346 Basman "Silver Bullet"

[Starnger]

Hello again, everyone!
Here i start another build thread. There are quite a lot of projects i am working on at same time, i realize that, but it is very hard to hold myself from working on each of them since they all are awesome and attractive in their own way
I liked the way 346 Basman looks since i first saw it in 2013 while buying my first cruiser bike from The Chopperdome, Amsterdam. But they were always too expensive for me, so i have never built one until now, though i always wanted to (secretly )
Anyway, when Ruff built a aluminium version of that frame i got hooked. After looking at them and collecting feedback i have finally purchased one, that is being my first ever frame i bought new from the shop (second if complete bike i bought in 2013 counts).

I have heard a lot of controversial things about it not being strong and reliable enough, and hey, surprisingly, looks like i got a new version of it, with extra plate reinforcing the bottom bracket.

Another reason for me to risk it was the fact that Ruff gives lifetime warranty for their bikes, so even if it cracks in the end i still may get a refund or something. I am still willing to hear any comments from folks who own this frame.
The idea for this build is simple: if it won't rust it does not need any paint. My plan is to polish the frame up to make it shiny, that's where this "Silver Bullet" is coming from, though the name could still change. The other thing: the frame is light. So i may use this quality too, trying to build the lightest bike of all i have. If i can keep it under 15kg i try to do that, more then possible i think. The heaviest part i am going to use would be Shimano Nexus 8 hub, i love the gear width of 307% too much, and i love the coaster brakes on my bikes. Probably using about 50mm wide single wall rim for the back with boa-g tire, and some lightweight sport bike front wheel, 26 or 28 inch, possibly with thickslick tire. And some lightweight sport bike aluminium fork. Same goes for cranks, light and sporty.
So we will see where it goes, by now i am only starting with the frame.

 

[Starnger]

I know i am not the first one to polish up the alu Basman, and that decision is kind of obvious, but it does not make it less appealing for me. I like to let the material i work with influence the result and i let the qualities of it to open up.
Here there is a picture of another bike like that, i may use some for the reference.

By the way, here is what the person who owns this bike sent me:

Hopefully the newer issue of this bike won't have that problem.

 

[RustyGold]

The whole frame should be heat treated after being welded...I wonder if they do that at Ruff?

Jason

 

[Starnger]

The whole frame should be heat treated after being welded...I wonder if they do that at Ruff?

Jason

They don't mention what exact kind of alu they use for newer frames in the description on their website, but i saw their older posts about the Ruffian, and it is made of 7005 alloy. The one that does not reqire any heat treatment.
In case the other frames are made of something else but 7005, then i hope they do heat them, since they don't seem to be new at this Any person who had spent more then 10 minutes learning about aluminium bike frames should know that But i don't know how it is in reality.

 

[RustyGold]

...and it is made of 7005 alloy. The one that does not reqire any heat treatment.
In case the other frames are made of something else but 7005, then i hope they do heat them, since they don't seem to be new at this...

7005 still needs to be aged post-welding...which requires a big oven, or, if solution aged, a heated tank.

I don't know how big an operation Ruff is, but, like you I would assume they know what they are doing. However, that cracked weld looks very much like residual stress (too much heat during welding, wrong filler rod, and/or failure to properly age/heat treat after welding).

It's a cool frame, however... looking forward to seeing the build

Jason

 

[Dr. Tankenstein]

Have ALWAYS loved the Basman...someday...I have a TSP Oldster that I am building to keep me occupied until then..

 

[Starnger]

Here is the fork i am planning to use.

First touches of polishing. The fork has some kind of putty on it, probably a glue for metal?

Some options for a stem. Might use one of those two, or otherwise buy an OG 346 Basman stem. The OG one has less offset and takes 1' bars.

Could not hold myself from a quick front end mockup. Tried 26 inch wheel with some thickslicks.

As you see there is a lot of space left in the fork. I honestly do not really like it, and was hoping for a tighter fit. So it means i am going to run 28 inch wheel here in the end. Still have to decide on caliper/v-brake setup. I like the looks of caliper more, but i have heard they generate more problems, and i also would have to cut the fork brake mounts and polish it again.

