Inexperienced first build

[Rakkassan34]

Newbie here, just intro'd myself in the new member section explaining how this all started. Anyway here it is, my first build and I mean my first build of anything. I have no experience, little cash, crap tools, and no time but I was dedicated and busted my butt every min I had available for two weeks so far. I'm loving it and if I can do at least this much anyone can. I'm going to focus on my mistakes and experience so hopefully others can learn from them.

 

[Rakkassan34]

The first pic was what I started with. I'm using my daughters bike and the others for parts and the engine. First task, the frame. Only thing I had to cut with was a small hand held grinder but it did the job.

 

[Rakkassan34]

I found some steel pipe at a local scrap yard and got lucky that the top one was already bent like I wanted it. I welded it up with a stick welder and it looked horrible. I ground down the welds to pretty it up and make sure I had good penetration but didn't like the look and thought I really shouldn't be grinding away first timer welds so this time I used my POS el cheapo flux core welder and welded them up again. The welds still looked like bubble gum but I kinda liked the look so I kept them. Are they straight? I dunno, centered? I really doubt it. I just eyeballed it had my son hold them in place while I tacked em in.

 

[Rakkassan34]

Next is the fuel tank. I scoured the scrap yard for some type of cylinder but couldn't find one so I decided to make my own. I had an old piece of 23ga sheet metal lying around but it wasn't enough for the sides, just the top and bottom. I couldn't find any straight enough metal at the scrap yard and about passed out at the $20 and up price tag for a small 22ga piece at the hardware store so I settled for a $9 piece of 16ga. I gotta find another way of cutting this stuff cause a jig saw kept hanging up and rippled the edges something fierce. I wanted rounded edges and knew my welding skills would burn more holes in this thin steel than it would put welds down so I thought tubing would be the answer. I found a curtain rod and snuck it outside to form a frame. Well my lack of cutting skills and short piece of tubing weren't enough to go around the whole edge. Have ya ever tried to bend this stuff by hand without kinking it? lol it aint pretty. To get my desired rounded edges I bent and beat it over a piece of angle iron. That was cool and I was proud of the result not knowing a nightmare quickly awaited me.

 

[Rakkassan34]

Hmm a lawnmower gas filler would work perfect wouldn't it? It seemed like a good idea at the time and actually works. After bending and beating the tank by hand the top was no longer flat but it had a nice accidental curve on it so I kept it. I burnt holes all over the place trying to weld the tank using .35 wire in a welder that has no power adjustment at all in the hands of a first time welder I had to think of how to seal it. JB weld to the rescue! it actually worked kinda. I broke down and bought some fuel tank sealer Red something or other, yea it still leaks so I might be taking my own advice and starting a new tank. My advice, don't round the edges it was difficult to keep the original shape of the tank, use a smaller welding wire like .30 and thicker sheet metal 22/23ga no matter the price.

 

[Rakkassan34]

Here's where me and my son were at about day three. I had him spray the frame with a can of primer and flat black just to help protect the bare steel. He did so at night in a poorly lit garage. The next morning in the light we looked at it and he said "woah! I thought I painted the whole thing" I laughed and said ya know what I actually like it.

 

[Rakkassan34]

It took me about 4 days minutes at a time to get the tank done and we put the engine in. The rims are rusted, tires dry rotted, seat torn, paint spotty, welds gnarly, fuel tank leaky. This thing is a dirty smelly mess and I absolutely love it! I decided to leave it all nasty looking and call it our rat rod bike but now I'm hooked and plan to build a nice looking one this winter. I don't even have this one running yet. Problems with the carb have me just looking at it for now. Hopefully in a few days time I'll be tearing up the street with it before it gets too cold.

 

[truckd]

Hello! Rakkassan
Nice Job! only one recommendation, purchase a Schwinn Varisty Goose Neck, Ebay sells them at decent prices, otherwise Nice!

 

[Rakkassan34]

Just looked up the Schwinn varsity goose neck on the net. Great suggestion and a def must buy for me, thank you.

 

[Rakkassan34]

I do know one thing. The rear brakes are not enough to stop this thing just pedaling it around, I'm not sure if it was my doing or just the added weight of the bike. I did take the rear hub apart and it took me and google forever to get it back together. I'm worried that when I do get it running I won't be able to stop. Any suggestions?

