Rough Dayton Huffman Twin flex frame

[Gravelgrinder59]

I’ve been posting a lot lately, but this acquisition has been in the works for over a month and I just got it today. If you can believe it, this was posted on CL for a few days! ( that blows me away) A member of this site who wishes to remain anonymous helped me to get this rare frame. I live in Washington state and it came from Massachusetts! Guy went out of his way and we really don’t know each other. THANKS. It’s rough, when I got today I kinda freaked out how bad it looked, I knew the seat tube had a hole rusted out by bottom bracket, but when I got it, it looked like I’d never get it apart. It looks like it was partially buried! I immediately drenched with WD-40 and started trying to break stuff loose. I was amazed that in 1 1/2 hrs I was able to get crank out, seat post bolt ( snapped) and all the bolts loosened up and turning except the front fork and stem. Got stem bolt loose but it’s seized. Got frame upside down with steerer full WD, gonna get some PB Blaster tomorrow. If I had the fab skills a lot of you have it’d be no problem, but I don’t. I am resourceful though and I’ll find a way. I have a friend on the CABE really trying hard to get this from me! Funny thing someone recently have front spring for this for sale recently but it had already sold when my friend saw the ad.

 

[Dixie]

One cool bike

 

[kingfish254]

YOWZA!!!! Killer score!!!

 

[RustyGold]

Super jelly

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

thanks RustyGold had to look that one up! Lol

Super jelly

YOWZA!!!! Killer score!!!

Thanks Kingfish. Never thought I would find one of these. This was actually in a CL ad. Guy sent me pics of some bikes this guy had for sale he wanted to look at. This was in one of pics and my jaw just about hit the floor. The guy that sent pics thought it was from something like a whizzer. I told him what it was and he might never make a better score and should get! He just wasn’t interested knew how much I wanted it so bought it for me!

 

[RustyGold]

I typed in super jelly into the googlator, and I got some weird results...so, to be clear .

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

Thanks, I had right meaning. I see you live in Oregon, I’m in Wash. hope to meet you sometime. Heard there is new bike swap in Tacoma in March.

 

[RustyGold]

Post it in the events section if you get details !

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

now that's patina.

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

Spent about 4 hrs today on the Twin Flex frame. My buddy Luke got the seized stem and locknut off. Had to cut nut off and used heat and a hammer to get stem out. He’s a bike mechanic and did great job cutting nut, leaving threads intact. I spent probably 3 hrs sanding the frame. Looks a lot better than when I got yesterday afternoon. Not sure how fast this project will progress once I get frame all cleaned up. Stell need to straighten fork and get hole fixed in sea tube. I’m still gonna have bead blasted and probably powder coat with a cracle finish since frame is so pitted. Like Mazda Flyer used on his last summer build off bike. My friend Luke used to do powdercoating and he has done a few frames

with this kind of finish that look good. I’m really happy with how much progress I made in one day, considering how bad it looked yesterday.

 

[deorman]

Rough is right. Still awesome.

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

May have to start a build thread for this bike, spent at least 4 more hrs today working on it. I was alittle off when I shared I had all the bolts loose, found out today I didn’t. Had like 6 bolts that had to be broke loose. Got fork actually out of frame today, got the cups out, sanded on frame over an hr. Main thing I got accomplished, after several tries mainly my friend Luke with my help got the fork straightened. We also straightened the truss/ spring assembly because it was right up against and rubbing the head tube. Another encouraging day of progress. Pictured is my buddy Luke. We had to use a lot of heat and leverage on steerer tube and heat on several of the bolts. The bolt that runs through the missing spring looks really corroded, pretty sure there’s 2 nuts fused together with rust. Think we’ll just cut it and replace the bolt and nuts, reusing brass sleeve that goes over the bolt. The picture on wood floor shows how angle of fork now flows with head tube. Also a lot of the pitting is going away with all the sanding. The dark spots from rust accentuate the pits. I think with a good primer and sanding ( many coats) it could be smoothed out. But think I’m set on using a two color powder coat crinkle finish on it . you can see in earlier picture how bent fork originally was. The bearings will now seat properly on the lower crown race with the fork installed. The fork can’t go any farther unless the steerer is replaced, so it may be still off a hair, but we both agreed it looks good and he is bike mechanic by trade

 

[PeteMcP]

Great work.
Have to say I like the 'pitted' look. Save yourself a bunch of time and money by sanding the frame just the right amount, leaving a little rust in all the pits which could then be neutralized 'n sealed under few coats of protective clear lacquer applied to the entire frame/forks. Close enough to the powder-coated crinkle finish you're talking about going with. Just my two penn'orth.

