Riki-Tiki-Rati (update "mystical driftwood tank")

[vibr8shun]

...Hailing from Philadelphia by way of Hawaii with a stop-over in San Deigo,Ca...I present to you the 50's Schwinn DX's transformation. I would describe this build as the collision of the Kona volcano Klunkers meets the Rat-Rodders. Yes!!!full of danger and exotic excitment!!! ....I dub thee RIKI-TIKI-RATI

...this is the frame

...sanded and painted

...and now something I pulled from my bag-o-tricks...I thought about using the old spoon thing for the coasterbrake strap when the Idea of altering the brake-arm would be more inovative...so I chose an old craftsman wrench welded to the trimmed brake-arm, I then welded the bolt to the wrench.(whoh!!! I think I just opened up a new can of possiblities...just give me credit if you like it)

...next was the Idea of a free-floating chaingaurd. I'm not a big fan of chainguards, but I'm not about to get my pant caught in the sprocket either. This Idea was inspired by my mother always tellin me not to put my finger in the fan. I used a Profile "tri-fan" chainwheel for this because its look(need I say more)

...what you also see is an old-school 3-piece Diamondback crankset that I got from a co-worker who was moving and wanted to get rid of stuff. SCORE!!! stay tuned for more thrills...thanks

 

[deorman]

Re: Riki-Tiki-Rati

:lol: 8)... The old paint

 

[elvis51]

Re: Riki-Tiki-Rati

yea that makes me sad to see the old paint go...but itll look cool i hope. the coaster brake arm has got to be one of the coolest things ever!!!

Easy E

 

[vibr8shun]

Re: Riki-Tiki-Rati

:lol: 8)... The old paint

...yep, I felt the same way but the paint was so bad on the otherside of the bike (deep scratches and rust pitting in the metal)

 

[vibr8shun]

Re: Riki-Tiki-Rati

Ok...I opted out of using a headbadge, but instead, a head-sculpture (Tiki)

...a clay mock-up

...then sculpted it with epoxy putty

...painted and mounted

 

[vibr8shun]

Re: Riki-Tiki-Rati

yea that makes me sad to see the old paint go...but itll look cool i hope. the coaster brake arm has got to be one of the coolest things ever!!!

Easy E

Thanks

 

[aka_locojoe]

Re: Riki-Tiki-Rati

Great ideas I hope to steal someday.

 

[Wildcat]

Re: Riki-Tiki-Rati

Great ideas and great bike.

March 1953 frame if i read it right.

 

[vibr8shun]

Re: Riki-Tiki-Rati

Great ideas and great bike.

March 1953 frame if i read it right.

Ahhh!!!...thanks for lookin' it up for me, I was told it was in the 50's but didn't know the exact year or month.

 

[Nitcat]

Re: Riki-Tiki-Rati

I love it, really creative touches, nice job!

 

[user 135]

Re: Riki-Tiki-Rati

Very cool ideas. Great way to dress up the overlooked side of the bike.

 

[Wave?]

Re: Riki-Tiki-Rati

That wrench for the brake-arm is a great idea! I was thinking about using a very big rusty wrench I have found years ago for using as a lever for a suicide brake on one of my future projects. This one I'm going to "lent" from you than I think.

 

[Rat Rod]

Re: Riki-Tiki-Rati

Love the creativity in this bike so far.

 

[Heavy Pedal]

Re: Riki-Tiki-Rati

I keep going back to look at the sprocket! Bloody cool!

 

[ExtraBlaze]

Re: Riki-Tiki-Rati

Chainguard rulz.Nice skills on the tiki,too. 8)

 

[vibr8shun]

Re: Riki-Tiki-Rati

I love it, really creative touches, nice job!

Chainguard rulz.Nice skills on the tiki,too. 8)

I keep going back to look at the sprocket! Bloody cool!

Love the creativity in this bike so far.

That wrench for the brake-arm is a great idea! I was thinking about using a very big rusty wrench I have found years ago for using as a lever for a suicide brake on one of my future projects. This one I'm going to "lent" from you than I think.

Very cool ideas. Great way to dress up the overlooked side of the bike.

Thanks everybody for your kind words...I see this build-off as ground zero for the trends to come and I have no problem with anybody using my ideas, because I was inspired by all of your bikes...I may not be the most cleanest, technical, or experienced builder here, but as a former conceptual designer..."ideas" I have plenty. Thanks again all!

 

[Gold Street Customs]

Re: Riki-Tiki-Rati

Wow, you just blown me away, You sir have some mad skillz, cant wait to see what else you come up with 8)

 

[vibr8shun]

Re: Riki-Tiki-Rati

Ok...next is the custom frame-bar design. I chose not to purchase a stencil or copy an existing design(ei.Hornet)...but like some of my contemporaries before me I will make my own but with a hint of its Schwinn lineage. Instead of painting the design, I chose to mask off the flat black area and remove the existing paint/primer around it. I thought about sandblasting the unmasked area but that would be too clean, so I chose hand sanding and scraping to expose the bare metal and various layers of paint and primer.

...I then sprayed red automotive enamel lacquer(by Dupli-color) from a rattle can to fade it from the existing flat black, over the exposed layers of paint, and finally fading into the exposed bare metal.

I chose to use the lacquer because it is somewhat translucent and will show whatever is underneath it with a red shade. Finally spraying over the bare metal area with Krylon Crystal Clear. The top bar has a neat feel to it...when you run your hand over the design area, you can feel the thickness of the various layers of paint/primer as it drops to exposed metal with all its flaws and rust pittings for all to see. I see this as a bike with nothing to hide but then returning to black. I only did one bar.
Enjoy

 

[vibr8shun]

Re: Riki-Tiki-Rati

Wow, you just blown me away, You sir have some mad skillz, cant wait to see what else you come up with 8)

Thanks...just by doing this bike I came up with more Ideas for the next build-off, whenever it may be.

 

[JoeyMac]

Re: Riki-Tiki-Rati

I too was sad to see the original paint go, but you have a lot of unique creative ideas in this one, it's great to see the transformation. Keep it up!