Firebird, Silverbear's Worksman Cruiser
- Thread starter silverbear
- Start date
Ah yes, the 'prototype' makes it sound so professional. Which this sure isn't, but good enough for govt. work probably. I took the mounts off and pounded out the bend under the drop stand mount so that the tab was flat again to the rest of the plate. I cut in one hacksaw width and re-bent the tab, then cutting off some of the tab as it was bigger than it needed to be to catch and stop the drop stand. Much better, although not perfect. But I think good enough. If I want to change them out later if I feel ambitious then I will, but this will work fine. I've been stewing over how to attach the drop stand to the fender when in the riding position until it dawned on me that it would be simpler to affix it to the rear rack. So the bottom horizontal run of the stand will get covered in leather stitched so that it fits snug. This will make it quiet when fixed against the rack above. I'm not going to worry about how to hold it up there. Sometime I'll look at a piece of metal or a hardware part and it will be the right thing. Until then I'll probably tie it up with a leather thong cut from a scrap of elk hide. With that figured out I decided to go ahead and make a new drop stand, improving on the last one I made. The photos pretty well tell it. I made the new one just slightly longer than the one pictured on the bike and beefed up the attachment points by making the pipe twice as thick. I did this by sleeving it with 1/2" connectors and a cap. The first photo shows the unions loose so you can see the connectors and cap with the i/2" tubing inside. The I used masking tape to hold it 'bent' in at the top. It isn't actually bent, but looks it. There's a bit of wiggle room in the elbows which allows that. The tape holds it that way while I do the soldering... take away the tape and the top pieces taper in. If you haven't soldered before... clean the parts to receive solder with fine steel wool to the point of being shiny, then dab a bit of flux on the points to be soldered. I use silver solder and the appropriate flux for silver solder. It is stronger than the lead/tin solder. Heat up the copper and touch the solder to it. If the copper is hot enough it will 'suck' in the solder. Move on to the next union and so forth. Quite easy really. I used a standard Bernzomatic torch and propane cylinder. To cut the pipe you really should use a tubing cutter for a nice cut. They aren't very expensive and are easy to use. So that's it for today. Tomorrow I'll drill mounting holes and will put the new stand on. It should fit the bent tab stop better since it is now thicker at the top end. It will work. Next is making the front sidecar mount which fits under the pedal crank. More copper and soldering.
Curtis, I was going to upload your pictures tonight, but am really tired so will do that tomorrow. G'night.
SB
Curtis, I was going to upload your pictures tonight, but am really tired so will do that tomorrow. G'night.
SB
Attachments
Curtis Fox wanted to share another approach to setting up a drop stand and emailed me some photos and commentary...
"The one is so you know were it came frome. And one is so you can see the little tab welded on the back behind of in the shape of angle iron. then you see that they are ground at a curve to straight. They acually bolt on the back so the straight part hits the little angle stop then will rotat up to a bracket clip on the fender when done. When done there will be a flat strap that will weld between the two that will be on the ground. it will also be the part that clip to the rear fender.
The bike has older schwinn 10 speed wheels and handle bars. This bike was found abanded along a bike trail and was bent up some I still have to change the front fork and do some straighting head light (led lights fited inside). You can also see the motor mount for the friction drive....Curt"
Thank you, Curt. Now I'll study the pictures.
SB
"The one is so you know were it came frome. And one is so you can see the little tab welded on the back behind of in the shape of angle iron. then you see that they are ground at a curve to straight. They acually bolt on the back so the straight part hits the little angle stop then will rotat up to a bracket clip on the fender when done. When done there will be a flat strap that will weld between the two that will be on the ground. it will also be the part that clip to the rear fender.
The bike has older schwinn 10 speed wheels and handle bars. This bike was found abanded along a bike trail and was bent up some I still have to change the front fork and do some straighting head light (led lights fited inside). You can also see the motor mount for the friction drive....Curt"
Thank you, Curt. Now I'll study the pictures.