Then i spent the whole evening polishing the bike, done top tubes and the fork. I have found out that this is really a complicated process and i definitely have no enough patience to do it by hand! Here are the results:

Thought the surface is shiny, it still has a lot of small scratches and is far from the mirror. Not talking about places inside, that are hard to reach.
That brought me to a dilemma. If i want to make it all mirror shiny, then i have to surely find someone who polishes aluminium professionally. I am not sure, but i think that electro-chemical polishing would not work here, since i have got threaded rivets in the frame, that are made of something else but alu, i hope it is stainless steel. The other way is polishing in vibro-rotation chamber with ceramic send, that's how automobile rims are usually done. But then again, most of the chambers like that are built for rims, and would not have enough space for a frame. Both ways it can be expensive.
The other option is to leave the mirror behind and play it rough, polishing it just to a certain extend. I honestly kind of like that, because in my design i do not try to make stuff too perfect, i like it when it shows the hand touch and manifests imperfections nature. Then i will be able to keep it all in my own hands and garage. The looks still are going to be cool, from a distance you won't tell a difference, and from the close the texture of this stuff looks hypnotizing.
I am going to try to run a search on local alu polishers, and when i know the prices and availability of that i make my mind up on which of two options above to choose.
In the mean time i am ordering more parts for the build and deciding on a front end.

 

[Starnger]

Some parts for the bike have arrived to me. The surprise came when i have checked the kickstand.

It did not fit! Honestly, i did not measure the distance beforehand. I know there are two side-mount kickstand standards out there - 18mm and 40mm by the distance in between the holes. This definitely did not seem like 18mm (they are very close to each other) so i just bought 40mm kickstand.

I have double-checked the pictures to make sure this is a kickstand mount. I found no pictures of newer alu basman online, guess mine is one of the first ones, but electric version, the Ruffian, has same mounts and yes, indeed it is made for kickstand. Screenshot from some youtube video from Eurobike with 2019 Ruffian model on it.

Anyway, the mount measures 30mm and the kickstand does not look like anything i have seen so far. The specifications on their website say it is some motorcycle kickstand, probably because the electric bike is so heavy. There is nothing i could find online to buy that fits that mount and means i'd have to modify the stand i have built. Pity that Ruff have failed to inform me about it beforehand, did not write this one the bike description on the website and did not offer any compatible stands options. Pity that they are not using any of existing standards too. I might write them a mail about it, but that thing is like completely unclear.

The good news are that i have ordered a preassembled 28 inch front wheel at LBS (funny, it is just cheaper then getting a new one in components) and picked up some parts. Among the others it is a new version of BOA-G, they are all black. I thought you guys may be curious to look at them.

No service so far can polish my bike up, so i guess i am sticking with the second option of leaving it roughly polished.

 

[crazydave58]

You could ask gigmata about polishing aluminum...he has experience at it...r u going to drill a new hole in that kickstand to make it fit?

 

[Duchess]

I can't recall the exact procession of paper grits that I used to polish the aluminum on a Specialized, but it was something like (after getting the paint off): 600, 800, 1000 or 1500, 2000 or 3000, aluminum polish. All sanding was with wet paper and it took a lot of time.

 

[Starnger]

You could ask gigmata about polishing aluminum...he has experience at it...r u going to drill a new hole in that kickstand to make it fit?

I am going to make a third hole in the stand, yes, and probably cutting the rest of the base off to make it look like it was made this way. Probably i'd also need to shorten the leg.

I can't recall the exact procession of paper grits that I used to polish the aluminum on a Specialized, but it was something like (after getting the paint off): 600, 800, 1000 or 1500, 2000 or 3000, aluminum polish. All sanding was with wet paper and it took a lot of time.

I am starting with 420 where it is necessary, but since the bike is new it is not always needed, then 800, 1200 and 2000, then polish. I have not enough patience to make it look really like a mirror, but i am satisfied with the results so far.
I am okay with the little scratches, i know where are they coming from and how to remove them, but the thing that i am not so pleased with are the little dots. I do not know why sometimes in the process they appear and sometimes not. Is it because of fat/grease on the cloth i use or other contamination in the water or on the brush? I don't know. I remove them by doing the polishing again, but i don't see them clearly until the last stages and do not understand how to control that. Can you give me a hint?

 

[Duchess]

I have a couple spots I didn't quite get mirror finished because I ran out of patience and, realistically, I knew nobody would give it more than a cursory look. It looks really good unless someone puts their nose to it and checks out around the drop outs. I'm not sure what you mean by dots. Are they a pitting in the metal or just a discoloration? I didn't have anything strange pop up with mine.

