The rain today is not helping out with painting at all. 
No pictures in front of the garage door today.
No pictures in front of the garage door today.
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- Thread starter The Renaissance Man
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I haven't been stopping for photos and/or posting much today. It's been a long day and very busy with so many different things to get done. I've really painted myself in a corner on this one. Earlier in the week it looked like I would be able to focus on the fun stuff over the weekend but that didn't go as planned. lol
This happened earlier today sometime before lunch:
After the fiberglass was set up on the rear bracket, I mounted the chainguard, marked the tire location and cut out the chainguard for clearance. This is the stock shape of the cut out but it is relocated an inch or two farther back to line up with the 24" wheel and tire.
No one will ever notice the change but it had to be done.
This happened earlier today sometime before lunch:
After the fiberglass was set up on the rear bracket, I mounted the chainguard, marked the tire location and cut out the chainguard for clearance. This is the stock shape of the cut out but it is relocated an inch or two farther back to line up with the 24" wheel and tire.
No one will ever notice the change but it had to be done.
With time running out and the rain giving me a hard time, some compromises and short cuts are almost impossible to avoid.
I had hoped for more detail with the patina but depending on how things progress tomorrow, I might call it done with the paint work. (At least for now.) I can always come back to it later but I have to get this bike to a rider and get my photos tomorrow if I can. It's good that we have Tuesday morning as a back up but I really don't want to be dealing with anything after tomorrow!
Here's a sample of the patina on the tank. The goal is to make it look like old raw metal peaking out from under the worn and chipped paint. Not really 'out in the weather rusty metal' but more like seasoned steel that you might see on old machinery or a metal handrail that is chipped and worn from handling it. I can see so much more to do to it but I am okay with it at this point.
The fluorescent lights really change the color of the red in the photo but it's all I've got to show for today. I tried to adjust the color a little but it's still way off.
This was some of the mask that I removed after I painted the frame. I stuck this scrap on a piece of steel for comparison and was very happy with how well it matched the raw metal. The burgundy red in this photo shows up closer to how it looks in person also.
I had hoped for more detail with the patina but depending on how things progress tomorrow, I might call it done with the paint work. (At least for now.) I can always come back to it later but I have to get this bike to a rider and get my photos tomorrow if I can. It's good that we have Tuesday morning as a back up but I really don't want to be dealing with anything after tomorrow!
Here's a sample of the patina on the tank. The goal is to make it look like old raw metal peaking out from under the worn and chipped paint. Not really 'out in the weather rusty metal' but more like seasoned steel that you might see on old machinery or a metal handrail that is chipped and worn from handling it. I can see so much more to do to it but I am okay with it at this point.
The fluorescent lights really change the color of the red in the photo but it's all I've got to show for today. I tried to adjust the color a little but it's still way off.
This was some of the mask that I removed after I painted the frame. I stuck this scrap on a piece of steel for comparison and was very happy with how well it matched the raw metal. The burgundy red in this photo shows up closer to how it looks in person also.
Remember this from a couple of days ago?
Here it is now!
Again the fluorescent light completely changed to color of the pinstripe in the photo! The color is actually an olive green that I mixed up as close as I could to the old Harley Davidson green from the 1930's. I used dark shades for both accent colors to keep them from standing out. My hope is that from a distance the bike bike will appear almost completely black. Brat bikes tend to be mostly black.
Here it is now!
Again the fluorescent light completely changed to color of the pinstripe in the photo! The color is actually an olive green that I mixed up as close as I could to the old Harley Davidson green from the 1930's. I used dark shades for both accent colors to keep them from standing out. My hope is that from a distance the bike bike will appear almost completely black. Brat bikes tend to be mostly black.
Keep pushing!
Finished!
She's loaded up and ready to go find somewhere to take some photos. My good camera is down so looks like I'll be using my phone for my final pics.
I'll have more of a run down on today's misadventures later tonight after I get back home.
I also uploaded a ride video to my Instagram (trm_convertible_tanks) if anyone is interested. I'll figure out how to post it here later.