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

Just finishing bare metal build and working on another. Good idea but not direction I’m going with this bike, appreciate the input.

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

Great work.
Have to say I like the 'pitted' look. Save yourself a bunch of time and money by sanding the frame just the right amount, leaving a little rust in all the pits which could then be neutralized 'n sealed under few coats of protective clear lacquer applied to the entire frame/forks. Close enough to the powder-coated crinkle finish you're talking about going with. Just my two penn'orth.

Id like to respond to your comment again. I can tell you and I think alike. I got people calling this frame a “ rust bucket” and a “ Sh——y” looking frame? This is “ Ratrodbikes “ by the way people. I Don’t get people putting fake patina on new bikes and stripping nice “Real patina” off old. You maybe be wondering why I’m doing what I’m doing ? Because I my opinion, and if you’d seen in person the frame I received few days ago you might agree. If I didn’t already have bare metal builds I might heed your advice. ,if you look at my other builds you can see I don’t mind crust. Look at what I been riding lately, crustiest frame I’ve ever built up. I like your idea. Kudos to you for seeing beauty in the rough. I appreciate that a lot. I also know I don’t need to sand it, I’m gonna have it bead blasted in the end anyway. In some weird way I like sanding and spending time with bike in my hands cleaning it up. I don’t want to just hand off a bike and let someone else do it all .

 

[PeteMcP]

Well put, sir! You scored a real vintage beauty there. Your build - do it your way.
Interested in seeing how the crinkly powder-coat pans out. Contemplated using that on my latest build which is still in bare metal.

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

Id like to respond to your comment again. I can tell you and I think alike. I got people calling this frame a “ rust bucket” and a “ Sh——y” looking frame? This is “ Ratrodbikes “ by the way people. I Don’t get people putting fake patina on new bikes and stripping nice “Real patina” off old. You maybe be wondering why I’m doing what I’m doing ? Because I my opinion, and if you’d seen in person the frame I received few days ago you might agree. If I didn’t already have bare metal builds I might heed your advice. ,if you look at my other builds you can see I don’t mind crust. Look at what I been riding lately, crustiest frame I’ve ever built up. I like your idea. Kudos to you for seeing beauty in the rough. I appreciate that a lot. I also know I don’t need to sand it, I’m gonna have it bead blasted in the end anyway. In some weird way I like sanding and spending time with bike in my hands cleaning it up. I don’t want to just hand off a bike and let someone else do it all .

Well put, sir! You scored a real vintage beauty there. Your build - do it your way.
Interested in seeing how the crinkly powder-coat pans out. Contemplated using that on my latest build which is still in bare metal.

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

I’d like to say I’ve never bead basted or powder coated a frame before and I’ve had and have many bikes. Like OG best, but frames I’ve stripped to bare metal I do it all by hand ( I know I’m crazy). I’m a very good rattle can painter but thats it! This bike deserves better, I ride almost entirely on gravel now and want to ride it ( with caution) sometimes, so it has to be durable. Good luck on your build.

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

Another 4- 5 hrs cleaning

 

[Gravelgrinder59]

Well put, sir! You scored a real vintage beauty there. Your build - do it your way.
Interested in seeing how the crinkly powder-coat pans out. Contemplated using that on my latest build which is still in bare metal.

Thanks again for voicing you opinion. Since your suggestion, I’m pretty sure I’m going to listen to you and just paint
/powdercoat the suspension pieces. It really is looking like silver/black crinkle finish the more I clean. And it looks different from bare metal frame on “ Loopy” my build off bike. It kinda flys in the face of reason to leave this bare metal and I like it. The repair area I can hide with faux patina.