The Rustoration Build Off

[bairdco]

remember, the left pedal comes off clockwise

i can get this bike done pretty quick because i don't have one of those pesky jobs taking up all my time...

 

[BarelyAWake]

Unemployed? You CHEATER!!! *quits job*

Yeah the pedals, it's not so much the counter threaded thing is it's the flat-head screws they've got as well... which I've never seen before. They're a lil stuck but in good shape so I stopped messin' with them till I could get an impact driver - which I did actually remember to grab from work yesterday.

Actually... I prolly shouldn't quit - I get tools at 10% over wholesale which takes a LOT of the sting outa it Which is ofc the stage I'm at now, pickin' up tools as everythin' I've got is metric lol

 

[BarelyAWake]

oh right...

Are you happy now bairdco?

 

[pre-war Schwinn]

"super stars" you guys are un building and rebuilding the bikes that make kids drool.
since i started with only a frame "stupidly scraping to bare metal" as I knew not it was the orig color I missed out on the Paint Procedures. even though I hav $400 bucks worth of super polish. I just picked out my wheels pre built. SS 12s with alloy, and my lucky day with the guy I bought the frame from, netted me a seat and some funny bars. My seat post is only 5/8 but that fits in with Fixies a bike every body wants. so a post was easy My Kit is a frame up + RAW so It had no stubborn issues.
It now has a solidly mounted tank, which I sanded the top half of and painted the color of my frame "new metal " an engine paint I took from old stock. I was lucky enough to own 2 JAWA CZ's in my lifetime. the second I got in Spokane Washington it too was 250 not 125 like had earlier stated. that was in May 1980 when Mt. St. Helen's Blew up. I rode it with a full Mask . and since it was 2 cycle it cared not for the brutal ASH. all other cars seized up, including the entire police fire and ambulances. I happily putted around taking the US census for 1980 and making a killing on those full census reports.
It was clear to me that I turn left with out looking first, so I sold it to keep alive.
that second one was a City bike and the kids called it the Pink Panther since it looked so English.
when I bought it, the previous rider showed me the proper way to stand left of the bike and step on the starter ..it is cooler. I had a great job that allowed me to clean and shine that Jawa 8 hrs a day so it sparkled
back to now I just noticed some threads pertaining to your bikes. people are thinking of restoring them but seem afraid of the work. Not You guys.
Mine is for sitting there looking elaborite. I ride an electric chopper.. usually Good Luck and keep the great tips a commin

 

[BarelyAWake]

Well, I made some progress this mornin' anyway

This is the springer I'm thinkin' of using on the Rollfast, they're not the right decade I don't think (looked 50s/60s frm the paint style) and I was hopin' for the groovier dual-spring... *shrug* they cleaned up pretty nice tho and they seem good'n rugged.

It was kinda rough when I started... I thought I had a "before" pic but I guess not lol It was missing a linkage so I stamped out two new ones at work yesterday and the old one on top really shows how crusty the forks were (lil pile in front of forks). I still needta round their corners and whatnot.

They, and everythin' else will end up painted - I'm not a big fan of chrome on my stuff (they were painted to begin with anyway lol).

 

[silverbear]

Geezum bairdco's gonna be all painted before I even get my bike completely disassembled lol I got a good start on that yesterday before work - but was defeated by stubborn pedals and time.

I do like the deep red on the Colson, but the green stripes might be a lil too seasonal fer me

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing... that Bairdco isn't fooling around. Here I am still trying to locate a door for a make believe work place in the wood shed. It has been raining steady for days, so I guess I'll go door hunting again today. Hey, Bairdco, take a break now and then. Good thing I got a head start on you guys. These fenders and skirts are going to take forever... good hobby for a lifer in prison.
Yeah that red is nice... amazing how he brought that back to life! The yellow paint on mine was on top of the original paint... a kind of cream/tan with dark brown or black accents. I don't know what the graphics were like and don't think I'm going to worry about it. Either I go with the original tan and brown scheme or what I originally saw in my head... a deep blue. I think maybe the deep blue will take it another step away from having been a girl's bike and make it more of an art deco kind of motored cruiser. Tires. Yours look really good in the photo, are they all white? I was thinking about all white ones, but already have a nice blackwall one on the front wheel. Cheaper to just buy one blackwall, so I'll probably go that route. You asked about a drum front brake. Huffy sells a heavy duty front wheel with a built in drum. I don't know of any other besides Worksman, which would be really pricey new. If you wanted to go heavy duty without lacing your own, then a front from Huffy and a rear from bikeworldusa is how I'd do it. I forgot, you've got that skiptooth, so if you wanted heavier spokes in back you'd have to lace your own. Hmmm.
We on any kind of tight schedule here? I have other work I do for the owners of this property and kind of sandwich in work for myself. I've got to get things organized here in my trailer, too, so that I can use the dinette for doing inside work, like tapping out those danged gothic fenders. Tap tap tap... like a long morse code message sent into the past of 1939.... "hello, Silverbear here, what the **** did you do to these fenders, girl?"
SB

