MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
Could you bend the legs a little bit more instead of cutting and welding? A tubing bender could get you a few more degrees
29'er Electra build.
- Thread starter Starnger
- Start date
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Since the steel is so hard on this particular fork i won't risk bending it cold. So cutting it seems easier and faster solution for me.
Ok, I've got some good news! Seems that I've managed to finish on time 
Though obviously i had to skip the painting part. Luckily the bike looks awesome in raw steel.
I've started the day by cutting the fork apart and putting it back together on a steeper angle. I forgot to take a picture of a fork on a welding table, but i used same small dropout jig i usually do and some welding magnets to align the steerer tube. I cut the legs near the steerer only, and after i welded it back with MAG semi-auto i made sure to TIG over it to smoothen the bead.
Here is how it looks in profile now. A significant difference. Looking ahead it did enough difference to clear the wheel even without changing the crank arms for the shorter ones!
Now time for final assembly. I will use this 1950's or 1960's SA shifter i kept for that one special project. Bought it on Facebook a few years ago.
So, for a vintage shifter like that I'd need a set of nice vintage looking brake levers. I went through my stash and found this beautiful German Altenburger levers. I believe they are from 1970's, but can't be sure since this design was produced for a while.
One of them needed some straightening.
Then I've realized i have completely forgot to weld the cable guide onto a fork! I didn't find a tube of a suitable diameter, but boy that won't stop me! Here i used an old v-brake boss, drilled it out and cut in two pieces.
Then put it onto the welding table without taking the bike apart. Just took the front wheel off not to accidentally burn it with a spark.
While assembling the fork again I've realized something is wrong with the front brake, so i took it apart and cleaned, finding out a piece of the aluminum cooler is bent. Trying to carefully bend it back i accidentally broke a piece off! Luckily this won't affect the performance in any way, since it is only there for heat dissipation i believe.
Here is the front assembled and tested. Works smooth!
I've put three nut-rivets in for the missing cable guides. One double guide goes on the bottom tube near the mid tube, one double guide goes on the bottom bridge near the seat tube, one single guide goes on the left chain stay.
The shifting mechanism needed some adjustment and the hub needed some oil, but in the end it works perfectly fine!
Next I've had to choose the grips. Here are some of the ones i had in mind, but in the end I've used the last pair. It is rarely I can run the flanged grips with shifter, but this is the time, since it does not interfere with old SA shifter in any way. I like the soft compound just like in the old BMX days, and in general they give the bike that sporty MX look it is all about
Now it is time to clean up the workshop to take some final photos! It is already late night where i am, half past four right now, so i won't have a chance to take good pics in the sunlight before the deadline. The workshop background must do as well. I will definitely take some pics of the bike in the wild later on, but for the finished post raw steel in the workshop it is. Industrial vibes
Though obviously i had to skip the painting part. Luckily the bike looks awesome in raw steel.I've started the day by cutting the fork apart and putting it back together on a steeper angle. I forgot to take a picture of a fork on a welding table, but i used same small dropout jig i usually do and some welding magnets to align the steerer tube. I cut the legs near the steerer only, and after i welded it back with MAG semi-auto i made sure to TIG over it to smoothen the bead.
Here is how it looks in profile now. A significant difference. Looking ahead it did enough difference to clear the wheel even without changing the crank arms for the shorter ones!
Now time for final assembly. I will use this 1950's or 1960's SA shifter i kept for that one special project. Bought it on Facebook a few years ago.
So, for a vintage shifter like that I'd need a set of nice vintage looking brake levers. I went through my stash and found this beautiful German Altenburger levers. I believe they are from 1970's, but can't be sure since this design was produced for a while.
One of them needed some straightening.
Then I've realized i have completely forgot to weld the cable guide onto a fork! I didn't find a tube of a suitable diameter, but boy that won't stop me! Here i used an old v-brake boss, drilled it out and cut in two pieces.
Then put it onto the welding table without taking the bike apart. Just took the front wheel off not to accidentally burn it with a spark.
While assembling the fork again I've realized something is wrong with the front brake, so i took it apart and cleaned, finding out a piece of the aluminum cooler is bent. Trying to carefully bend it back i accidentally broke a piece off! Luckily this won't affect the performance in any way, since it is only there for heat dissipation i believe.
Here is the front assembled and tested. Works smooth!
I've put three nut-rivets in for the missing cable guides. One double guide goes on the bottom tube near the mid tube, one double guide goes on the bottom bridge near the seat tube, one single guide goes on the left chain stay.
The shifting mechanism needed some adjustment and the hub needed some oil, but in the end it works perfectly fine!
Next I've had to choose the grips. Here are some of the ones i had in mind, but in the end I've used the last pair. It is rarely I can run the flanged grips with shifter, but this is the time, since it does not interfere with old SA shifter in any way. I like the soft compound just like in the old BMX days, and in general they give the bike that sporty MX look it is all about
Now it is time to clean up the workshop to take some final photos!
It is already late night where i am, half past four right now, so i won't have a chance to take good pics in the sunlight before the deadline. The workshop background must do as well. I will definitely take some pics of the bike in the wild later on, but for the finished post raw steel in the workshop it is. Industrial vibes
