Chopper X

[Gravelgrinder59]

I’m gonna have to invest in some better shears. On the tight corners I got a few small crimps that I later filed out. Attached it with double sided tape Monkey tape.

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

Also got a front fender installed today. Had a fender that was match to the rear. I had previously straightened and painted it gloss black for another project which I now have chrome fenders for. I made the mounting bracket from two 1” clamps and a small bracket I found at hardware store that fit perfectly between the forks with minimal filing, it already had a hole in each end so I just drilled a hole in middle for fender and mounted it between forks with the 1 inch clamps and bolts.

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

I wasn’t gonna use the existing holes for fender braces, so I filled them with some brass screws I bought today. After a little fiddling got the fender lined up with the curvature of front tire . Then I cut 2 pcs of brass strip and ran down middle of fender to match the rear fender. I attached it like the back, with double sided taped.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Carl was right.

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

Your funny Hamppea ! Thanks, keep thinking, “ I want this bike done”, but it seems it’s not ready, still got a few ideas. Getting close though.

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

Dressed up my bag this morning. Had ordered an iron cross hat pin and got in mail yesterday. Punched two holes through leather flap and secured with the snap backs. Also made two sleeves with thin brass stock to dress up the straps a little.

View attachment 182233

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

Also got a decal I ordered for the chain guard yesterday. Not completely certain if it’ll stay, but I’ll show. Maybe a little cluttered. If I had ability to make a decal , I probably would have made with varying size letters to wrap around front of guard, but I don’t have that ability. The straight edged decal only really fit lines of guard where I applied it.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Man, when word on this gets out, the price of brass is going to rise.

 

[Mr. Monkeyarms]

Digging it!

 

[GuitarlCarl]

Know any drummers? Old cymbals are thick and work very well. Especially nice to cut up are the cheap ones drummers hate.

Carl.

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

GuitarCarl , don’t know any drummers, I’ve contemplated using cymbals for wheel covers before, appreciate the input, good to know they’re easy to work with.

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

Digging it!

Thanks, appreciate it Mr. Monkeyarms

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

This morning I was looking at a brass spring I had for a lowrider bent springer. I started thinking it would be cool if I could somehow incorporate it into the triple tree of Chopper X . In my head I was seeing visual of a muscle bike ( not sure which one) where there is a spring underneath the fork crown between the fender and front tire. After looking around I found a reflector bracket I had cut and drilled to use as a headlight bracket ( the kind that goes under steerer bolt). The one pictured isn’t one I used but just like it, I had already assembled and forgot to take pics.

I bent it at a 90 degree angle to mount using front fender mounting bolt.

 

[Mr. Monkeyarms]

I've been checking out what's going on over here for a while and have enjoyed watching you bring this one together. I love all the little details that give it deeper appeal and has a well balanced look. Keep up the nice work!

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

I used the end with 1” hole under spring, used the original rubber bushing and springer bolt. One the other end I used an axle nut. The spring was perfect length like it was meant to be. My idea was to mount to the fender bracket and the top axle nut on bolt would compression fit into the hole in the bottom of the fork.

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

Obviously it’s just for looks, but I like the look .

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

I’ve seen copper used with brass and chrome to achieve cool visual accents. So I was off to hardware store to spend some time in plumbing aisle. First idea was to cut a 1” copper coupling down and use as a stem spacer. I had a 1” cap laying around and I had discovered it fit the top of the triple tree fork almost perfectly so I

was gonna get another one. My other idea was to get some copper at the back end of bike, like exhaust tips and maybe accent on seat post.

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

A 1” coupling was same diameter as exhaust pipe, when I was in plumbing aisle I saw 1 x 3/4 copper reducers. I was thinking I could shim the 3/4” end to fit inside. When I got home it didn’t work quite as planned, the whole reducer slid inside exhaust pipe end. So I flipped it around and put 1” side inside pipe , it was so close in to diameter I put 1 wrap of electrical tape around end and compression fit into ends. They’re not going anywhere. Like the look of reduced tips better then same size tip I had planned originally.

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

I also bought two 3/4” copper coupling to possibly dress up the seat post. I had had a 3/4” fitting at home that I discovered fit perfectly over the 22.2 post. I couldn’t get any arrangement of the two to look good so settled on one. The fit is so tight, I figured if I just out lined it with some pinstripe tape it would prevent it from moving. This picture is gonna expose the last thing I did today, I got a little out of sequence

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

Ok, I have fake front suspension, so thought I would be cool to have fake rear suspension. I had another spring and I thought I could make it work, and I think I did. Used similar approach to front, had two brass washers I used as accents. I originally thought if I could get it to look good I’d buy another gold spring, but I think it might be too much gold. I had another silver spring , I thought it might look good with silver springs. Took front gold one off, got another brass washer and put it back together. I think it’s gonna stay like this… I flipped the seat clamp around and the spring fits so tight against it, nothing is holding it.