SB
Attachments
FRONT SIDECAR MOUNT
Today I installed the new drop stand and it works nicely. With that done I moved on to the front sidecar mount. I added a sleeve to the end of the front arm to give more area for the front mount to slide in to. I also put the rear mount in place at the axle to try to line things up as well as I can at this stage. Then I made up the L shaped piece which fits under the pedal crank and slid the front end into the arm coming from the sidecar frame. Looks OK so tomorrow I'll bolt the L section under the pedal crank to make the front mount level and parallel to the the bike. With that done I'll be able to take the bike off the rear stand and see how the sidecar sits in relation to the bike. I also temporarily fitted the pedal crank to see that it has clearance for pedaling without running into the front mount arm. It is from a 24" bike so has shorter arms. Once the engine is in place I can check the crank again to see that it clears the engine with a pull start kit installed. If there isn't clearance and the engine cannot be raised a bit then I'll go to even shorter arms with a crank from a 20" bike. I could buy a wider crank to clear the engine, but then might have clearance issues with the front arm from the sidecar. So shorter arms seems the best solution for this build.
SB
Today I installed the new drop stand and it works nicely. With that done I moved on to the front sidecar mount. I added a sleeve to the end of the front arm to give more area for the front mount to slide in to. I also put the rear mount in place at the axle to try to line things up as well as I can at this stage. Then I made up the L shaped piece which fits under the pedal crank and slid the front end into the arm coming from the sidecar frame. Looks OK so tomorrow I'll bolt the L section under the pedal crank to make the front mount level and parallel to the the bike. With that done I'll be able to take the bike off the rear stand and see how the sidecar sits in relation to the bike. I also temporarily fitted the pedal crank to see that it has clearance for pedaling without running into the front mount arm. It is from a 24" bike so has shorter arms. Once the engine is in place I can check the crank again to see that it clears the engine with a pull start kit installed. If there isn't clearance and the engine cannot be raised a bit then I'll go to even shorter arms with a crank from a 20" bike. I could buy a wider crank to clear the engine, but then might have clearance issues with the front arm from the sidecar. So shorter arms seems the best solution for this build.
SB
Attachments
MOUNTING THE ENGINE AND TUNED PIPE
Today I bolted the engine in place to get an idea of how things will fit. Justin of Pirate Cycle is sending me a rear mount for the smaller frame of the Worksman and a shim for the front mount. In the back it is getting two stacked to make the engine fit. The one closest to the engine is from the kit and is for a bigger frame tube. The second one is the older type for a smaller frame. I had to buy a section of 6 mm all thread at fasten all yesterday to make longer rear engine studs... cut to length wth a hacksaw and then the ends got ounded over a bit on the grinder to remove burs. Sure isn't much room in the Worksman frame for even a 2 stroke, but it will go. I had planned on using a pedal crank from a 24" bike, but discovered even it is too big. Now I need to find a 20" bike with short crank arms. A wide crank will possibly interfere with the sidecar mount. A pull start kit is on the way and that will complicate things further... I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, but it is going to be a mighty short pedal crank. The PK-80 looks sweet sitting there. I'm looking forward to firing it up for the first time. The SBP tuned pipe is awesome. On my last build this past winter I spent a lot of time fitting a pocket bike tuned pipe to that 39 Elgin and it never did fit quite right. This one is another story with a great and flexible mounting system, great online instructions and everything well made. I think it will fit fine..
SB
Today I bolted the engine in place to get an idea of how things will fit. Justin of Pirate Cycle is sending me a rear mount for the smaller frame of the Worksman and a shim for the front mount. In the back it is getting two stacked to make the engine fit. The one closest to the engine is from the kit and is for a bigger frame tube. The second one is the older type for a smaller frame. I had to buy a section of 6 mm all thread at fasten all yesterday to make longer rear engine studs... cut to length wth a hacksaw and then the ends got ounded over a bit on the grinder to remove burs. Sure isn't much room in the Worksman frame for even a 2 stroke, but it will go. I had planned on using a pedal crank from a 24" bike, but discovered even it is too big. Now I need to find a 20" bike with short crank arms. A wide crank will possibly interfere with the sidecar mount. A pull start kit is on the way and that will complicate things further... I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, but it is going to be a mighty short pedal crank. The PK-80 looks sweet sitting there. I'm looking forward to firing it up for the first time. The SBP tuned pipe is awesome. On my last build this past winter I spent a lot of time fitting a pocket bike tuned pipe to that 39 Elgin and it never did fit quite right. This one is another story with a great and flexible mounting system, great online instructions and everything well made. I think it will fit fine..
