TRADITIONAL Doom Slug

[twojs.bike]

here are cheap spokes on Amazon but I’ve read that they have issues, like not being quite the correct length or the nipples stripping too easily.

Stay away from the cheap spokes on Amazon. I have probably built 8 wheels with them. Got burnt twice. There are two brands on Amazon. One sent me spokes that weren’t all the same length and the other came with nipples that stripped when tightening. Not worth the risk.

I have had decent luck with Porkchop BMX cut to length. Also husky bicycles has some good deals , but you have to buy the whole box.

Just take your time with an online spoke calculator. They work fine as long as you get your measurements right. Happy to help if you get stuck.

 

[Pondo]

Stay away from the cheap spokes on Amazon. I have probably built 8 wheels with them. Got burnt twice. There are two brands on Amazon. One sent me spokes that weren’t all the same length and the other came with nipples that stripped when tightening. Not worth the risk.

I have had decent luck with Porkchop BMX cut to length. Also husky bicycles has some good deals , but you have to buy the whole box.

Just take your time with an online spoke calculator. They work fine as long as you get your measurements right. Happy to help if you get stuck.

Thanks twojs, I appreciate it. I'm going to use this calculator:

Does anyone know if all Schwinn S2s are the same measurements?

 

[twojs.bike]

Not much to see, but here I am measuring the ERD so I can order spokes.

Measure the ERD using two spare spokes like my picture above. Put them in opposite holes and thread a nipple on all the way. Then measure the distance between the j bend and add that to the length of both spokes.

It easy, but there are no shortcuts. Take your time.

 

[Pondo]

View attachment 265898

Measure the ERD using two spare spokes like my picture above. Put them in opposite holes and thread a nipple on all the way. Then measure the distance between the j bend and add that to the length of both spokes.

It easy, but there are no shortcuts. Take your time.

I will do that. The calculator has a value for S2 rims but I’d like to verify. I’m going to measure tomorrow. I’m too tired today and I don’t want to screw up too bad.

 

[Pondo]

I got some 2.4” whitewalls. They look good and fill up the fenders better. I’ve got white or chrome S2s to choose from. I think I prefer the chrome ones. The white ones have a nice patina but look a little too yellow to me.

I also tried this old car fog lamp. I think it looks pretty cool.

 

[Shrunken_Head_Pedaler]

I got some 2.4” whitewalls. They look good and fill up the fenders better. I’ve got white or chrome S2s to choose from. I think I prefer the chrome ones. The white ones have a nice patina but look a little too yellow to me.
View attachment 265901
View attachment 265902View attachment 265903View attachment 265904View attachment 265905View attachment 265906
I also tried this old car fog lamp. I think it looks pretty cool.
View attachment 265907View attachment 265908View attachment 265909View attachment 265910

Looking fantastic!

 

[Pondo]

Looking fantastic!

Thank you!

 

[68z27]

I have ordered some USA-made stainless spokes from Powers BMX.They also have Sapim and others - several colors.......

Stay away from the cheap spokes on Amazon. I have probably built 8 wheels with them. Got burnt twice. There are two brands on Amazon. One sent me spokes that weren’t all the same length and the other came with nipples that stripped when tightening. Not worth the risk.

I have had decent luck with Porkchop BMX cut to length. Also husky bicycles has some good deals , but you have to buy the whole box.

Just take your time with an online spoke calculator. They work fine as long as you get your measurements right. Happy to help if you get stuck.

 

[twojs.bike]

Good call! Powers is in Richmond, very close to me. They have the coolest BMX museum. You have to check it out if ever in Richmond. I never thought about ordering spokes from them.

 

[kingfish254]

Good luck with the wheel building.
I actually like the white rims better. They have great patina.
Fenders look cool too.
The old amber fog light is killer.
Looks like a plan is coming together nicely.

 

[Pondo]

I have ordered some USA-made stainless spokes from Powers BMX.They also have Sapim and others - several colors.......

I will check them out too, thanks.

Good call! Powers is in Richmond, very close to me. They have the coolest BMX museum. You have to check it out if ever in Richmond. I never thought about ordering spokes from them.

There are some cool videos of that museum on youtube. It's pretty amazing.

Good luck with the wheel building.
I actually like the white rims better. They have great patina.
Fenders look cool too.
The old amber fog light is killer.
Looks like a plan is coming together nicely.

I may stick with the white rims. I may do a little aging on the white walls to blend them in a little better. There's more to come. I'm still going to mock it up with a frame extension too, just to see how it looks. Don't know how that might work with a derailleur though so I may be sticking to the shorter wheelbase either way.

 

[OddJob]

I will check them out too, thanks.

There are some cool videos of that museum on youtube. It's pretty amazing.

I may stick with the white rims. I may do a little aging on the white walls to blend them in a little better. There's more to come. I'm still going to mock it up with a frame extension too, just to see how it looks. Don't know how that might work with a derailleur though so I may be sticking to the shorter wheelbase either way.

A little acrylic 'Plaid' (grayish) paint rubbed with a cloth on those white walls will age them. You just want to tone down the brightness of the white.

 

[Pondo]

A little acrylic 'Plaid' (grayish) paint rubbed with a cloth on those white walls will age them. You just want to tone down the brightness of the white.

Thanks OJ, I'll give that a shot. I remember @Bike from the Dead aging a tire on a previous build too, I'll look that up.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Thanks OJ, I'll give that a shot. I remember @Bike from the Dead aging a tire on a previous build too, I'll look that up.

I'll save you the search. Click on the link and scroll down from there.

 

[Pondo]

I'll save you the search. Click on the link and scroll down from there.

Thanks! Apparently I had a premonition at the time:

That tire treatment came out sweet! I'll remember to refer back to this when I need to age some whitewalls in the future. Great job!

I'll quote your procedure here for quick reference. Your tire came out great by the way, a really good match to the older tire.

I just used a Scotch Brite-type sponge normally used for cleaning the shower to scuff the surface of my tire. Plus, I used some cheap acrylic paint from Walmart and some water to paint mine.

Thanks! For reference, I used some cheap matte brown and satin (because I couldn't find matte) black acrylic paint from Walmart. I just used some paint brushes I had left over from art classes and occasionally a paper towel or my fingers to paint the tire. The key I've found is to apply very thin layers, but give them at least 15 minutes to dry before the next layer. Also, you won't need a ton of paint for this, so a small bottle of each color will be more than enough to get the job done.

My best advice if you want to give it a shot is to find a tire with natural patina, and try to match that tire's patina on whatever tire you want to age. There's no better reference for fauxtina than real patina!

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Thanks! Apparently I had a premonition at the time:

Just as the prophecy foretold!

I'll quote your procedure here for quick reference. Your tire came out great by the way, a really good match to the older tire.

Thanks! I've been itching to use that fauxtina technique at some point again myself.

 

[Pondo]

Yes, these should do nicely.

 

[Chad T]

Is anyone familiar with this hub?

Also, where is a good place to order spokes from?

Looks similar to the rear hub used on Schwinn deluxe tandems. Were the spokes heavy gauge? I’ve always used bmx guru for custom cut spokes.

 

[Pondo]

Looks similar to the rear hub used on Schwinn deluxe tandems. Were the spokes heavy gauge? I’ve always used bmx guru for custom cut spokes.

I'm assuming the spokes would have been heavy gauge but I didn't get the whole wheel, just the hub. The bearings seem good and the brake works so I'm hoping it will be ok.

 

[Pondo]

Just a different angle. I’m really liking this look. I also just noticed this old STOP sticker on the red fender.