from the owner and you see it at BevMo in 12 packs. Only in Nevada I found in Sparks bottles of the stuff. The beer can aluminum cut and pounded to shape made a great shim to get the second of two kill switches on my bike to fit. I had a smaller than usual diameter ape handle bars I used to use on the bike. Now it as a dirt bike has the short lean forward low center of gravity and keep your helmet and head on handle bars. Cheers!

***Just forgot important to add that Aluminum is not a really good electric conductor, especially if coated with plastic as I think these cans are. I used two wires to the kill switch. One from magneto ground, and the other from points or electronic ignition wires and soldered and used external tooth star lock washers for better electrical conduction.***

Credit to Ralph hop

 

[Ralph hop]

The can is an original steel can from the sixties I purchased from an impulse buy on ebay 4 dollars to my front door. I had planned incorporating it as an oil catch on the bike. The theme of this bike is a sort of sixties revival of an early bike and will be painted with dark brown metal flake to give that yard ornament rust look from far away, with the right amounts of gloss black and stainless to look carefully built. If I use this old can it will have some nice stainless straps to mount it.

 

[Ralph hop]

I did all of the prep work and started welding today and after some burn threw on the thin walled bicycle tube I've opted to scrap this project for the time being. I'm very in love with my concept of a stretched out 1908 but I want a bike that will stand up to some abuse. It will take some time to aquire a tube bender, notcher, and nice welder but I have a concept that I must finish, So this project just went shoulder deep into planning mode and not so much of an artists approuch anymore. The 212 could see another bike in the future also as I'm not very crazy about the look of it and the mounting.​

 

[Tony01]

I did all of the prep work and started welding today and after some burn threw on the thin walled bicycle tube I've opted to scrap this project for the time being. I'm very in love with my concept of a stretched out 1908 but I want a bike that will stand up to some abuse. It will take some time to aquire a tube bender, notcher, and nice welder but I have a concept that I must finish, So this project just went shoulder deep into planning mode and not so much of an artists approuch anymore. The 212 could see another bike in the future also as I'm not very crazy about the look of it and the mounting.​

Welcome to my life. Or just build it anyway. My build actually I learned what I needed to know. I saw what I needdd to see. Don’t really need to finish it. Too many other projects occupying my mind. I think you are doing OK. You could always just do it then swap the parts to a new better frame.

 

[indian22]

It seems everyone has a flux welder and yet....

Rick C.

 

[PeteMcP]

We've all been there. This is where Plan B comes into play. On some welding jobs there's no shame in admitting defeat and resorting to farming-out the work to a local fab shop.

 

[Tony01]

Over 150 tacks. 50 wall 30 wire. Only one big booger an eighth inch tall on the inside and maybe a dozen leaks when tested don’t remember. You can weld way thinner stuff with gas. Pipe ugly but it worked. Riding, intake was ice cold and wet or icy... exhaust glowing in the darkness in the coldest weather, on the smoothest road... woke up a lot of people for sure doing those runs haha!

 

[indian22]

Tony pie cut tubing bends with round (typical) or square tube aren't seen much on this forum. I rather like the no grind finished look of your pipe kinda' artsy! Gas welding is rather like TIG process without the tungsten and inert gas...heat and dip. For those who can chew bubble gum while walking.

Rick C.

 

[Ralph hop]

I'm gonna have another go at it. This time with silver solder and flux at the slip fit joints. I'll coat some pins with flux and solder them in also. The first thing I'll buy is a nice proper torch set up and start learning a bit on that.