SB
I meant to attach a few pictures, The pipe is just kind of sitting there. Until the engine is in it's final position and the pedal crank is in place and clearing everything I can't finish mounting the pipe. Even the way it is I think it looks great and the whole bike is starting to come together much as I had envisioned it. Once everything fits I can take it apart and repaint, but it's coming along...
SB
SB
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Nice job SB! I thought a 2-stroke might fit in there. I have modified my worksman frame in hopes of squeezing in an EZM. Going up to the Central PA Rally tomorrow and Jay and everyone. The weather is going to be perfect. Keep at it, hope to get to see your work in person this fall when you get down this way. Dan
Thank you both.
Dan, please pass along my greetings to everyone at the Central PA Rally. Wish I could be there, but being in two places at once is kinda hard. In spirit I'm there anyway. I'm hoping to be back in Maryland in time for the Delaware Rally and hope to see some of the same people there. I see it is about 190 miles from Thurmont, Maryland, so that isn't too bad, especially since I will have driven 1300 miles from Ely, Minnesota to Thurmont... unpack and head out to Delaware. Maybe I'll see you there. Yes, I want to see those EZmotors setups in person. Maybe Quenton will make it this year with his new 2 speed prototype. That one really interests me and I'm thinking of it for my next build, a 50 Panther. We will definitely have to do some local riding in our area this fall, maybe over in Cunningham Falls state park. Very cool that you live so close to Thurmont.
Yes, the Worksman frame is a challenge. Looks great, but not much room. I'm glad to hear you found someone to help with opening up your frame. The four stroke in there would be awesome and should make a great bike. You won't have any trouble climbing the hills up around Camp David with that rig. I'm hoping Jim of Creative Engineering can make the sprocket cluster idea work as I'm slated to have one of the prototypes. Those mountains can be a pain without gears on a little 2 stroke.
The push is on for me to get the bike done, rebuild a utility trailer into a bike stuff hauler (will have an aluminum pickup topper to make it enclosed and tall enough to roll bikes in), get everything buttoned up here and be in Maryland in just about a month...
Try to make it to Delaware if you can.
SB
Dan, please pass along my greetings to everyone at the Central PA Rally. Wish I could be there, but being in two places at once is kinda hard. In spirit I'm there anyway. I'm hoping to be back in Maryland in time for the Delaware Rally and hope to see some of the same people there. I see it is about 190 miles from Thurmont, Maryland, so that isn't too bad, especially since I will have driven 1300 miles from Ely, Minnesota to Thurmont... unpack and head out to Delaware. Maybe I'll see you there. Yes, I want to see those EZmotors setups in person. Maybe Quenton will make it this year with his new 2 speed prototype. That one really interests me and I'm thinking of it for my next build, a 50 Panther. We will definitely have to do some local riding in our area this fall, maybe over in Cunningham Falls state park. Very cool that you live so close to Thurmont.
Yes, the Worksman frame is a challenge. Looks great, but not much room. I'm glad to hear you found someone to help with opening up your frame. The four stroke in there would be awesome and should make a great bike. You won't have any trouble climbing the hills up around Camp David with that rig. I'm hoping Jim of Creative Engineering can make the sprocket cluster idea work as I'm slated to have one of the prototypes. Those mountains can be a pain without gears on a little 2 stroke.
The push is on for me to get the bike done, rebuild a utility trailer into a bike stuff hauler (will have an aluminum pickup topper to make it enclosed and tall enough to roll bikes in), get everything buttoned up here and be in Maryland in just about a month...
Try to make it to Delaware if you can.
SB
i've got about 10 pairs of cranks, Silverbear, in all sizes, down to like 3".
lemme know what size you want, pay the shipping, and they're yours...
lemme know what size you want, pay the shipping, and they're yours...