 

[BarelyAWake]

lol silver, (wtf? that reminds me of the lone ranger heh) the tires on my bike are wasted. They might look nice in the pics but the sidewalls are cracked and completely spent. It's interesting tho... I wasn't a big fan of white tires but they do seem to look right on this bike... I dunno - we'll see when it's panted, nice to have 'em to visualize what it'd look like tho.

I have no idea wtf to do with this skiptooth thing... and it's kinda messin' with me. I really like the style and it defo ages the bike, but do I get a hub adapter for this original New Departure coaster? Do I replace BOTH hubs (three speed & drum) and crank so I can shift-kit the thing? Do I replace both hubs and get Jim's adapter for a three speed? I'm prolly relacing no matter what I do, new rims all seem to be chromed and I really like the painted style, the originals are in good shape too... meh

I do think a deep blue (but perhaps not a metalflake) would look ossum on yer bike and I'm convinced that with that particular frame style motorized - it really won't look a girl's bike any longer, just as a step-through moped doesn't look girlie. Yer bike will prolly end up lookin' like that moped's (very) distant ancestor

There is NO schedule at all silverbear, I figure it to be a "build off" in name only lol If that pesky bairdco finishes we'll just keep tap-tap-tapin' along - I suspect we'll get other rustos in here sooner or later anyway

Tho I did make a lil more progress, frame stripped down and all components and ready to get cleaned... this wasn't as easy as you'd think lol, but I managed to not break or strip anything;

 

[bairdco]

i'm on fire...

gonna go pick up some wheels and a coupla motors today.

the only thing that's gonna hold me back is a tank. i really don't want to even mess with a peanut. i've got some ideas, and if they work out, i'll be riding it this weekend...

oh, silverbear... do you mean Husky has drum brakes? i don't think Huffy makes anything good anymore...

 

[silverbear]

i'm on fire...

gonna go pick up some wheels and a coupla motors today.

the only thing that's gonna hold me back is a tank. i really don't want to even mess with a peanut. i've got some ideas, and if they work out, i'll be riding it this weekend...

oh, silverbear... do you mean Husky has drum brakes? i don't think Huffy makes anything good anymore...

Yeah, you're on fire alright... I'm still lookin' for a door.
Huffy makes a line of heavy duty stuff for industrial bikes. They have a frame almost the same as the Worksman paperboy model and some other stuff. I don't have the link on this laptop, but somebody does. What motor you putting on there?
SB

 

[silverbear]

lol silver, (wtf? that reminds me of the lone ranger heh) the tires on my bike are wasted. They might look nice in the pics but the sidewalls are cracked and completely spent. It's interesting tho... I wasn't a big fan of white tires but they do seem to look right on this bike... I dunno - we'll see when it's panted, nice to have 'em to visualize what it'd look like tho.

I have no idea wtf to do with this skiptooth thing... and it's kinda messin' with me. I really like the style and it defo ages the bike, but do I get a hub adapter for this original New Departure coaster? Do I replace BOTH hubs (three speed & drum) and crank so I can shift-kit the thing? Do I replace both hubs and get Jim's adapter for a three speed? I'm prolly relacing no matter what I do, new rims all seem to be chromed and I really like the painted style, the originals are in good shape too... meh

I do think a deep blue (but perhaps not a metalflake) would look ossum on yer bike and I'm convinced that with that particular frame style motorized - it really won't look a girl's bike any longer, just as a step-through moped doesn't look girlie. Yer bike will prolly end up lookin' like that moped's (very) distant ancestor

