Alright well since I ran into some time delays on getting all my material delivered from Metal Supermarket in Houston, I decided to work on one of the other two bikes I've got to have finished by the 15th of this month. Pee Wee's Boozer Cruiser had to be put on hold just until I get some more tubing coming on Tuesday. So far I've got almost enough to build 10 bikes but one size (1.50X.065) I ordered still hasn't arrived.
Here is over $300 worth of raw steel, (12) 20ft sticks, that has been delivered over the last few weeks. For some unknown reason getting mechanical thin walled steel tubing is very difficult anywhere south of Dallas here in TX. It was like pulling teeth to get anyone to even try to help me out. I ultimately had to set up a business account and commit to a $250 minimum order to get Metal Supermarkets to work with me on a reasonable price for this stuff. I admit that if you can swing ordering a lot of tubing, say enough for about 8-10 bikes, the price break is quite good at about $25- $40 per bike for materials. When I was looking online for anyone who even had the stuff in stock, one company (Discount Steel out of Dallas) wanted nearly $300 for 60ft of tubing. (about enough for 4 bikes) But the shipping alone was going to be almost $190 to go from Dallas to Houston. I could have drove there and back for about $80 in gas. I just didn't have the two days to waste.
Here is a shot of the frame still in the jig with the rear wheel on so I will be able to get a visual on where to place the leaf spring for the seat mount. All my bikes are built with a leaf spring mounted seat. They really do ride nice. This was actually a frame redux as I had bought a Choppers US frame last year that I simply hated after I rode it for a few days. So I cut it up at the first opportunity. Honestly the only thing I kept was the rear triangle and drop outs.
And the last picture is the $25 Chevy 1/2 ton truck leaf spring I salvaged from the local parts picker. I've got to do some Larry the Blacksmith work on it after I cut them down to size for each application. Also had a bit of luck this last week as a close neighbor heard through the grapevine that I was in search of a good local machine shop. Turns out he owns a shop that has for various reasons been closed up for the last year and he offered me full access to it this next week free of charge. So I get to go in and make the random parts I need without someone looking over my shoulder all the time and I can use his Bridgeport mill and his giant 16"X54" engine lathe totally for free. He also clued me into an idea that at some point he might donate the tools to me and take a loss as a tax shelter for his failing business. LOL as if I could ever get so lucky. Thank you Lord.
I'll update as it gets closer to the 15th and the due date.
Later Travis
Here is over $300 worth of raw steel, (12) 20ft sticks, that has been delivered over the last few weeks. For some unknown reason getting mechanical thin walled steel tubing is very difficult anywhere south of Dallas here in TX. It was like pulling teeth to get anyone to even try to help me out. I ultimately had to set up a business account and commit to a $250 minimum order to get Metal Supermarkets to work with me on a reasonable price for this stuff. I admit that if you can swing ordering a lot of tubing, say enough for about 8-10 bikes, the price break is quite good at about $25- $40 per bike for materials. When I was looking online for anyone who even had the stuff in stock, one company (Discount Steel out of Dallas) wanted nearly $300 for 60ft of tubing. (about enough for 4 bikes) But the shipping alone was going to be almost $190 to go from Dallas to Houston. I could have drove there and back for about $80 in gas. I just didn't have the two days to waste.
Here is a shot of the frame still in the jig with the rear wheel on so I will be able to get a visual on where to place the leaf spring for the seat mount. All my bikes are built with a leaf spring mounted seat. They really do ride nice. This was actually a frame redux as I had bought a Choppers US frame last year that I simply hated after I rode it for a few days. So I cut it up at the first opportunity. Honestly the only thing I kept was the rear triangle and drop outs.
And the last picture is the $25 Chevy 1/2 ton truck leaf spring I salvaged from the local parts picker. I've got to do some Larry the Blacksmith work on it after I cut them down to size for each application. Also had a bit of luck this last week as a close neighbor heard through the grapevine that I was in search of a good local machine shop. Turns out he owns a shop that has for various reasons been closed up for the last year and he offered me full access to it this next week free of charge. So I get to go in and make the random parts I need without someone looking over my shoulder all the time and I can use his Bridgeport mill and his giant 16"X54" engine lathe totally for free. He also clued me into an idea that at some point he might donate the tools to me and take a loss as a tax shelter for his failing business. LOL as if I could ever get so lucky. Thank you Lord.
I'll update as it gets closer to the 15th and the due date.
Later Travis
Especially when you look like you know more or less what you're doing. :wink:
