Desert Beer Rat (Finished)

Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum

Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

metalchewy

For the love of the Ride 🚲 🔥
Pro Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Messages
3,408
Reaction score
9,204
Location
Las Vegas Area
It all starts with a wheel... I picked up a bike this last month from a member, and have been staring at it for a few weeks now waiting for it to tell me what it wants to be...

IT is the right year for my tastes, and the right style... 40 Columbia. Will sit next to my 40 snyder...
2d43b0cdd862ebc201d66e013002ff2b.jpg

So, as I tried to true up the crazy crooked wheels I started to snap spokes... went to the LBS and bought a box. So it's on now...
a01b7ebb57a2ba21f08d5c8bb3449235.jpg

c7a29a69e1c4a600d1f635686a1c9cd0.jpg

One wheel becomes two...
4b8a6e0600fe0e9c52105d05ff550f97.jpg


A bit of a tear down... ...becomes a pile of parts...
551e5e06b25c3f300957f03f9d546b61.jpg


So now, its going, gotta make the time... Been very busy the last few months. New job at Work, spring and a big yard, play in on bikes, it's been hectic, and I start a class in the industry I jumped to a week from monday.

I hope I have the opportunity to finish it. Spread thin, but that's normal.

I have modest goals for the build. I need a cool cruiser that I can strap a case of beer to, or a cooler to and Go... oh, and I have to look kinda kewl while I am at it... image to keep up...


Sprayed a little white this afternoon to start the wheels off...



[Edited to remove photobucket
 
Last edited:
Welcome aboard my friend! Good to see you in the BO! I like the direction you are headed...
 
Welcome aboard my friend! Good to see you in the BO! I like the direction you are headed...
Thanks OddJob, I appreciate the welcome! I've been torn on whether to enter, figure a deadline may make me get it done!

At any rate. I put the hubs together, will be working on straightening out the hoops before I paint them.

feb3d4f5c0ed756d1394996ee5395c46.jpg


ac6a9aa24244165626037e3a46ecec63.jpg

Mopar Red Cog on rear like a lot of my builds have.


Building..... Riding.....
 
Last edited:
Xylene, gasoline.. they don't remove latex paint.. hehe, I tried.
d6f172dc0aa5a513482eeeba65bb9fb3.jpg

Picked up some removing gel. Also some phosphoric acid to start cleaning up a rear hawthorne rack I am considering.
08b2558dcb6d53e957a1dcc7a76c6858.jpg

Goo on, rub paint off repeat till clean.


Building..... Riding.....
 
Last edited:
LOOKING GOOD BROTHER. YOU STILL TALKING TO BIKES HUH?!? ME AND MINE HAVE BEEN ARGUING BUT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO COMPRISE...ANYWAYS...GTB! PEACE

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk
 
LOOKING GOOD BROTHER. YOU STILL TALKING TO BIKES HUH?!? ME AND MINE HAVE BEEN ARGUING BUT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO COMPRISE...ANYWAYS...GTB! PEACE

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk
Hey Jake! Yah, this bike says it's blue thru and thru. Haven't had any arguments yet with it. The hammer has stayed in the toolbox so far..

Hopefully your bike will straighten out
Good to see you in MC. Like how you did them hubs. Great looking frame. Should be a nice one.
Chad! Good to be in it! Thank You

Those crusty black hubs did turn out pretty clean. I was surprised to find any nickel. The shiny ring is a bonus from under the sludge.

Building..... Riding.....
 
Nice start!
Thanks SDFrame!



Got a bit done today. Maybe tonight I might lace up a hoop.

Frame, found some red, some.maroon, some black. Was repainted by someone along the way who sanded before house paimy

Sprayed more acid, scrubbed rinsed, repeat. Dries white after cleaned off what did still converting.







Wheels had chrome under the house paint so I hit them with the wire wheel. Then sanded.

Ended up.pretty clean. Some pitted rust texture under the white engine paint should be ok.


Building..... Riding.....
 
Love that paint scheme on the hubs and cog! The wheel looks great man!
 
Love that paint scheme on the hubs and cog! The wheel looks great man!
Thanks Kingfish. I appreciate it.

I've Been working the frame into shape a minute here and there. Had a few minutes to out on and knife off some glazing putty yesterday. No dings, creases or dents other than the aftermarket kick stand, which won't go back on it


Dry scraped and sanded it off today. Leaving pink speckles where some of the deeper rust pits were at. I think it's ready for a coat or two of some paint. May get to that tomorrow.

Took some Kenda Kaniptions.And a black paint marker and blacked them out.

Will put the painted side, non crank side. I think they should match up pretty well.



I took 90% of the bend out of the steer tube.

Wow lot of work done. Good color combo on the rear rim.
Thanks Funkme, glad you like it, I wanted it to pop a bit.

The tread should be smooth ridin' .


Mid week mockup of the fixed fork and the restified hoops.


Building..... Riding.....
 
Nice colors, love that sprocket too.
Thank You kirkpatrick!

I took the guard and smoothed the face up a bit, and gave it a red underside as well.





Been holding off on paint because I still need to cut and braze the rack to fit the frame.


Gonna take the curl out of he bend amd.match the swoop down to the seat bolt. Then braze it back together.


The rack will also have a red underbelly...

Current mockup:


Building..... Riding.....
 
I like the red bellied sapsucker vibe! :)
 
I'M DIGGING THE LOOKS OF THIS. GTB! PEACE

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk
 
Looks good man !
 

Latest posts

Back
Top