Unofficial March Shootout II

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Mounted the headlight and front fender today, I'm really liking where this is going.
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Been working on the Monark yesterday and today. I'm in the middle of imagineering new headlights and shroud. Using another pair of cheap LED flashlights again like on the Spaceliner, but this time they are connected to the switch in the tank. Making the shroud out of aluminum diamond plate. Not finished with it yet, but coming right along. Didn't originally want to use the diamond plate, but I had some on hand and wasn't too sure about going to Home Depot or TSC to look for anything else. Probably could find non diamonded aluminum the same thickness online, but I wanted to work on it today. Had enough diamond plate left over to dress up the tail end of the rack.
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The lights look rad/rat/futuristic without the cover. Are you planning on leaving the front open so you can see inside?
Not sure yet. I have some perforated metal that I was thinking of making a grill out of, but it depends on the difficulty of making it and my patience. LOL

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Exactly the look I want. The stuff I have came from a desk set of pencil and note paper holders. Perforated with small holes like some old school speaker grills. But cut out around the lights, not covering them.

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Been working on the Monark yesterday and today. I'm in the middle of imagineering new headlights and shroud. Using another pair of cheap LED flashlights again like on the Spaceliner, but this time they are connected to the switch in the tank. Making the shroud out of aluminum diamond plate. Not finished with it yet, but coming right along. Didn't originally want to use the diamond plate, but I had some on hand and wasn't too sure about going to Home Depot or TSC to look for anything else. Probably could find non diamonded aluminum the same thickness online, but I wanted to work on it today. Had enough diamond plate left over to dress up the tail end of the rack.
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Rat on
 
Speaking of rats... it seems someone needs to fabricate themselves a stay press.
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does a great job of crimping dimples on the inside of the stays where we need it and keeping the outside of the stay rounded.

I've been quarantine loafing for a couple days, need to get out to the garage and realign the stance on mine. I think I need to cut a couple inches out of the chain stays. The seat stays are just a bit too high, don't line up with the top tube right. "Plenty of time..." I keep telling myself.

Carl.
 
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Rainy day here today. Beats the snow my folks in Ohio got. Did a little more work on the headlight housing. Decided that cutting holes for the headlights to fit through was more work than I cared to do. Now it looks more like Horsefarmer's cool ratty Dodge picture anyway. Tomorrow is supposed to be a nice day. Should be able to get it mounted.

Looks like it could be ba a cool hood scoop for my KIA! LOL

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Speaking of rats... it seems someone needs to fabricate themselves a stay press.
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does a great job of crimping dimples on the inside of the stays where we need it and keeping the outside of the stay rounded.

I've been quarantine loafing for a couple days, need to get out to the garage and realign the stance on mine. I think I need to cut a couple inches out of the chain stays. The seat stays are just a bit too high, don't line up with the top tube right. "Plenty of time..." I keep telling myself.
Carl.

I made a GuitarCarl dimple machine for this build. I used it on Frankengravel. You posted this awhile ago when I asked you how you were fitting large tires. It worked but the high quality Japanese road bike tubing is extremely resistant to further dimpling. I was using both hands and micro adjustments. Anyway the tool did dent the outside of the tubing. I think it would work better for this type of tubing if the steel rod is very short and the half tubing is long and made out of heavy duty black tubing so more pressure could be applied to the dimple. My half bicycle frame GuitarCarl tool tubing on the tool bent under the pressure.
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with some rigging the chain guard became mountable, also I've trimmed the junk fender set into one rear fender. I'm really not a fan of the maroon or baby blue on the rear fender brace so I'm going to strip it off and do a white patina like the front brace. I'm going to need to make extenders for the rear brace too.
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I'm avoiding sharing pictures of the whole bike until it's mostly finished and I can stun you all with a grand unveiling.
 
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Second bike done. It may not be the King Rat, but it's ratty Monark. Maybe no crown jewels, but plenty of diamonds!
Headlight grill sort of resembles a '69 T-Bird. Close enough for this '64 Monark Thunderbird.
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I like the T-bird.
So I realigned the rear triangle to get the seat stays to line up better with the top tube. Imagined the seatpost, I'll fab it tomorrow, got a chain to work and I put on some different bars for a look n' see.
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