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I bought a factory phat stretch and I am jealous of the welds on your bike. I just notices a big blob on the tank. They didn't even bother to grind it down 
I'm moving back into my house this month and my first project is to build my own stretch. I just hope I can keep up with you two.
I'm moving back into my house this month and my first project is to build my own stretch. I just hope I can keep up with you two.
Thanks for all the compliments! You guys inspire us to keep building!
Thanks greg66, the DREMEL ended up doing the job.
'Your Mama is so...' All the best on your bike project!
So, I started out by tracing the outline of a hunk of .060" aluminum my dad found under our toolbox onto paper so I could utilize the maximum amount of material. I cut out an outline and traced it onto the metal so that my dad cut out the shape with the cutoff wheel. I also marked the center lines to drill a hole for a T-nut, as shown here.
I then bent the material to fit and center-punched eight holes an half inch in and drilled them with a Unibit, along with four holes for the 1/4-20 T-nut. I am here tracing the holes onto the seat base to be drilled.
After drilling the holes, I hammered in t-nuts.
Then I test-fit it with the screws.
The next step was to put the 1/4-20 T-nut in the first hole I drilled and bend the tabs back. This will be the thing that holds the seat in place, once I have the screw in.
Here are the three components, ready to be assembled.
Thanks greg66, the DREMEL ended up doing the job.
'Your Mama is so...' All the best on your bike project!
You should get your girls out into the garage as soon as you can, even if it's just to try on goggles and earplugs, or to hand you a wrench. And a pair of pink work gloves would be cute too! :wink:YOUBUGME2 said:
So, I started out by tracing the outline of a hunk of .060" aluminum my dad found under our toolbox onto paper so I could utilize the maximum amount of material. I cut out an outline and traced it onto the metal so that my dad cut out the shape with the cutoff wheel. I also marked the center lines to drill a hole for a T-nut, as shown here.
I then bent the material to fit and center-punched eight holes an half inch in and drilled them with a Unibit, along with four holes for the 1/4-20 T-nut. I am here tracing the holes onto the seat base to be drilled.
After drilling the holes, I hammered in t-nuts.
Then I test-fit it with the screws.
The next step was to put the 1/4-20 T-nut in the first hole I drilled and bend the tabs back. This will be the thing that holds the seat in place, once I have the screw in.
Here are the three components, ready to be assembled.
My dad found the base of an old office chair in the dumpster behind the shop. The best garbage in town ends up in that dumpster! :lol: Notice there are three holes drilled in the side.
Notice this 1/4-20 nut has the six "corners" ground off.
The screw was used to hold the nut in place so it could be welded through the holes in the tubes. Notice that it has been drilled through the center with a 1/4" drill bit and it now creates a step inside the tube.
We cut the tube off the office chair, cleaned it up with the grinder, and bolted it to the assembled seat base.
We then used the Unibit to drill a BIG hole in the seat pan. This was taken looking up from beneath.
This is after it being tacked in. You can tell that on the first tack (the one on the left ) that my dad forgot to turn the gas on. He ground that tack down before he finished welding the tube in place.
This is after being welded all the way around.
A little work with the grinder cleaned it up nicely, didn't it? Look closely and you can see the stainless steel 'button head' screw we will use to tie down the seat base.
And there ya have it. The finished base ready to be padded and upholstered. :mrgreen:
Notice this 1/4-20 nut has the six "corners" ground off.
The screw was used to hold the nut in place so it could be welded through the holes in the tubes. Notice that it has been drilled through the center with a 1/4" drill bit and it now creates a step inside the tube.
We cut the tube off the office chair, cleaned it up with the grinder, and bolted it to the assembled seat base.
We then used the Unibit to drill a BIG hole in the seat pan. This was taken looking up from beneath.
This is after it being tacked in. You can tell that on the first tack (the one on the left ) that my dad forgot to turn the gas on.
He ground that tack down before he finished welding the tube in place.
This is after being welded all the way around.
A little work with the grinder cleaned it up nicely, didn't it? Look closely and you can see the stainless steel 'button head' screw we will use to tie down the seat base.
And there ya have it. The finished base ready to be padded and upholstered. :mrgreen:
That is incredible! Nice work.
What's not to get? RatRod Bikes is about taking the tired, average factory stuff and turning into one's personal vision of an object of utility and beauty. Like taking a tired old six banger Chevy, dropping in a 350 4-speed w/ decent upholstry, killer paint . . . turning it into a head-turning piece of rolling thunder. Bicycles are a lot less expensive, much better for the environment and good exercise. You get it, or you wouldn't be in a car club.midwestthunder said:
This young lady is an artist with vision & talent, a supportive father, and she isn't afraid of power tools. I'm deeply impressed.
Elmer said:
i think he ment that he doesnt get on the site very ofter not that he dont get the RRB...i mean thats what i got from his post..
this is and has some awesome work dont to it looking way better the stock version with all this fab work cant wait to see the paint thrown on this beut....
You two are my heroes!
May I ask a favor? Can you give us a pic of the whole frame so far? I'm trying to put this all together in my brain and it hurts....a little. :roll:
I showed this thread to my 11 year old daughter and she said "WOW! That girl is amazing! She needs her own TV show on Discovery or History Channel!
I'm thinking she's right.
Maybe 'Chopper People' or '19 Bikes and Counting'
Keep it up guys.
Cheers,
Dr. T
May I ask a favor? Can you give us a pic of the whole frame so far? I'm trying to put this all together in my brain and it hurts....a little. :roll:
I showed this thread to my 11 year old daughter and she said "WOW! That girl is amazing! She needs her own TV show on Discovery or History Channel!
I'm thinking she's right.
Maybe 'Chopper People' or '19 Bikes and Counting'
Keep it up guys.
Cheers,
Dr. T
Hey you two! If you're still looking for a piece of foam for your seat, it just so happens the Vulture used to do auto and boat seats for his friends, and I have 2 nice size pieces of foam! (in 2 different densities) and they are YOURS if you so wish :mrgreen:
you have my #. shoot me a text or call me! 8)
you have my #. shoot me a text or call me! 8)
I spent a very enjoyable couple hours checking out this build (on dialup :roll: ), and really don't think I can add anything that hasn't already been said-- Wow! Don't know what's mo' better, what you two have done with this, or just the fact that a father and daughter are just doing 'the right thing' and chronicling it, sharing it with the whole world.
Methinks Dr. T's daughter has a great idea about this being a TV show :wink:
(hope your brain is feeling better Dr. T :mrgreen: )
Methinks Dr. T's daughter has a great idea about this being a TV show :wink:
(hope your brain is feeling better Dr. T :mrgreen: )
This was probably the first thread I read in the Build forum, and is what convinced me that I could get to it and learn as I went.
Amazing project so far, and I'm waiting with baited breath for the next chapter in this neat story.
Amazing project so far, and I'm waiting with baited breath for the next chapter in this neat story.
Beautiful work! That seat pan with the recessed screw boss is too cool! One good source of dense foam that I use for seats is sleeping bag ground cover. It's tough, thin, and dense enough to give a nice cushion without completely collapsing when you sit on it.
John
John