There is NO schedule at all silverbear, I figure it to be a "build off" in name only lol If that pesky bairdco finishes we'll just keep tap-tap-tapin' along - I suspect we'll get other rustos in here sooner or later anyway

Tho I did make a lil more progress, frame stripped down and all components and ready to get cleaned... this wasn't as easy as you'd think lol, but I managed to not break or strip anything;

You're moving right along... I know getting the old crank assembly out can be a real pain if the pedal is rusted in really bad. You have a sandblaster at work? Lucky you. I bought a washing machine motor at a yard sale this summer, bought an arbor at the hardware store along with coarse and medium wire wheels. I already had a grinding wheel, so that's my wire wheel stripping set up. Then I use a drill with smaller wire wheels on it for getting in to the tighter spots. I also use ZIP STRIP chemical stripper to loosen the paint up and get off what I can with a putty knife before wire wheel touches it. The Elgin had a lot of pain t gobbed on it. Still, it's slow going, so sandblasting would be nice. A little while ago I convinced the owner here that a door in the main house needs replacing since it was forced open and is torn up around the door latch, so later today I'll remove it and reuse it for my work surface in the wood shed. Then I can finish stripping parts. Gotta try to keep up with Bairdco there. He's like the planet Mercury spinning around so fast so you can't keep up. Ha!
No, I won't use metalflake on the Elgin. It will probably get the darkest blue engine enamel from dupli color. Although not as dark a blue as I might like, the paint is good stuff for rattle cans. That's a ways off, however. I'll be thrilled when just the frame is in primer, then go for the peripherals as they are ready. Enough talking, I have work to do. Hi ho Silver, away! (Yeah, I watched The Lone Ranger, too.)
SB

 

[bairdco]

i hate stripping paint. i've got an idea to try to touch up my paint without stripping the whole thing and starting fresh. if it works, it'll keep the vintage "patina," without looking all brand new. i'll explain it if it works out, otherwise it's getting stripped.

SB, it's getting a Grubee starfire 66.

BA, those are cool forks. i wish i had a cool springer, but from what i've heard, though, is they tend to bottom out, and most people tighten them down so much it's not even functional. but they look super cool.

so, back to my progress...

the other day, during my travels, some old guy comes up to me at a park where i stopped to have a smoke. starts talking the usual "how'd you do that, i used to have a whizzer, blah blah blah..." and i'm in a good mood, so i'm chatting with him like all of us have done before, and then he says..

"ya know? i think i've still got some wheels layin' around, but they wouldn't fit yer bike, they're 24's..."

hunh?

hey mister, i got a 24" colson...

turns out, about 15 years back, he was in the process of restoring his whizzer, and bought some 24" worksman wheels from some guy, but they didn't fit his bike, so he put them up in the garage and forgot about them. he's long since gotten rid of his whizzer, and honestly, i don't remember much of our conversation after he said, "if i can find them, i'll give 'em to ya for 50 bucks..."

so that was my big secret a coupla posts ago. i just picked up some NOS 24" worksman wheels, 11g. spokes, bendix coaster brake and front atom drum. there was a price tag on them for $499.

the only problem is the sprocket's not a skiptooth, but with some grinding, it will be soon...

did i win yet?

 

[pre-war Schwinn]

He must have been one of those what you call "Eskimo's" that pops up from behind the trees in a park.

 

[silverbear]

Wow, Bairdco, I'm really glad for you. That's awesome. So I guess this means you won't be relacing... huh! Aren't those Worksman wheels something else? Boy, it's really great when something special like that happens. I feel almost like I got them myself. You'll have to show the old fellow your bike when you have it done. He'll be happy, too.
SB

 

[bairdco]

hey BA, you said you have a new departure coaster brake, right? didja take it apart and grease it yet? man, are you in for a treat. i took my old one apart to see if i could modify the sprocket for my bendix, and it's a nightmare. it's got like 20 little shims inside. i just put all the parts in a bag for later. dunno when i'll ever need a 28 spoked, antique hub...

back to my project.

got the wheels cleaned up, greased, ready to go. spokes are actually 10 gauge. pretty much got me some motorsickle wheels.

