Indian Tadpole
- Thread starter silverbear
- Start date
Hi Dan,
Thank you. Just sat down and turned the computer on and saw your email.
Another day of 20 minute jobs that took all day to do and they still aren't finished. The old guy is slowing down or the jobs are getting harder to do. Tomorrow should have the tank painted and ready to mount with any luck at all.
Steve.
Thank you. Just sat down and turned the computer on and saw your email.
Another day of 20 minute jobs that took all day to do and they still aren't finished. The old guy is slowing down or the jobs are getting harder to do. Tomorrow should have the tank painted and ready to mount with any luck at all.
Steve.
Hope everyone had a good Labour Day weekend. Our set to be stormy weekend piddled out. Rained half of Friday and the rest was sunny and warm. I never thought I'd wish it would rain here on the Wet Coast. We'll see what Fall brings us.
Got the new gas tank and oil tank that I'm mounting on the bike finished up and fitted. Needs to be painted and the three tanks need to be lined with the tank liner probably tomorrow. The body work on the tank is where I filled in the spot welds.
The back fender has never seemed right to me and I looked at photos of the original bikes. The fender needs to be bobbed off and the rear fender support should be at more of an angle. There was too much space between the fender and tire as well so I loosened the fender mount and lowered it and it looks much better. I'll finish that off tomorrow as well.
Steve.
Got the new gas tank and oil tank that I'm mounting on the bike finished up and fitted. Needs to be painted and the three tanks need to be lined with the tank liner probably tomorrow. The body work on the tank is where I filled in the spot welds.
The back fender has never seemed right to me and I looked at photos of the original bikes. The fender needs to be bobbed off and the rear fender support should be at more of an angle. There was too much space between the fender and tire as well so I loosened the fender mount and lowered it and it looks much better. I'll finish that off tomorrow as well.
Steve.
Attachments
KOOL Steve, really looks good. Going o be one nice bike when done............Curt
Thank you Curt. I just have to stop "improving" it as I go. Once the fender and tank is finished that's it. Finished it is.
Steve.
Steve.
Looking great Steve. Always remember it's a hobby and you never have to send an invoice or justify cost or completion over runs. When it pleases you call it complete.
Rick C.
Rick C.
Excellent advise Rick. I never save the bills for this build either. I know what I have in it very closely to the dollar but I never think about it since I want to sleep at night.
I'm kind of certain that no one will park beside me at a show and say, You built one too.
Steve
I'm kind of certain that no one will park beside me at a show and say, You built one too.
Steve
Fender is bobbed like the originals and the fender support is as close to the original angle as possible. The original 28" fender provided more space. Since I started moving everything on the fender nothing of course lined up so it all had to be rebuilt.
If you look at the photos above this you will be able to see the changes I made if you compare them with today's photos.
Didn't get the tanks lined like I had hoped to. Not unusual. Can only hope for tomorrow.
Steve.
If you look at the photos above this you will be able to see the changes I made if you compare them with today's photos.
Didn't get the tanks lined like I had hoped to. Not unusual. Can only hope for tomorrow.
Steve.
Attachments
Top photos are the inserts for the gas line outlet. Drilled a hole in 1/8" x 1-1/2" flat steel and welded in steel tubing and sanded the welds flush. Then I threaded the tubing. Predrilled the rivet holes and bedded the outlet in slow setting JB Weld and riveted it in place.
Next. The fender bobbed and then lowered closer to the tire and the fender braces angled.
Next. Just to show what the tank looks like. The mount for the bolt that goes through the oil tank is riveted and bedded in JB Weld. From 1908 on I believe they mounted the oil tank as a round canister on end behind the seat post and in front of the fender There was just a plate on the other side of the seat stays that a bolt passed through to secure the gas tank as well as the fender mount on the rear of the tank. Brass plug is just there for the tank liner to hold it in.
I put a rivnut in the bolt mount for the 1/4" bolt.
A frame from Sports Car Pat would be an excellent start for a 1908 and up build.
Last photos. Curt sent Silverbear and I some lawn mower trans axles in 2014, I think. Rooting through the trailer I found it and wondered how it matched up to a trike rear axle I bought from Chain Maker long before that. Ran it through the sandblaster to clean it up. If it ever gets used I'd use the trike rear end as a guide to make one for the lawn mower rear end. Make the trike rear end so it splits in two and the differential can be removed.
Steve.
Next. The fender bobbed and then lowered closer to the tire and the fender braces angled.
