Allen_Wrench
Resident Mad Scientist
Yep, in frame. I did some measuring and found that a 2 1/4 inch diameter aluminum softball bat is just the right size to fit between the upper rails.
Scored a Higgins!!!
- Thread starter Allen_Wrench
- Start date
Yep, in frame. I did some measuring and found that a 2 1/4 inch diameter aluminum softball bat is just the right size to fit between the upper rails.
WOW! I can almost here it. Why didn't I think of that. I can't waite to see it when you are done.
One could even use two basball bats one on each side and run a cross over tube under the top bar as well as the mounts.
Or maybe get two and weld the big ends end to end for a behind the seat tank...Curt
Allen_Wrench
Resident Mad Scientist
Still tearing down the wreck and separating out the salvage parts. I can walk around now without the cane, but it's slow going. And with all the ice and snow we have here, I take the cane with me anyway, just in case.
I'm very, very torn as to whether I want to use the old springer fork from the first bike, or the rather cool-looking antique fork with the truss rods. I sat out there studying both options for a while. I suppose I'll start with the truss-rod fork and, if I don't like the ride, I can fit up the springer fork later.
Let the weather get just a bit warmer, and I'll be back out there again soon, priming the frame for paint. (I've got a little heater out in the shed, but there's only so much it can do.) When I'm done with all coats on all parts, then the real work begins. Woohoo!
I'm very, very torn as to whether I want to use the old springer fork from the first bike, or the rather cool-looking antique fork with the truss rods. I sat out there studying both options for a while. I suppose I'll start with the truss-rod fork and, if I don't like the ride, I can fit up the springer fork later.
Let the weather get just a bit warmer, and I'll be back out there again soon, priming the frame for paint. (I've got a little heater out in the shed, but there's only so much it can do.) When I'm done with all coats on all parts, then the real work begins. Woohoo!
Allen_Wrench
Resident Mad Scientist
I've been experimenting off and on with the old springer fork. But I haven't given up on the antique truss-rod fork yet either.
The vintage-styled headlamp is firmly in the planning stage. It will look like a carbide lamp, but I'll be running it off the white wire or a generator. I've got all the components, now I just have to start assembling and fabricating.
And with this warm front that rolled in, the local temperature went up just barely above the minumum recommended temperature for the can of primer I (immediately) began using on the frame. The fork has already been rust-sealed and primed, and is now wearing its first coat of bright red. Mein Gott, I love this shade of red I bought. That fork could be in the next round of pictures.
The vintage-styled headlamp is firmly in the planning stage. It will look like a carbide lamp, but I'll be running it off the white wire or a generator. I've got all the components, now I just have to start assembling and fabricating.
And with this warm front that rolled in, the local temperature went up just barely above the minumum recommended temperature for the can of primer I (immediately) began using on the frame. The fork has already been rust-sealed and primed, and is now wearing its first coat of bright red. Mein Gott, I love this shade of red I bought. That fork could be in the next round of pictures.
Attachments
Allen_Wrench
Resident Mad Scientist
This incident has the possibility of winding up in the "Snork" thread. I made a cardboard template of the interior space of my Higgins frame, and took it with me to K-mart to purchase the correct size of softball bat. (See the "Bat Tank" thread.) When I got there, they had either moved them or I was remembering incorrectly. It was time to ask somebody.
Me (to young male clerk): "Excuse me, where are your softball bats?"
Clerk: "I can show you," *starts walking* "Are you looking for a full-size, or a youth bat, a tee-ball bat...?"
Me (showing template): "Well, it has to fit in this space."
- brief pause -
Clerk: "Okay...why?"
Me: "Because I'm making a fuel tank out of it and putting it in a space this size."
- another brief pause -
Clerk: Okay...well, they're right here, and I can't help you more with that." *makes himself scarce*
I would have loved to tell him more about our kind of hobby, but I think I may have given him the impression that I'm too strange to linger with. (Might be true.)
Me (to young male clerk): "Excuse me, where are your softball bats?"