had to make a skiptooth rear cog for the 70's bendix hub, but that only took me a half an hour of grinding. i used two big crescent wrences to snap off every other tooth, then grinded them smooth. (see pic.)took apart and greased the front drum. nice and simple design, should last forever. it's set up for right hand operation, which is great, 'cause i want the brake lever on the right, like a motorcycle. don't wanna hassle with clutching and braking at the same time.

figured out how to clean up the paint without re-doing the whole thing. my goal was to leave the "patina" of the old baked on enamel to give it some character. i only tested it on a small part of the frame, so i'll post pictures tomorrow when it's done.

all i did was get some burgandy spray paint, sprayed it into a rag, and wiped it on. it gives it a thin layer of color, without covering everything up. the bare metal spots and the gold brazing areas, i'll hit them lightly with black primer and then go over it with the burgandy rag. it should look really neat-o, without looking brand new.

didn't try to fit the motor yet, 'cause i've got more work to do on the frame, but it should be no prob.

as for the gas tank, i think i've got a way to make an in-frame tank out of aluminum sheets and alumiweld rods. i'm getting pretty good at that. and i've got some tank sealer in case there's any pinholes. the only problem is finding something for a filler neck. all i need is an aluminum canteen, or a salt shaker or something. anything aluminum with threads and a cap...

the only thing i'm missing is a rear "peaked" fender, but i got a line on one of those.

that's enough info for now, more tomorrow...

 

[BarelyAWake]

silverbear - as it turns out the sandblaster at work was... misrepresented. We do actually have a large cabinet blaster - but what they failed to mention is it isn't set up and it's hidden away in our labyrinthine business complex far from any available air source. The repeated references were regarding a POS bucket blaster, they just never bothered to mention they were talking about two different things. As bucket blasters just plain suck I'm gonna refinish my bike at home with a 4 1/2" side handle grinder with a wire wheel on it. That's what I did the springer with and it worked out really well and it also went really fast. A friend at work is all excited to set up the cabinet, but I'm not gonna wait for that lol


Yeah bairdco, the more I think on it the more I think the skiptooth is gonna get pulled. I kinda regret it as it's dripping style - but it's causin' too many hiccups in this project. The crankset is too narrow and sure I could bend it but urg... the chain and sprockets are obscure and awkward to replace... I could get a hub adapter for the new departure, but what about later if the hub dies? and ofc there's the whole shiftkit lust I gotta contend with lol

This build isn't gonna be just a trophy bike - I'm gonna ride the heck outa it so I need to keep long term wear and tear in mind. I could get a different rear hub and mod a sprocket like you did... but for my build I'm gettin' the feeling that I may be making alterations for style alone, which goes counter to my very soul lol Granted, I'm already making concessions to style with a vintage bike - but I'm trying to blend form and function and I don't think the hub/chain/sprockets are making the grade.

I can't wait to see the tank you come up with! I'm considering aluminum but for two things, one is I still need to go over some finer points like rounded or angular tank with my buddy at work and the other is his skill with TIG. Long ago I was actually a certified welder but wow - I've lost my touch lol Fortunately my friend is 110% behind this project and as he's our resident welder for all the fabrication projects there it's convenient to say the least - but TIG is not his strongest skill. We have all sortsa metals to choose from with the brakes and shears that makes it easier to fab stuff so we just gotta yap about shapes an'stuff.

"the only thing i'm missing is a rear "peaked" fender..."

'cuse the n00b question - but WTF is a "peaked fender"? Got any pics?

 

[silverbear]

Bairdco,
Nice job on the skip tooth. We'll be interested to see how the paint restoration looks when you're done.

Barelyawake,
Too bad about the sandblaster, but it sounds like you've got it covered with the wire wheel setup. I'm guessing what Bairdco is referring to as a peaked fender may be what is also called a Gothic fender, which is what mine are on the 39 Elgin... like a ridge that runs from one end to the other along the center of the fender.
Speaking of which, I spent a half hour or so tapping messages on the shorter front fender yesterday and it is coming along nicely. I was surprised, actually. I think they may end up looking pretty nice. I'll have a door setup in the woodshed later today for a work surface and then I can make more progress stripping the guards. When all is pretty well straightened and stripped I'll silver solder the places in need of repair.
Sounds like you guys will have in-frame gas tanks... very cool.
SB

 

[BarelyAWake]

I love the sound of a side handle grinder in the mornin'

The housemates are less than impressed tho

serves 'em right for alla that late night drunken Guitar Hero BS...

