United Build, Done - not quite

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Ok, I'll do another. Anything goes, so here goes. Building a new school BMX. I don't think this is much of a contender for the build off, considering some of the motorized stuff I've seen posted, but follow along if you want.

This bike will be the recipient of the nickel plated cranks and forks, so it all ties together.
http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/in...plating-bike-parts-forks.101335/#post-1021399

As purchased, pile-o-bike, beat to crap, brush painted, probably shoulda walked.
20161126_091544_zpsx6dt6uk6.jpg

UNITED KL40 expert, I think, emailed the serial number to United. The only United parts are the frame and fork, so Im trying to figure out if this was built up from just a frame. Full chromoly frame and fork, short chainstays, long top tube. I was interested to ride one of these with this geometry.

Started stripping the paint tonight.
20170102_155439.jpg

Had a really cool transparent red color under the gooey black

Heres what I think the bike liked like originally
united-2014-kl40-expert-bmx-bike-trans-red.jpg
 
Parts so far
United tapered leg chromoly fork, plated
Odyssey Tomahawk stem
Fit bike integrated headset
Haro 175mm cranks, plated
New mid bottom bracket
Came with GT 25t chainring, think I want 28t
Rims, 9t cassette rear hub, lose ball front hub, on single wall rims, think theyre Framed brand complete rims. Not sure if I'll run them or find some double wall.

Working on some chrome 8" S&M bars

Definately need a new seat post, not sure if I'll stay pivotal or not.

Seat is some special edition, it's on ebay.

Color, undecided so far, I was planning on just a clean black, but the frame has plenty or war wounds, may go lighter. Have some charcoal metallic, and some silver laying around.
 
Motorized schmoterized. This bike's going to be cool. Especially if you can source some skinwall bmx tires for it! Add some cool paint to that well thought-out parts mix and you've golden.
 
Oh Man, this thing is rusty. Got the paint off and found this. This is after I wire wheeled a few areas.
20170102_184314.jpg


The thought occurred to me, Im gonna relearn how to do tricks that I used to know and I have a ramp park 1/2 mile from my house.

How would a new school Rat BMX look. Looks like there was chrome or some other plating under the transparent red, some is flaked off, some areas are rusted. What if I just neutralize the rust scuff it all down and clear it all. RAT BMX.

I know the clear won't last more than a year over bare steel or rust, but I'm gonna beat the heck outta this bike. A nice paint job would get trashed out just as fast. Hmm, repaint each winter or just let it rerust as much as it already is?
 
Flat black may be tired and predictable, but it's great because it covers and matches easily and dries before too much stuff can fall in the paint. It would also blend well with rust converter.

On another note the tradition in Japan (so I hear) for fixing broken ceramic is to mark out the repairs in gold. Maybe something in the spirit of that would be to paint over the damaged sections in a different color every year.
 
How would a new school Rat BMX look. Looks like there was chrome or some other plating under the transparent red, some is flaked off, some areas are rusted. What if I just neutralize the rust scuff it all down and clear it all. RAT BMX.
Sounds cool!
 
Dumped the frame in oxalic acid last night, it'll take 2 days flipping etc to get it prepped. The rust was scaly, clear definately won't hold to that. See what happens.

Flat black - I just can't do it. I've been restoring cars for ever and have grown to truly dislike flat black on my own stuff. I've got a lot of spare auto paint and pearls hanging around and love to paint. It'll be shiny, even if it's shiny clear over rust.
 
After oxalic acid, whatever plating was on there sure wasn't chrome. It tarnished up but stuck on, might have actually been nickel. Wouldn't that be ironic after all the nickel plating I've been doing. Nickel turns greenish and dull in oxalic acid and thats what happened.

My visions of a half chrome half rust frame were dashed.

Took a lot of wire wheeling due to some rust pitting. I etched the pitting with muratic acid to be sure the rust was dead and neutralized.

Etch primer, surface primer to level the pitting, 2 coats of auto enamel mixed with 1/4 with clear, and heavy gloss hardener.

Hard to beat gloss black
20170104_200853.jpg
20170104_201707.jpg


Layed down very nice. Since the garage was cold even with the heater. I warmed my paint by setting the mixing cup in hot water, warmed my gun in front of the heater and warmed the frame with a heat gun and halogen lamps.

Simple way to hang bars for paint.
20170104_201106.jpg

Coat hanger, then bend the ends into a loop like this so they jam hard into the bars.
2017-01-04 20.37.36.jpg
 
I hear ya, 40 yrs old. Got tired of mountain bikes, don't jump well, chain slapping around. Grew up on BMX and racing, they just feel right. Got a ramp park 1/2 mile from my house, United will work well there, I want to try the new school geometry.

Bought this over the holiday, 2015 redline 24"rim alum frame. I've ridden it every day there wasn't snow packed on the pavement. 15 min sprint even time I get on it. Very light and fast. I need a little taller bar.
01313_2D7UHiwNIf0_600x450.jpg
 
Yeah, I am 37, I jumped and rode park on my 20, used to race DH, DS, and 4x on my 26" mtbs. 24" cruisers always felt weird to me though. I love the nimbleness of a 20", but they are so unforgiving, i dirt jump these days on my 26" mtb. Its an older, 2007?, Intense 5.5, i have it setup with a shorter stem for jumping and more aggressive trail riding, it also helps to slow down the rebound speed of the suspension, helps prevent the bike from bucking you off the lips of the jumps.

Anyways, have fun with the build!

Sent from my SM-G550T1 using Tapatalk
 
Painting already! Awesome!
Ha, yeah, wife and kids were out of town so I had 2 evenings and knocked out a frame a day. No frame welding this time:grin:, MBBO wore me out. The BMX builds go quick for me, need to let the paint cure out for a few days before doing the bottom bracket. I've tried various presses, bolts etc, rubber mallet actually works the best.
 
Paint was cured out, went to install new mid bottom bracket is. Bearings are 19x41x11 with a bearing spacer.

Spindle won't go. My haro cranks have an odd ball 20mm spindle with 19mm ends. Didn't even think to mic it, cause it's such an oddball.

Ordered some 20x41x12 bearings, they'll hang out a bit of the frame, but it should assemble fine, this frame actually has full diameter ring stop in the bottom bracket to eliminate the need for a bearing spacer, might make something up anyway if I can find some 20-21mm ID tubing.

On hold until Jan 25, I really like to get the cranks in before doing the front end,etc.
 

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