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This is the little frame I used to practice doing a splatter paint job for Splat Rat. I've got the time and parts to enter this third bike in the ORBO.
frame1.jpg

This frame is NOS, rescued from the dump last year and has funny sizes to the cranks and headtube. It was destined to hang on the shop wall, but I took it with me to the bike shop last week hoping they might have old stock that would fit it, mainly the head tube. They said standard parts could be made to work.
It is slightly smaller than the standard 1" headset. I've had the crankset, an oddball cottered type with bearing cups like a one piece but smaller. I just honed out the bottom bracket with a grinder on my dremel and the cups hammered right in.
crankset.jpg


The shop owner told me to grind down the standard headset cups until they fit, and grind on the frame too until the cups fit. But that would make them way too thin, they are thin enough already. My solution was to cut a slice out of each cup to make them fit. It worked with some hammering to get them in, and the bearings still fit properly.
headset mod.jpg


The shop also had a seat post that fit, 22.2 I think. So, this bike will work out after all. I asked if they had a cottered chainwheel, and they did, a 40 tooth ancient set. The plastic wrap looked 20 years old and was fused with the black paint. It's stuck to the metal. It'll get matching paint to the frame.
NOS chainwheel.jpg


I've got 3 sets of 20" wheels to choose from for this build. If the 40 tooth chainwheel is too low a gear, I've got another one, 48 teeth that looks much better but has long crank arms. The 20" chrome forks I picked up just for fun because they looked good a few months ago will work fine. I got much farther along today than I thought I would.

1st day progress.jpg
 
The stuck on plastic came off using a wire wheel. I did a base coat of brown and splashed on 2 different greens, then gray and blue, just like the frame.
brown base coat.jpg


splatter accessories.jpg


progress 31 Dec 21.jpg


I tried on the new cheapo caliper brakes, the rear didn't reach on top but does reach from underneath. Strange. But I'm done for the year.
 
I spent time this New Year's morning and got a lot done. I'm using a band brake to solve the rear caliper problem.
band brake add.jpg



I trimmed the fork tube to fit and took pics to show how to do that.

1. Thread the top nut on before using a hacksaw to cut the end of the threads off. Leave about an inch or so above the nut for the washer and bearing nut.

forktrim1.jpg


2. use a small file to clean up the rough edges where it was cut, inside and out.
forktrim2.jpg


Back off the bearing nut so it cleans up the threads. Don't take it off, just go back and forth over the end threads to get them going smoothly.
This will make it possible to thread the top nut on easily.

forktrim3.jpg


I made the fork threads a touch too long, so I just added an extra washer. I put on a chain and got everything adjusted. The chain popped off, the NOS chain wheel is warped. I'll tackle that next time.

bent chain wheel.jpg


Then I remembered the dozen racks that I picked up from the scrapyard, same as the frames, thrown out NOS. I set one on and I think it'll get bolted on next.

rear rack1.jpg
rear rack 3.jpg
 
Great tips on the steer tube mod WC! This little rat is cool. Maybe you can find a local kid that would appreciate a sweet bike.
 
Actually, it's just the right size for the wife. I made up a 24" bike for her, but it was too big. She misses her Ferrari from Hawaii.

DSCI0096.JPG
 
We gave this bike to a local family with a bunch of boys about 5 years ago. I wonder if it held up to all the abuse.
gasser2.JPG


This bike went to my godson, it hangs up in their garage as something to be looked at, not ridden.
21231989_10210089822546685_148841677968837601_n.jpg
 
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The left pedal wouldn't thread in like it should have, and the chainwheel never straightened out to my liking, so it has another crankset on, a touch longer arms but better quality by a hair. It has 44 teeth, so that gives a gear index of 56, should be just about right. I'll dig through all my chains and see if I have a good one.
chainwheel 44 - Copy.jpg
 

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