She's loaded up and ready to go find somewhere to take some photos. My good camera is down so looks like I'll be using my phone for my final pics.
I'll have more of a run down on today's misadventures later tonight after I get back home.
I also uploaded a ride video to my Instagram (trm_convertible_tanks) if anyone is interested. I'll figure out how to post it here later.
Nice day for a photo shoot!
Stopped to buy gas and buy a little time for the rain to stop.
Stopped to buy gas and buy a little time for the rain to stop.
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You look different without the beard! 
I'm assuming that you watched my ride video.You look different without the beard!
maybeβ¦..
β¦..
β¦..
Just uploaded it to youtube. Got my daughter to ride it for me. She's a better rider than me!
I had to beg, borrow and steal to get this bike over the finish line!
I spent so much time trying to dial in the seat and rack that I never gave much thought to the rest of the build. Thinking that once I got that done I could just coast to the end. I was wrong! Reality sat in on Friday when I realized that I hadn't given any thought to the rest of the bolt on parts. And after a last minute change of plan to paint it I wouldn't have the luxury of digging through my parts and trying this and that. So I resorted to cannibalizing some other bikes for the crank, chain ring, chain, bars, stem, and pedals! There were a couple of stressful moments today when I wondered if it was actually going to come together! I was so relieved this afternoon when I rode it for the first time!
Luckily everything eventually worked out. I'll be honest though, I didn't even bother to grease any of the bearings. I just did the minimum to make it a rider and it is! I'll be taking a lot of it back apart at some point (after I recover from the weekend marathon) to replace some of the things that I had to steal from other bikes and to tune everything up properly.
I spent so much time trying to dial in the seat and rack that I never gave much thought to the rest of the build. Thinking that once I got that done I could just coast to the end. I was wrong! Reality sat in on Friday when I realized that I hadn't given any thought to the rest of the bolt on parts. And after a last minute change of plan to paint it I wouldn't have the luxury of digging through my parts and trying this and that. So I resorted to cannibalizing some other bikes for the crank, chain ring, chain, bars, stem, and pedals! There were a couple of stressful moments today when I wondered if it was actually going to come together! I was so relieved this afternoon when I rode it for the first time!
Luckily everything eventually worked out. I'll be honest though, I didn't even bother to grease any of the bearings. I just did the minimum to make it a rider and it is! I'll be taking a lot of it back apart at some point (after I recover from the weekend marathon) to replace some of the things that I had to steal from other bikes and to tune everything up properly.
I was so busy today that I didn't think to take but a couple of pictures.
One is a picture of this Jiffy stand that I had picked up at a flea market. After some adjusting it worked out great and I love the look of it!
The only process pictures from today was from wiring in the light system.
One is a picture of this Jiffy stand that I had picked up at a flea market. After some adjusting it worked out great and I love the look of it!
The only process pictures from today was from wiring in the light system.
Another small detail that I never got around to showing this weekend was on the saddle.
It didn't look worn like the rest of the bike so I aged it a little around the edges.
For comparison here is how it looked before:
It didn't look worn like the rest of the bike so I aged it a little around the edges.
For comparison here is how it looked before:
Hmmm.... Firestone in this photo...
But Thick Brick in this one....
More photo shop / graphics art wizardry, or did you actually make a template and paint the Firestone on the tire wall? And somehow take off the Felt Thick Brick raised lettering....?
But Thick Brick in this one....
More photo shop / graphics art wizardry, or did you actually make a template and paint the Firestone on the tire wall? And somehow take off the Felt Thick Brick raised lettering....?
I added the Firestone logos. Thick Brick and Quick Brick tires only have their logo on one side so I just left them as is on the left side and added Firestone to both sides. I had considered removing the original logos but decided to leave them.
Yep, I see that now in this photo. Had me going for awhile though... 
Hope you can find a dry spot this morning!
Hope you can find a dry spot this morning!
Are those decals or did you paint them on? Super pro job!
Cut vinyl stencils. Didn't get any process pics but I took some last year when I did my Hoosier tires on the X53.
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