The King Bee *FINISHED*

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late for dinner said:
It turned out the X53 fender was a little rougher than I was hoping, so in the meantime I did a preliminary strip on a pair of modern duck tale? fenders from a Della Cruz I had for a moment a couple of years ago.
but I didn't go further than the pics show on the fenders and don't know yet that I'll get quite the finish I'm looking for from them to match the further finishing I did on the frame and other tin ware.
Also in the pics is my choice of Sacrificial Lamps, both of which need conversion. I'm leaning heavily towards the Western Flyer light and have a glass Miller lense that'll fit if needed. Then again, a 12V Big Beam may work out as well because the tailight in the rack is 12V already and the rest of bareness came up shinier than anticipated, but not a polished sheen.
If you're squeemish about little patina removal be forewarned, but know that the Hawthorne fenders and tank have not been touched!(yet...maybe)
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Looks great! Nice work!

Luke.
 
Well, I ended up going with the newer fenders which sanded down nicely, so no further patina was harmed in the making of this bike.
All of the fork parts got a good Vinegar soak and then hit with a variety of sanding materials before clear coating.

I knocked off all the crustier bits on the tank with steel wool and the decals not only survived but cleaned up nicley as a result of this crude assault.
I cleared the tank as well and I think it looks better in person.

This is how it ended up by the end of the day.

The next project is to relocate the chain guard mounting bracket and get the skirt guards lined up and mounted.
I have an idea on mounting the front of the rack, but still thinking of creative idea for support trusses.
The seat was handy for mock up and the post is an aluminum bull horn that I don't think would be safe under weight.
I switched the wheel set to try the look of black and have Sturmey 3 or 7 speeds that could make their way under the fender too after a possible recolour. The shifter locations are yet to be determined depending on wheel choice.
Front lighting undecided, but conversion of the mounted shell is likely and the little lady on the fender also needs her wing reattached and a new set of arms if she's going to hang in there.
 
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Sweet brightwork! I REALLY like this build a lot!
 
Hey guys and gals Thank you all for the kind words and encouragement and Carl for posting his fave King Bee video. There are a lot of good covers out there.
I got the guards and rack sorted today, so here are a couple of better outdoor shots of progress so far.
I definitely prefer the stance with both wheels on the ground. The seat, bars and lighting still to be sorted.
 
Not to step on your toes but I think if you added a touch of white to the fender tips maybe with some red pinstripe it would go a long way to tie the tank in. Just a thought. Looks great though, Nice work.
 
outskirtscustoms said:
Not to step on your toes but I think if you added a touch of white to the fender tips maybe with some red pinstripe it would go a long way to tie the tank in. Just a thought. Looks great though, Nice work.
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No toe stepping at all man, I appreciate any and all input Outskirts.Thanks.

I'm holding off on possible accent painting/pinstriping etc until the wheel and tire combo is decided.
I was also thinking of possibly highlighting the chain guard scallops with burgundy and gold like the tank decals, but only time will tell what the bike needs.


The Renaissance Man said:
Man this is looking cool! I really like the duck tails. How did you strip the chrome?
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Hey RM, the only chrome that was on any of the bike was on the fork parts and they were just naturally aged through time with a light wire wheeling to remove some flaking and decades old paint.
 
I love this build and hope to see the finished product in two weeks!!!!
 
kingfish254 said:
I love this build and hope to see the finished product in two weeks!!!!
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Thanks for the Wake Up Call Kingfish!
wake-up-call.jpg
 
I'm workin' on it, I'm workin' on it.....
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I gotta tell ya I am soo..so... close, bu.. bubbbbbb.b..but SUNDAY RIGHT????:43:
How many sleeps is that?
 
I'm going to call this one done!
I had some camera issues and the progress pics ended up in a locked card.
Here's a pic of where I left off and how it finally ended up today with pics from a borrowed camera.
This was my first build off and I was so down to the wire that I am super relieved to have completed the bike on time.

I changed out the coaster brake wheels set for a Nexus 7 Speed that I picked up from a neighour who was passing on her old Electra(basically free!)
I happened to have the copper paint, so prepped and painted the rims and put on the Hanks that were a recent Kijiji find.
I also changed the star sprocket out for the Shelby, pulled the pedals out of the parts pile and switched the bars from an old girl's donor from awhile back.
The Brooks was also a Craigslist find. It was advertised for $30, but the guy gave me 3 old Brooks for that price. There's a lot of luck and good bike Karma involved in this build!

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Cool ride! Very similar to what I lean towards. I like the shorty fenders with all the other round and curvy metal parts. It doesn't hurt that it is hung on a Monarch frame. Smart to go to normal bars.... Good wheels and drivetrain will also sway my vote.
 
SILVERKINGPC said:
Cool ride! Very similar to what I lean towards. I like the shorty fenders with all the other round and curvy metal parts. It doesn't hurt that it is hung on a Monarch frame. Smart to go to normal bars.... Good wheels and drivetrain will also sway my vote.
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Thank You Silverking, It has turned out to my liking too.
Comfy saddle, the right bars and enough gearing to keep her motorvating.
Here's two pics of my shorty fendered bike I pulled together this week as well.
[/URL[URL=http://s1080.photobucket.com/user/latefordinner/media/KingBeeFinishLine015_zps9b57b490.jpg.html] ][/URL]
 

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