Next. Just to show what the tank looks like. The mount for the bolt that goes through the oil tank is riveted and bedded in JB Weld. From 1908 on I believe they mounted the oil tank as a round canister on end behind the seat post and in front of the fender There was just a plate on the other side of the seat stays that a bolt passed through to secure the gas tank as well as the fender mount on the rear of the tank. Brass plug is just there for the tank liner to hold it in.
I put a rivnut in the bolt mount for the 1/4" bolt.
A frame from Sports Car Pat would be an excellent start for a 1908 and up build.
Last photos. Curt sent Silverbear and I some lawn mower trans axles in 2014, I think. Rooting through the trailer I found it and wondered how it matched up to a trike rear axle I bought from Chain Maker long before that. Ran it through the sandblaster to clean it up. If it ever gets used I'd use the trike rear end as a guide to make one for the lawn mower rear end. Make the trike rear end so it splits in two and the differential can be removed.
Steve.
Steve the fender really was worth the effort, the spacing is now perfect as is the fender length. The Camel tank looks so cool when they're done right!
Rick C.
Rick C.
Thank you Rick. It's been bothering me for some time now but I ignored it until I couldn't any longer. Somewhere the tri car will be seen by people who know what they are looking at and I'd like it to stand up to their scrutiny as best it can.
Over the years I saw so many reproduction pieces of furniture that if the maker had spent another day working on it and done things properly it would have been an award winner.
Steve.
Over the years I saw so many reproduction pieces of furniture that if the maker had spent another day working on it and done things properly it would have been an award winner.
Steve.
Perfectionism hit once more and I built another oil tank for the tri car. Changing the height of the fender changed everything but the gas tank location.
I had washed the gas tanks with hot water and Dawn dish soap to clean up the solder flux and any oil on the steel. Today I washed out the insides of the tanks with lacquer thinner so if there was any residue left that might interfere with the tank liner it would be gone. Little discoloration of the thinner but not a lot.
Spent a little time at the end of the day making a pattern for the gas tank looking tool box for the electric tri car. A lot of sand blasting planned for this weekend and I'll work the frame and front end into the mix. Fall and winter project.
Steve.
I had washed the gas tanks with hot water and Dawn dish soap to clean up the solder flux and any oil on the steel. Today I washed out the insides of the tanks with lacquer thinner so if there was any residue left that might interfere with the tank liner it would be gone. Little discoloration of the thinner but not a lot.
Spent a little time at the end of the day making a pattern for the gas tank looking tool box for the electric tri car. A lot of sand blasting planned for this weekend and I'll work the frame and front end into the mix. Fall and winter project.
Steve.
I too have been working with patterns on paper & have reconfirmed that Origami is not my gift in art; and time spent with paper patterns is a more profitable activity than making mistakes in metal.
I think the Camel back tank tool box a wonderful concept for storage on the electric tri car Steve. Have you ordered a loop frame from Pat or are you sticking with the early V frame look of the Indians with the electric? Either will be cool!
Rick C.
I think the Camel back tank tool box a wonderful concept for storage on the electric tri car Steve. Have you ordered a loop frame from Pat or are you sticking with the early V frame look of the Indians with the electric? Either will be cool!
Rick C.
Hi Rick,
Nothing that wonderful I'm afraid. I have a 1940/50's Monark frame that Silverbear sent me years ago and the front axle is one of the ones I bought off eBay also years ago also. They appear to be from a golf cart but were never used.
I welded everything up about 3 years ago and it sat in the garage ever since and moved hundreds of times. Just using what I had sitting around so it could all be used up. I have an electric motor from Sick Bike Parts, again bought years ago with great plans until my health gave out.
Just want to get everything ready to assemble this fall/winter so there is something to do. I will be able to use it on the streets here since it will be electric and legal.
As our Intrepid Wheel Woman would say it's Cardboard Aided Design or C.A.D. So much less expensive than going straight to metal for certain.
Steve.
Nothing that wonderful I'm afraid. I have a 1940/50's Monark frame that Silverbear sent me years ago and the front axle is one of the ones I bought off eBay also years ago also. They appear to be from a golf cart but were never used.
I welded everything up about 3 years ago and it sat in the garage ever since and moved hundreds of times. Just using what I had sitting around so it could all be used up. I have an electric motor from Sick Bike Parts, again bought years ago with great plans until my health gave out.
Just want to get everything ready to assemble this fall/winter so there is something to do. I will be able to use it on the streets here since it will be electric and legal.