Clerk: "I can show you," *starts walking* "Are you looking for a full-size, or a youth bat, a tee-ball bat...?"
Me (showing template): "Well, it has to fit in this space."
- brief pause -
Clerk: "Okay...why?"
Me: "Because I'm making a fuel tank out of it and putting it in a space this size."
- another brief pause -
Clerk: Okay...well, they're right here, and I can't help you more with that." *makes himself scarce*
I would have loved to tell him more about our kind of hobby, but I think I may have given him the impression that I'm too strange to linger with. (Might be true.)
Goat Herder
Gutter Rider
That's too funny lol. I love funny conversations like that
Allen_Wrench
Resident Mad Scientist
Still working, in piecemeal fashion, on the Higgins. Trued the new rear wheel with what will likely be called a very unorthodox method: 1) Got an old fork that had a hole drilled for a fender mount. 2) drilled similar hole in two stiff scrap plastic rods. 3) Took tire & tube off rim, bolted naked wheel into fork, clamped fork in bench vise. 4) Bolted ends of plastic rods into fender mount hole such that they lie to left and right of rim. 5) As I turn the rim in the fork, any deviation from true concentricity moves one of the plastic rods over a bit.
It helps me if I can see how much I need to correct the rim. I went at it with the spoke wrench and, when using rubber-lined channel-locks, I put a hand-made wood form inside the rim to prevent folding or warping. That last method takes extra care and goes slow. Luckily, this rim didn't need anything so extreme. It was true enough when I got done that I can't tell if it's moving the plastic rods at all.
Did more work on the headlight housing too, testing the light I plan to use. I think it'll be way brighter than the earlier one.
It helps me if I can see how much I need to correct the rim. I went at it with the spoke wrench and, when using rubber-lined channel-locks, I put a hand-made wood form inside the rim to prevent folding or warping. That last method takes extra care and goes slow. Luckily, this rim didn't need anything so extreme. It was true enough when I got done that I can't tell if it's moving the plastic rods at all.
Did more work on the headlight housing too, testing the light I plan to use. I think it'll be way brighter than the earlier one.
Allen_Wrench
Resident Mad Scientist
Sh..sh..shed nnn..not ins..ulat..t..ted! *chattter chchchattterrr* G..g..great idea h..here. G..g..gotta g..g..get s..s..some c..c..cardboard. Th..th..thanks f..f.for the t..t..tip.
Allen_Wrench
Resident Mad Scientist
With the ice storms and Cleveland-like temperatures we've been having here in Indy, I haven't done too much on the Higgins. I'm still working the bugs out of the new headlight housing construction. I have this dream that I can make it mostly weather-proof.
I also took note that my Kent Glendale has a three-piece crank set with a relatively wide spread. So, to give a better, roomier engine mount to the Higgins, I intend to swap out the single-piece crank in addition to adding a 36T BMX pedal sprocket. If I can go outside later without some parts of my anatomy freezing solid and dropping off, I plan to get out my caliper and take some measurements. This build might very well take all winter at this rate, but being meticulous never hurt anybody (that I know of).
I also took note that my Kent Glendale has a three-piece crank set with a relatively wide spread. So, to give a better, roomier engine mount to the Higgins, I intend to swap out the single-piece crank in addition to adding a 36T BMX pedal sprocket. If I can go outside later without some parts of my anatomy freezing solid and dropping off, I plan to get out my caliper and take some measurements. This build might very well take all winter at this rate, but being meticulous never hurt anybody (that I know of).
chopperjoe
New Member
One mans junk, another mans treasure.
Yep better to do it right the first time then to do it over. Then again mistakes are called progress.....Curt
Allen_Wrench
Resident Mad Scientist
Still putting the finishing touches on the "carbide lamp" look-a-like headlight housing. As I mentioned, it was a stainless steel toilet brush holder. It will have 6v bike headlight guts, which I'm almost done rigging up the fittings on. And I took the end off a stainless steel sunglasses case, which I will drill holes in the side of and mount on top for the vent. Add some mounts for a U-shaped bracket, and I should have a wicked-cool headlight.