You are kind, sir. I'm expecting the pull start kit in a few days and then will know better what length (or in this case shortth) arms I will need. I'm going shopping at the dump this afternoon where I noticed a kiddie bike the other day, but paid no attention to it... now I'll look more closely. If I come up empty, I'll take you up on your kind offer. What the heck did a crank with 3" arms come off of, a tricycle? I've got some weird stuff stored away too, in my Department of Eccentricities & Remote Possibilities.i've got about 10 pairs of cranks, Silverbear, in all sizes, down to like 3".
lemme know what size you want, pay the shipping, and they're yours...
SB
i bought a box of NOS cranks off ebay. i think i got 12 of them. Wald and Ashtabula's. 6 of them are for 26" and 24" bikes, and the rest are for 20" on down. i dunno what the 3"ers are for, but if you have a pull start, they'd be like footpegs
I found a Kid's bike today and took the crank off only to discover it is a smaller diameter so the bearings, etc. are too small. I did some more looking in my stuff and found a crank with extra short arms from a 24" ladies Hawthorne or JC Higgins, can't remember now which it was, but it now lives on in an elevated new life as a Worksman cruiser crank. The pull start kit, smaller rear engine mount and front mount shim arrived today from Pirate Cycle (thank you, Justin!) and the mounts are perfect. The front one compresses a bit when cinched down and will be very secure. The pedals clear the bottom of the engine so the pull start kit won't change anything in that regard... just adds a bit of width to the engine. I didn't attach the rear of the SBP pipe to the frame, but can see that it is not going to be a problem and the pipe does not interfere with the front sidecar mount. Big relief in trying to cram a lot of things into a small area. I do have one obvious problem, however. The engine fits the frame so tightly that there isn't room for the throttle cable to fit into the carburetor without running into the frame straight bar directly above it without cocking the air cleaner off level. No good as I think it would lead to float problems as well as look wrong. I recall that others have had this problem with builds with tight frames and don't recall now what the solutions were. I'm thinking someone might sell an offset intake manifold to solve this very problem. Seems to me someone does, but can't remember who. I'll start with Pirate and SBP and go from there. If one of you knows of a solution, please advise...
I'm glad I did the raw installation (no gaskets, washers, etc.) to fit things. The frame paint has suffered badly from on and off, on and off, move it up a bit, no move it down. It is inevitable that you are going to scratch the frame unless it is a plug and play bike, so this way I can minimize the damage when I do the installation after repainting.
Tomorrow I'll drill and tap holes for the head badge and then dismantle the bike. Getting closer...
SB
I'm glad I did the raw installation (no gaskets, washers, etc.) to fit things. The frame paint has suffered badly from on and off, on and off, move it up a bit, no move it down. It is inevitable that you are going to scratch the frame unless it is a plug and play bike, so this way I can minimize the damage when I do the installation after repainting.
Tomorrow I'll drill and tap holes for the head badge and then dismantle the bike. Getting closer...
SB
Attachments
Found a nifty billet intake manifold made by Creative Engineering and sold through Pirate Cycles for $11.00. It requires that the engine sit in a different orientation than possible for me, so that was out. I googled 'offset intake manifold' and got a number of hits from our forum, one saying they were available through Spooky Tooth. Not elegant like Jim's, but looks like it will work and the price is reasonable. Seven dollars and three for shipping. So, problem solved...
SB
SB
Lookin' real good Silver 
I particularly like how yer sneakin' in as much copper as possible - but we've talked about the "poor man's gold" before lol
I've had one of those extended intakes (came with my CNS) and it does work well, I gave it to a buddy with the same clearance problem and it puts the carb right where ya need it - the only concern is the added leverage of such a long manifold, so ya may wish to upgrade the studs/fasteners if you've not already...
I particularly like how yer sneakin' in as much copper as possible - but we've talked about the "poor man's gold" before lolI've had one of those extended intakes (came with my CNS) and it does work well, I gave it to a buddy with the same clearance problem and it puts the carb right where ya need it - the only concern is the added leverage of such a long manifold, so ya may wish to upgrade the studs/fasteners if you've not already...