As our Intrepid Wheel Woman would say it's Cardboard Aided Design or C.A.D. So much less expensive than going straight to metal for certain.
Steve.
That was a pleasant surprise. I started the electric tri car in October of 2017. Seems a lot longer than that. I had forgotten that I posted a photo of the tri car I was using as a guide. There is a 98cc Villiers motor waiting for me at Silverbear's. With a modified bicycle frame it would be possible to make one to look like the photo.
Here is a link to what I have done so far.
Steve.
https://motorbicycling.com/threads/the-epic-an-electric-tri-car.63517/
Here is a link to what I have done so far.
Steve.
https://motorbicycling.com/threads/the-epic-an-electric-tri-car.63517/
Here is where I found the tri car photo.
Steve.
https://occhiolungo.wordpress.com/2015/05/30/2015-pioneer-run-part-3/
Steve.
https://occhiolungo.wordpress.com/2015/05/30/2015-pioneer-run-part-3/
Just what I need. An outside influence. While I was waiting for the tank liner to drain I designed the camel tank tool box. Looks excellent on paper and if I can squeeze out some time over the next week I'll build one.
Opening like an ammo can with a small, discrete lock at the fender end and a hinge at the top by the seat post. A small wall on the inside at the bottom to keep the tools in when the top is opened.
1908 was the last year of the Camel Back Indian and they used the diamond frame. I'd stretch it and build a faux twin to hide the electric motor like Pat did. Steel tubing with part of it cut out and a bent section welded in to make a landing place for the cylinders. Maybe extended and reshaped China Girl cylinders and heads.
Small electric motor inside beside the larger motor to operate an eccentric cam to in turn operate the push rods and valves?
I have an idea to make the seat backs quickly without a lot of frame shaping. I'll round up the necessary victims soon.
How far it will go and how soon depends on what kind of winter we have.
And I was wondering what I would do when I retired.
Steve.
I think a diamond design the best selection for appropriate and approximate matchup with the Camel tank/storage.
Pat's V twin concept so blows all other, commercial, attempts at a true classic period look V twin, mid-drive e-bike out of the water, that he should borrow the nautical "Dreadnaught" as an apt description for his e-bikes. I'm also aware of the quite famous pre WW1 single cylinder English bike of the same name, though a one off race bike, which still
motors during the fantastic Pioneer runs in Great Briton
You may recall I've previously posted my thoughts for faux V engines electric or not, which are similar to your own thoughts on the topic, and a Sportsman Flyer loop frame is so right for this purpose with a classic coffin tank/storage tank which Pat also designed and sells for a quite modest sum. At this point in life, and since I no longer have a complete machine shop at my disposal, buying these components from Pat makes perfect sense. I seem to have parked my creative ego somewhere quite forgotten and misplaced the keys as well.
Your approach with the Camel tank and diamond frame are much more unique and therefore appealing especially on a tri-car build with a gas engine look period correct look..."in the spirit of" a classic!
Build on and have fun Steve.
Rick C.
Pat's V twin concept so blows all other, commercial, attempts at a true classic period look V twin, mid-drive e-bike out of the water, that he should borrow the nautical "Dreadnaught" as an apt description for his e-bikes. I'm also aware of the quite famous pre WW1 single cylinder English bike of the same name, though a one off race bike, which still
motors during the fantastic Pioneer runs in Great Briton
You may recall I've previously posted my thoughts for faux V engines electric or not, which are similar to your own thoughts on the topic, and a Sportsman Flyer loop frame is so right for this purpose with a classic coffin tank/storage tank which Pat also designed and sells for a quite modest sum. At this point in life, and since I no longer have a complete machine shop at my disposal, buying these components from Pat makes perfect sense. I seem to have parked my creative ego somewhere quite forgotten and misplaced the keys as well.
Your approach with the Camel tank and diamond frame are much more unique and therefore appealing especially on a tri-car build with a gas engine look period correct look..."in the spirit of" a classic!
Build on and have fun Steve.
Rick C.
Operation of fake pushrods and rockers, why use a motor? Wouldn't solenoids be simpler? I admit speaking as someone who believes the world would be improved by diesels and oil lamps instead of demonic technology, and has no practical background in the subject of electrickery.
Klick, clack, rattatat where's the oil drip valve located Henry?
Definitely like the silly-noids for noise & affected effects, caused... of a real faux
Injun, Ludwig!Rick C.