Alchemist Custom Bicycles Gallery

Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum

Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
OBC is over, and so, while I decided not to do a build thread, as I didn't take a lot of progress pics, I can now post up pics of my Builder's Challenge bike. It didn't win anything, but hey, it's a really cool bike, that I now have to enjoy. It'll do the bicycle show circuit this year, and I'm interested to see the reception it gets.

I started with these 36" Coker wheels from a past build, and a metallic red vinyl motorcycle solo seat that I got at a swap meet. I built the frame using square tubing, going for a vague Ruff Cycles Dean profile, but adding a mid-bar and tank plate. I used a pair of Pensive Works spade drops that I have had for a couple of years, waiting for the right build. They were so large, that they never fit any standard bikes. I built the bars out of 1" square tubing, except the riser portion, which are 1" solid square bar. I heated them up, giving them a slight twist, so that the bars could come back a bit. I made the fork from some vintage Schwinn style springer parts, and fork legs that I made myself out of square tubing, giving it a bent-springer stance, so that I could keep the frame lower despite the wheel size. I then had it powder coated, then pin striped by Ray "The Vulture", who also did the silver leaf lettering. I had the bars and forks chromed, and the wheel set polished, and put new Coker ribbed XLR tires on it to get rid of those ugly button tread tires that come with the wheels. I had to special order the red 2" die, and drilled it and made it into the shifter handle to match the casino dice valve stem caps. The final touches were the red glitter Thompson coke bottle grips, and to have the stem and cranks/chainring polished to match the rest of the bike. The shots I have are mostly from when it was 90% done, so you'll notice the absence of the shifter cable. I'll have to get more pics soon.
IMG_4249.JPG

IMG_4250.JPG

IMG_4251.JPG

IMG_4252 - Copy.JPG

IMG_4252.JPG

IMG_4253.JPG



Here it is in a couple of action shots:
As seen on TV.jpg

Lee McNeese Pic.jpg
 
Last edited:
My grandfather was a knife maker, amongst other things (he also owned a paint store, worked on sprint modified race cars, and coached/played baseball). He's long passed, but I just finished a file knife that I made from a file that I got from him, and scales (handle pieces) that also came from his own stock. I ground down the blade, burned holes in it with a torch for the pins, and made the pins out of 1/2" brass tubing, and 1/2" copper rope. I then re-hardened and tempered it, fine-tuned the blade and edge, and called it good. I'm really happy with it.
IMG_4480.JPG

IMG_4481.JPG

IMG_4482.JPG

IMG_4483.JPG

IMG_4484.JPG

IMG_4486.JPG
 
Last edited:
My grandfather was a knife maker, amongst other things (he also owned a paint store, worked on sprint modified race cars, and coached/played baseball). He's long passed, but I just finished a file knife that I made from a file that I got from him, and scales (handle pieces) that also came from his own stock. I ground down the blade, burned holes in it with a torch for the pins, and made the pins out of 1/2" brass tubing, and 1/2" copper rope. I then re-hardened and tempered it, fine-tuned the blade and edge, and called it good. I'm really happy with it.
IMG_4480_zpsg7eufhk3.jpg

IMG_4482_zpsxhfklcwp.jpg

IMG_4483_zpsd1sv2w8x.jpg

IMG_4484_zpshysrykkp.jpg

IMG_4486_zps88eocgm6.jpg
Nice! :thumbsup:
 
My grandfather was a knife maker, amongst other things (he also owned a paint store, worked on sprint modified race cars, and coached/played baseball). He's long passed, but I just finished a file knife that I made from a file that I got from him, and scales (handle pieces) that also came from his own stock. I ground down the blade, burned holes in it with a torch for the pins, and made the pins out of 1/2" brass tubing, and 1/2" copper rope. I then re-hardened and tempered it, fine-tuned the blade and edge, and called it good. I'm really happy with it.
IMG_4480_zpsg7eufhk3.jpg

IMG_4482_zpsxhfklcwp.jpg

IMG_4483_zpsd1sv2w8x.jpg

IMG_4484_zpshysrykkp.jpg

IMG_4486_zps88eocgm6.jpg
Saw this on Instagram, very cool!

Luke.
 
Sad to see all of these pictures wiped out. I hope the leaders of Photobucket burn in Hades.

Anyhoo, I finished a custom strider bike, and so I thought it was time to re-vitalize this thread. Maybe I'll post some old builds, just to have them back up here.
IMG_6014.JPG

IMG_6015.JPG

IMG_6016.JPG

IMG_6017.JPG
 
I made a 50s Corvette out of sheet metal and roller skate wheels. I'm really happy with it. This stuff is more fun to me than bike building a lot of the time. First photos are from the first session, then I cut in the distinctive Corvette side scoop with a grinder, and took a couple more pics after. In those, I was on the street trying to have fun with some forced perspective.
IMG_7507.JPG
IMG_7510.JPG
IMG_7511.JPG

IMG_7512.JPG

IMG_7518.JPG

IMG_7519.JPG

IMG_7520.JPG
 

Latest posts

Back
Top