Yeah, I do like copper. I can see one of Bairdco's copper gas tanks in my future someday and will be looking up your step by step when the time comes. It was a relief to find that Z intake manifold. As for the studs, it is covered already, not by my foresight, but by that of Justin at Pirate. Along with the pull kit and engine mounts which came yesterday he included a whole set of upgraded allen type engine bolts for the head, and covers and locknuts for the intake and exhaust studs (I'll replace the original studs with some of the metric all thread I got at fastenall the other day). Justin also included a little bag of bubble gum in his care package to keep me busy while I work. Ha! Today I'm dismantling the bike, putting small parts in baggies and the bigger in boxes to stay organized and not lose anything (I always lose something, but I am determined not to this time). And then I can start going over the frame to prep it for a new paint job. I wish I had 2 door to look over my shoulder while doing the painting... that guy does wonders with a rattle can. What I can absolutely guarantee is that it will be a different color and will look very good from a distance! I'll do my best, but am not going to go crazy when it is less than I might have hoped. It may not be a 2door, but a 4 door with a hatchback will do. It's supposed to look kind of like an old bike anyway, right? Mostly I want to ride it with nothing clunking or falling off, like me.Lookin' real good Silver
I've had one of those extended intakes (came with my CNS) and it does work well, I gave it to a buddy with the same clearance problem and it puts the carb right where ya need it - the only concern is the added leverage of such a long manifold, so ya may wish to upgrade the studs/fasteners if you've not already...
The push is on to get the bike back together and running, rebuild my old utility trailer into a covered bike hauler for the return to Maryland mid September. I want to get there in time to meet the PA boys and whoever else shows up at the Cape Henlopen Rally in Delaware on the 18th and 19th of September. I want to see some Whizzers and EZMotorbikes (several dealers will be there) and anybody elses 2 strokes. Of course I want to show off me spiffy new ride with Aaniimoosh in the sidecar. So many little things to do... upholster seats in the sidecar, doggles and a leather helmet for the dog, finish up the jewel lights and leather headlight and tail light. The headlight is going to have a clear glass lens in the center with stained glass panels encircling it. Cool, I hope, and at least different for sure. I won't have any trouble telling which bike is mine anyway. Got some of my glass beads from my 3rd X the other day. I had a lot including looms which she gave most of away to an Indian lady who needed them. That was nice of her, I'm sure, to give away my things. Ah well, I have enough to fool around with a bit of bead work on the hand grips. I'm going all out in my own way on this bike, if not with money then with effort and awake in the middle of the night thinking about. It's been fun and I'm already looking forward to the winter build of the 50 Panther. We going to have another build off? I'm ready, Eddie. Got a plan, Stan.
It would be my great pleasure someday to visit my niece in Maine and get together with you Maine boys for a ride and a beer. I'm buying...
SB
Silver Bear, knew I'd miss all the fun. Glad that it is all coming together as per our late night think tanks.
Bet you got to bed a lot earlier after I left.
Having a blast here Prince Edward Island but time to move the party along in a couple of days. The little house was sold and photos of some of the others were like putting lipstick on a hog.
My son said he will weld me up a trailer for the bike {love the kid even more} when I see him in a week and then it's time to angle home and get mine finished.
You have inspired me once again.
Can't wait for side cars at the park.
Steve.
Bet you got to bed a lot earlier after I left.
Having a blast here Prince Edward Island but time to move the party along in a couple of days. The little house was sold and photos of some of the others were like putting lipstick on a hog.
My son said he will weld me up a trailer for the bike {love the kid even more} when I see him in a week and then it's time to angle home and get mine finished.
You have inspired me once again.
Can't wait for side cars at the park.
Steve.
Hey Steve,
Good to hear from you. There will be a place for you in Prince Edward Island when the time is right. Keep seeing it in your mind and it will happen, perhaps next summer.
Are you still thinking to stop by here on your way home? If so I would be tempted to put off the rest of the painting until you come. Then you can do a teaching demonstration (and in the process paint my bike) which I can take photos of, heh heh heh. For the good of the forum, you know.
Good to hear about the trailer for your bike... will it ride or push right onto it with your sidecar attached? A tilt bed would be good. I was staring at my old trailer for a 14 foot boat which tilts and imagining how nice it would be to have a plywood platform on there I could ride right up on... have it tip down when I got far enough and cinch the bike and canoe sidecar down in just a couple of minutes. Next summer. Safe journey, my friend.