 

[WightBoy]

Get a front brake! Either a disc or a drum. Build is looking good!

 

[truckd]

The Schwinn goose neck I like has a concaved top stem, very sudtle difference and if you get one with a light surface rust don't use a scrunge pad to clean it as you will scratch the chrome,get a bottle of cider vineger and soke it for a couple of hours and go over it with some jewery cleaner and tooth brush and it will look brand new
Here is a pic of the head set I cleaned up off an old Schwinn for my 1911 Indian BTR and a side shot of the bike but don't know if there is enough detail to see the goose neck, bottom bracket was also re-furbished from the same old Schwinn

 

[truckd]

If the bike has 12 gauge spokes go to amazon and look for Shimano CB-E110 36 h rear coaster brake hub for 12 gauge spokes, mine cost 22.00 with tx & shipping,dissassemble the wheel then take it to a bike shop and have them re-lace the hub back into the rim, and if finances permit get a rear sprocket adapter from one of these venders they run from $50.oo - $80.oo, you take a high calculated risk with the pineapple set up out of the kit, use this forum to do R & D for a safe,durable,and well running bike, search thread topic's for just about anything you can think of
Sportsman Flyer
Manic Mechanic
Pirate Cycles

 

[Rakkassan34]

Wow! that bikes so clean and straight it almost looks computer generated. That's a beauty. This forum is what got me started on building this bike while searching for tips on how to put an engine in a bicycle I ran across this forum and fell in love of the BTR's. I've learned a lot from this build and this forum. While this bike will stay pretty much the way it is I do plan on building a beauty this winter.

 

[Rakkassan34]

I've seen an adapter that has a key way and is mounted to the hub that you bolt the sprocket to instead of using these rubber pieces bolted to the spokes. Is that the hub adapter you're talking about?

 

[truckd]

Yes that is the one, you have three different choices depending on your budget, but reguardless of what brand or cost, get it, I live by this modo "a cheap bike ain't good and a good bike ain't cheap" and as I said regaurdless of your choice it is the best decision you can make on the whole build sa well as the safest. Thanks! for the good words about the Indian I have another I like really well and it's on my thread "Ol Blue" infact it's the one in my avitar and another comming up, sneak peeks of that in the thread "Blood Thursty".
Good luck with your decision and post often, thats a real cool! build

 

[silverbear]

I like your can do attitude and willingness to wing it. And I think it's cool that your son is involved, too. He's learning a whole lot from you, be sure of it. I saw that smile of his while sitting on the bike... I bet he's been making vroom sounds and dreaming about riding it. That's a gift of great value, giving a boy dreams.
I'm also a believer in showing the wrong turns along with the right ones. We all make them and we all had a first build. Thanks for sharing.
SB

 

[fasteddy]

I just built a tank for my camel back Indian tricar and did what you did to bend the tank parts. I soldered it together with regular solder and a propane torch set on a low flame.
Did a test piece first and tried to get it apart and couldn't then I heated it up and tried to pull it apart to see if the solder had gone where it should and it was perfect. Secret is cleaning the metal first so the solder can stick to the metal.

If you can get some silver solder it will be even stronger but I had lots of regular no lead plumbing solder so I used that. If you look on the trike thread you will see it under the Indian tricar started by Silvebear, last entery I think.

For a first build you've done great and solved a lot of problems. I like the look on your sons face too. It looks like you will have to build one for yourself soon since he'll be a might hard to find once this one is running.

Steve.

 

[Tinsmith]

Well, you sure are getting your money's worth of good advice here and as SB says you have quite a good attitude about building this bike. You'll be successful and gain alot of knowledge. SB and I spent a couple winters playing with building tanks and sure learned alot. If you look at SB's posts you'll see some detailed "how we did it" tank building. Like Steve says you can solder the tank. You just have to get it clean like he says and not overheat the metal. It'll glaze over and you'll have to clean it again. Just get it to temp, put the solder to it and keep moving. Don't stay in one place with the torch. Good luck, Dan

 

[fasteddy]

Rakkassan34,

Here is the thread for the copper gas tank that Tinsmith and Silverbear built. Would have mentioned it but couldn't remember where it was so I could direct you to it.
Dan is a master tinsmith with a lot of years making reproduction antique lighting and is one of the go to guy here for tinsmithing questions.

Enjoy.

Steve

http://motorbicycling.com/showthread.php?t=26805