Turnabout is fair play muhahaha!

 

[bairdco]

yeah, a "peaked" fender (or "crescent" fender) isn't round, it's got a sharp ridge. dunno who first started calling them "gothic," 'cause i never read that in any old catalogues. but either way, they're cool. it's funny that no one uses them anymore, because thanks to their shape, they were way stronger than your average, rounded "balloon" fender. probably costs too much to produce.

Geoff, i think you should reconsider the jackshaft. i mean, you've already got a reliable bike to go to work on, why don't you make the cruiser into just that? a cruiser, for sunday rides in the park, beer runs, etc...

i hear ya on the sprocket adaptor and parts replacement, though. i've got 2 of them for new shimano hubs, and they don't fit the bendix, and since i don't want to wait, and i don't want the ragjoint, i think it's grinding time for one of them. (shhh. don't tell jim...)


my roomates gone, i got the house and the garage to myself till sunday. i'm gonna make as much noise as i want. just hope the neighbors don't all have family over, they might try to pity the poor holiday orphan trying to fix his bike.

 

[BarelyAWake]

I like that fender style a LOT... ah well, the balloon fenders on mine aren't bad heh

I think that despite protest I'm gonna go ahead with the jackshaft for a coupla reasons. Not only does it solve a few problems simultaneously - but I know me, I'd want it sooner or later anyway. Oddly enough - it's that "Sunday cruise" that's part of the shift equation, I love my Schwinn's get up and go - but hate the high RPM scream at speed and there's only one solution for that.

Another factor is I am going with Tom's (2door) front engine mount, not only do I think it one of the best I've seen (I may make a dual bracket tho) - I'll need the stand-off as I've way too much room in this frame;

http://motorbicycling.com/f6/oversized-tubing-solved-6427-4.html#post128350

As it's welded in place (part of what I like about it) I'd rather set it up the way I'd like it now than need grind it off and reposition it later. I know the kit won't look period and it messes up another plan I had for a behind the seatpost box that looks like the oil tank on the ol' 1911 bikes... but I have a feeling I'm gonna ride this bike a LOT and far lol, it's soooo comfy So more style sacrificed for function *shrug*

Made a lil more progress even tho it's turkeyday, first stage with the wire wheel;

 

[silverbear]

yeah, a "peaked" fender (or "crescent" fender) isn't round, it's got a sharp ridge. dunno who first started calling them "gothic," 'cause i never read that in any old catalogues. but either way, they're cool. it's funny that no one uses them anymore, because thanks to their shape, they were way stronger than your average, rounded "balloon" fender. probably costs too much to produce.

Geoff, i think you should reconsider the jackshaft. i mean, you've already got a reliable bike to go to work on, why don't you make the cruiser into just that? a cruiser, for sunday rides in the park, beer runs, etc...

i hear ya on the sprocket adaptor and parts replacement, though. i've got 2 of them for new shimano hubs, and they don't fit the bendix, and since i don't want to wait, and i don't want the ragjoint, i think it's grinding time for one of them. (shhh. don't tell jim...)


my roomates gone, i got the house and the garage to myself till sunday. i'm gonna make as much noise as i want. just hope the neighbors don't all have family over, they might try to pity the poor holiday orphan trying to fix his bike.

Regarding the "Gothic" fenders... I read that in a google search on the pre war Elgins. In looking at your fender I see that mine are different yet. There is not only a peak , but an actual squared off ridge. The ends are also different from any others I've had. These fenders are very heavy and are coming around as far as bringing them back from the graveyard. In the first three pictures are the front fender that I started work on. You can see the ridge and also the pointed (Gothic?) ends. Photo #2 is of the front of the front fender and you can see a large hole which is where it fits over the bottom of the front fork housing. Then there are two screw which also attach it to the fork. No worries over that fender coming off ever. Very cool fenders, now that I'm working on and studying them. The last two photos are of the rear fender, still very rough as I haven't started straightening yet or tapping out the dinks. I'm glad I decided to keep them.
SB