I did get the bike taken apart today and got it into primer. Still have to do the fork which I forgot about and tomorrow pick up a whatever you call it from the hardware store for holding the tap for cutting threads in the head tube in order to affix the head badge. There's always something.
SB
Good to hear from you. There will be a place for you in Prince Edward Island when the time is right. Keep seeing it in your mind and it will happen, perhaps next summer.
Are you still thinking to stop by here on your way home? If so I would be tempted to put off the rest of the painting until you come. Then you can do a teaching demonstration (and in the process paint my bike) which I can take photos of, heh heh heh. For the good of the forum, you know.
Good to hear about the trailer for your bike... will it ride or push right onto it with your sidecar attached? A tilt bed would be good. I was staring at my old trailer for a 14 foot boat which tilts and imagining how nice it would be to have a plywood platform on there I could ride right up on... have it tip down when I got far enough and cinch the bike and canoe sidecar down in just a couple of minutes. Next summer. Safe journey, my friend.
I did get the bike taken apart today and got it into primer. Still have to do the fork which I forgot about and tomorrow pick up a whatever you call it from the hardware store for holding the tap for cutting threads in the head tube in order to affix the head badge. There's always something.
SB
Attachments
TAPPING HEAD BADGE HOLES
I was going to skip this over since it is a relatively minor thing, then thought better of it since some of you may not know how to put threads into a drilled hole so that you can put in a bolt. The tool for threading a hole is called a "tap" and your local hardware store will have them.
The worksman head tube did not have drilled holes for mounting a head badge. The original badge was glued onto the head tube and I did not like it... the www. worksman .com was counter to what I wanted the bike to convey... another era. Jesuzjonz (can never remember how to spell that) kindly sent me an Indian reproduction and I wanted to do the head badge justice with a good installation. Details are important and this head badge will go a long way in creating the impression I want. Even if your bike has holes from the original head badge, if you are going custom then it is likely you'll need to drill at least one new hole and maybe both. I decided to use 6/32" bolts, the smallest I could get in an allen pan head. Ask your hardware guy what size drill bit you should use for the size bolt and tap you choose. The drill bit needs to be smaller than the tap, but not too small. A special tool is sold to hold the tap so that you can turn it easily. I couldn't find mine so decided to use a very small crescent wrench. Bad idea. Almost done with the first hole, the tap broke leaving enough sticking out for me to remove the tap. A 25 mile trip to town & back for another tap and the holding tool later and I was ready to continue. Tapping a small hole like this is akin to surgery... patience and focus is important. Get some oil of some kind, I just used two cycle oil for the boat, and put it into a small container so that you can dip the tap into the oil every so often. Only do a quarter turn at a time and then back it out and clean the cutting from the tap. Lubricate it in the oil and do another quarter turn. Do not force it. Eventually it will have cut nice new threads in the holes you drilled. Pretty simple, but easy to screw up if you don't know about the quarter turn and oil. Almost certainly the bolt will be too long. It needs to be just long enough to go through the head tube and then be flush with the inside of the head tube. Your front fork goes in there, remember? For that reason your front fork should be removed first, else your drill bit and then the tap will run into it. I used a grinding wheel to grind the little bolt to the right length. And that's it. When I finally attach the new head badge I'll use a little blue lock-tight to make sure it stays put. Bolts in the photo are brass, the ones I will use are small allen pan heads and will be painted the same as the bike frame.
SB
I was going to skip this over since it is a relatively minor thing, then thought better of it since some of you may not know how to put threads into a drilled hole so that you can put in a bolt. The tool for threading a hole is called a "tap" and your local hardware store will have them.