 

[Starnger]

I have a couple spots I didn't quite get mirror finished because I ran out of patience and, realistically, I knew nobody would give it more than a cursory look. It looks really good unless someone puts their nose to it and checks out around the drop outs. I'm not sure what you mean by dots. Are they a pitting in the metal or just a discoloration? I didn't have anything strange pop up with mine.

I'd say they look just like stains of discoloration. By the look this is a kind of stains that would normally be left when you don't clean the polishing paste up well after polishing, except for they don't remove despite of how hard you push. I would take a closer pictures next time when i am in the garage to explain what i mean.
Thanks for your help.

 

[Duchess]

Hm, yeah maybe it's etching/corroding the metal? A lot of polishing pastes have acid in them instead of abrasives. Maybe, too, there are remnants of the abrasives from prior sanding that concentrate at a drip or something that react with the chemicals in the polish.

 

[Starnger]

Hm, yeah maybe it's etching/corroding the metal? A lot of polishing pastes have acid in them instead of abrasives. Maybe, too, there are remnants of the abrasives from prior sanding that concentrate at a drip or something that react with the chemicals in the polish.

This are the spots i am talking about, took that picture at the garage. The guys at the paint shop i have been yesterday also supposed this is corrosion. I am using green polishing paste, that is as far as i know mostly consists of di-chrome trioxide and wax.

 

[Starnger]

Got the reply from Ruff Cycles today.
Yes, indeed, i got one of the very first ones updated Basmans, not everyone in Ruff is even yet aware of the fact they are updated
The reason they use proprietary mounting standard is because the kickstand position is so low that none of 40mm ones would probably work anyway. They can sell me the one from the Ruffian though.
Because it is not always working for everyone, since everyone is using different wheels/tires combination, they are currently working on a new adjustable kickstand for their Basmans, but it is not yet available.
So that all means that i have a backup plan in case my kickstand modification won't work, and those chances are high.

 

[Duchess]

Sorry, but that beats me. I've never seen aluminum look like that before—almost looks like the grain structure of steel.

 

[Starnger]

Sorry, but that beats me. I've never seen aluminum look like that before—almost looks like the grain structure of steel.

Well, most importantly its going away after second polishing, so i should be fine Thanks for your help!

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Love your plan for this!
Don't worry about full mirror polishing it, if you get it too nice every little smudge will show up and you will be constantly re-polishing it.

 

[Starnger]

Got a bunch of updates.
First of all, i have got another fork delivered. Looks nice, has this beautiful curve and profile. Mine was missing the fender mounts and i was unsure if i wanted to use v brake mounts. So i thought instead of cutting and drilling the one i have got why not just get a backup one.

I was hoping that this fork would help me to overcome the incertitude about all that mounts and modifications. How wrong that assumption was! Soon you'll understand why.

I have also got my new front wheel delivered. Getting it pre-assembled is so much cheaper then having one built, it is even funny. Also thinking of that made me anticipate the day when i finally have enough free time to practice wheel lacing myself. Nice and light wheel. I like it.

I have to mention that i've done quite a good job matching the front tire to BOA-G on the rear. This is 42c Continental Contact Speed, that looks just like it was made to be used with BOA.

What i am now thinking of is how to carefully remove the lettering. All black would fit well to all-black BOA-G. I have tried to cover it with marker, then it shines differently then the rest of the tire. I also tried to scruff it away with silicone spray and scotchbrite, but then it uncovers some kind of white layer underneath the lettering. I need to look for ways people usually do it.

Here is the wheel with a tire on it.

And now a surprise! The wheel with a tire did not clear the new fork! But instead, the 26 inch with Thickslick have fit it perfectly!

Even some space for a fender left! So instead of having less doubts i now have more! Using the 26 inch wheel with a wider tire is an option again, then i don't need to modify the fork and can run u-brakes.

Or i can run 28 inch wheel that i bought especially for that build, but then i'd have to cut off the brake mounts and put threaded rivets on the sides for fender mounting. Honestly, i have already started barbaric methods on this fork, filing the drop-outs to take 10mm axle. Originally fork was made for 9mm, but i decided to file it instead of changing the axle, since most of my axles are 10mm and if ever in future i want to use it with a different wheel it would be easier for me to just adjust the fork once then rebuilding the wheels every time. Anyway, i've done it nicely and carefully.

So, for now i guess i'd keep both options and try them on the road, to see what works better. Tonight i will try to finish the polishing, since my rear wheel will be done very soon, and i can't wait to build this bike up already!