Attachments
Allen_Wrench
Resident Mad Scientist
When I saw the title of this thread I thought you found a Higgins Rifle!
Terry
Well, maybe with a bit of fine tuning, she'll take off like a bullet. But I'll settle for a bat out of H*ll.
silverbear
The Boy Who Never Grew Up
I like your lamp a lot! Where did you find the brush holder? Isn't it interesting how we get these shapes of things locked into our heads... headlights and gas tanks and such... and then while shopping or looking through junk at an auction we see something that looks kinda like a gas tank or a headlight or an air cleaner and see the possibilities of turning one thing into something new and different.
SB
SB
Allen_Wrench
Resident Mad Scientist
The toilet brush holder I got at Walmart. It's a bonus that it's stainless steel. So's the sunglasses case, which I found at Goodwill, but those things turn up at Walmart, Meijer, K-mart, etc. For cheap I could make another, or a bunch. Hmmm...
I've gotten pretty good at "repurposing" things over the years. I think it comes in part from having grown up dirt poor.
Allen_Wrench
Resident Mad Scientist
One of the things I'm getting with the income tax money will be a new digital camera.
As soon as the warm front rolled in out here, I went out to the shed and got back to work on painting the bike frame. The image below is terrible, but the shade of red is true. It's the color of fire engines, Ferraris, and seven stripes on the flag. It's Dupli-color, the cap doesn't do it justice. It's a shade of red that practically glows in the dark when you paint something with it. I know it well, because it's the same color my old Mitsubish Eclipse was. That thing looked like a strawberry on wheels.
I'm also nearly finished with the headlight and mounting bracket. More photos to come.
As soon as the warm front rolled in out here, I went out to the shed and got back to work on painting the bike frame. The image below is terrible, but the shade of red is true. It's the color of fire engines, Ferraris, and seven stripes on the flag. It's Dupli-color, the cap doesn't do it justice. It's a shade of red that practically glows in the dark when you paint something with it. I know it well, because it's the same color my old Mitsubish Eclipse was. That thing looked like a strawberry on wheels.
I'm also nearly finished with the headlight and mounting bracket. More photos to come.
Attachments
silverbear
The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Nice color, Allen. Should make you highly visible to motorists, too! I have a couple of builds coming and now I'm thinking that one of them may be red with black engine and trim.
A suggestion for you... when painting your bike, also paint something extra like a bolt, nut or washer. Later on take that little sample with you to see if you can match it up pretty closely to a little bottle of fingernail polish. They're pretty inexpensive, have their own little brush and are great for touching up the inevitable nicks, scratches and such as you assemble and later ride the bike. The stuff is hard and drys fast. I have used this tip from Mike Simpson in black nail polish and it has saved the day more than once. Some colors and shades would be hard to find, but black is black and there will be many choices in red.
SB
A suggestion for you... when painting your bike, also paint something extra like a bolt, nut or washer. Later on take that little sample with you to see if you can match it up pretty closely to a little bottle of fingernail polish. They're pretty inexpensive, have their own little brush and are great for touching up the inevitable nicks, scratches and such as you assemble and later ride the bike. The stuff is hard and drys fast. I have used this tip from Mike Simpson in black nail polish and it has saved the day more than once. Some colors and shades would be hard to find, but black is black and there will be many choices in red.
SB
Allen_Wrench
Resident Mad Scientist
It works! It works! IT WORKS! I don't have a picture yet but my vintage-style headlight works perfectly! I love it when I make something that comes out exactly the way I pictured it, and works precisely the way I wanted it to. Or in this case - even better than I wanted it to. With the bulb and battery pack I'm using, it's way brighter than the bullet-style LED headlight I had before. And it looks like I took it off a 1912 Thor or something. I always get pumped when I make something as rad as this.
Other news: just painting parts, and more painting parts. Primer, Red, Sealer, Gloss, etc. Multiple coats. Doing different parts in shifts.
Other news: just painting parts, and more painting parts. Primer, Red, Sealer, Gloss, etc. Multiple coats. Doing different parts in shifts.