The worksman head tube did not have drilled holes for mounting a head badge. The original badge was glued onto the head tube and I did not like it... the www. worksman .com was counter to what I wanted the bike to convey... another era. Jesuzjonz (can never remember how to spell that) kindly sent me an Indian reproduction and I wanted to do the head badge justice with a good installation. Details are important and this head badge will go a long way in creating the impression I want. Even if your bike has holes from the original head badge, if you are going custom then it is likely you'll need to drill at least one new hole and maybe both. I decided to use 6/32" bolts, the smallest I could get in an allen pan head. Ask your hardware guy what size drill bit you should use for the size bolt and tap you choose. The drill bit needs to be smaller than the tap, but not too small. A special tool is sold to hold the tap so that you can turn it easily. I couldn't find mine so decided to use a very small crescent wrench. Bad idea. Almost done with the first hole, the tap broke leaving enough sticking out for me to remove the tap. A 25 mile trip to town & back for another tap and the holding tool later and I was ready to continue. Tapping a small hole like this is akin to surgery... patience and focus is important. Get some oil of some kind, I just used two cycle oil for the boat, and put it into a small container so that you can dip the tap into the oil every so often. Only do a quarter turn at a time and then back it out and clean the cutting from the tap. Lubricate it in the oil and do another quarter turn. Do not force it. Eventually it will have cut nice new threads in the holes you drilled. Pretty simple, but easy to screw up if you don't know about the quarter turn and oil. Almost certainly the bolt will be too long. It needs to be just long enough to go through the head tube and then be flush with the inside of the head tube. Your front fork goes in there, remember? For that reason your front fork should be removed first, else your drill bit and then the tap will run into it. I used a grinding wheel to grind the little bolt to the right length. And that's it. When I finally attach the new head badge I'll use a little blue lock-tight to make sure it stays put. Bolts in the photo are brass, the ones I will use are small allen pan heads and will be painted the same as the bike frame.
SB
Attachments
SIDECAR UPHOLSTERED
The Indian decal arrived today so I went ahead and put it on the canoe. This is a water decal (not a sticker) from the late 1940s and was a little tricky to apply, but the results are very nice, I think. With that done I decided to go ahead with the upholstery. Some is old and some is new. The bottom cushion is dense foam covered in a panel I made up some years ago from scraps of elk hide left over from other projects like moccasins and mukluks (winter boots) Pieces too small for knife sheaths or wallets, etc. I cut into squares and then stitch the squares together with a heavy duty sewing machine made by Viking (Huskvarna). The panel of squares wasn't large enough to cover the cushion so I added to it on each side. If you are interested in doing upholstery or leather work this is a good old machine. The one pictured is from the 1950s and has a gear down device which gives it a lot of power and runs at a slow speed in that mode. It is like low range four wheel drive on a truck and is able to punch through multiple layers of elk hide. The back cushion is something I made (also of squares of scrap) maybe twenty years ago to use as a 35mm camera bag. More recently it is what I used as my shaving/ bathing kit bag for swims in the lake. Now it is the back cushion in the sidecar and will probably be it's last tour of duty. I had a boat cushion with torn fabric, so took that apart and used the innards to fill the back cushion. Chris Davis' back wheel arrived today... heavy duty and very nice. He had his local bike shop true it before sending it off. Awesome. Thank you, my friend. This bike/sidecar project really is a group effort...
SB
The Indian decal arrived today so I went ahead and put it on the canoe. This is a water decal (not a sticker) from the late 1940s and was a little tricky to apply, but the results are very nice, I think. With that done I decided to go ahead with the upholstery. Some is old and some is new. The bottom cushion is dense foam covered in a panel I made up some years ago from scraps of elk hide left over from other projects like moccasins and mukluks (winter boots) Pieces too small for knife sheaths or wallets, etc. I cut into squares and then stitch the squares together with a heavy duty sewing machine made by Viking (Huskvarna). The panel of squares wasn't large enough to cover the cushion so I added to it on each side. If you are interested in doing upholstery or leather work this is a good old machine. The one pictured is from the 1950s and has a gear down device which gives it a lot of power and runs at a slow speed in that mode. It is like low range four wheel drive on a truck and is able to punch through multiple layers of elk hide. The back cushion is something I made (also of squares of scrap) maybe twenty years ago to use as a 35mm camera bag. More recently it is what I used as my shaving/ bathing kit bag for swims in the lake. Now it is the back cushion in the sidecar and will probably be it's last tour of duty. I had a boat cushion with torn fabric, so took that apart and used the innards to fill the back cushion. Chris Davis' back wheel arrived today... heavy duty and very nice. He had his local bike shop true it before sending it off. Awesome. Thank you, my friend. This bike/sidecar project really is a group effort...
SB
