Some thumbnail still-shots from the possibly soon to be published AL-U-Mini first ride video. Basically I stuck an iPhone in my shirt pocket and turned it on record.
AL-U-Mini
- Thread starter Ulu
- Start date
Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:
A messy shop is a sign of progress!
Some lo-rez detail shots from the garage.
Here you can see that I used a 5/16 threaded rod to bridge all the struts together, and the nuts underneath the seat make the connections quite tight. I did put 1/8” plastic washers between the seat and the hardware, both inside and outside. The continuous threaded rod makes a huge difference in the structure.
I’m not going to post up the video that I made, because the bike has an audible squeak while I’m riding it. It turns out that one of the sissy bar nuts were still loose.
I’ll get out there and shoot another one tomorrow if it doesn’t rain, but the weather report says we may get some more rain.
Meanwhile I am polishing parts…
Here you can see that I used a 5/16 threaded rod to bridge all the struts together, and the nuts underneath the seat make the connections quite tight. I did put 1/8” plastic washers between the seat and the hardware, both inside and outside. The continuous threaded rod makes a huge difference in the structure.
I’m not going to post up the video that I made, because the bike has an audible squeak while I’m riding it. It turns out that one of the sissy bar nuts were still loose.
I’ll get out there and shoot another one tomorrow if it doesn’t rain, but the weather report says we may get some more rain.
Meanwhile I am polishing parts…
Last late night garage shot.
She is indeed a mini compared to the mighty mongoose.
I am so glad that this bike is working well and it is near completion. I really need to get back on the fake Jaguar and before that I should do some work on my truck. What really want to do is takeoff and go fishing but that’s not gonna happen right now because of Christmas.
She is indeed a mini compared to the mighty mongoose.
I am so glad that this bike is working well and it is near completion. I really need to get back on the fake Jaguar and before that I should do some work on my truck. What really want to do is takeoff and go fishing but that’s not gonna happen right now because of Christmas.
This was a quick and easy method of anchoring the brakes. I don’t think it is particularly attractive though, and I intend to do something else.
I’m thinking that the brake reaction arm should be stainless steel, and custom.
For this bike, tempered aluminum will probably be OK as well, but of course in either case the difficulty is making the DD, hole. I will have to file by hand.
Meanwhile it’s pouring rain out and I cannot ride my bike, so I’m going to sit around here and knock all the black paint off of this steering clamp, and buff it out shiny.
I’m thinking that the brake reaction arm should be stainless steel, and custom.
For this bike, tempered aluminum will probably be OK as well, but of course in either case the difficulty is making the DD, hole. I will have to file by hand.
Meanwhile it’s pouring rain out and I cannot ride my bike, so I’m going to sit around here and knock all the black paint off of this steering clamp, and buff it out shiny.
It is pouring rain and not possible for me to run the big buffer out in my boat yard, so I got this down to 800 grit, and polished it with a rag by hand. Of course I spun the bolts and the cap with a drill motor to polish them.
Otherwise it was just a little bits of sandpaper and hours of hand labor to clean off all the casting irregularities and every remnant of paint.
I didn’t do the spacer ring yet. Only a few things on the bike have black paint now. The caps for the lock on hand grips, the seat post clamp, the head race, and that spacer ring and the underside of the seat.
This obnoxious black rubber ching-a-daris is really a large O-ring of the type used to tighten up your tire chains. I took off the metal clips wrapped it around the forks and laced it together with some black paracord. Anyhow this keeps the forks from bashing the frame at full lock.
I really hate this thing and it has to change to something else.
Late night garage shots when it’s too wet to go out.
Otherwise it was just a little bits of sandpaper and hours of hand labor to clean off all the casting irregularities and every remnant of paint.
I didn’t do the spacer ring yet. Only a few things on the bike have black paint now. The caps for the lock on hand grips, the seat post clamp, the head race, and that spacer ring and the underside of the seat.
This obnoxious black rubber ching-a-daris is really a large O-ring of the type used to tighten up your tire chains. I took off the metal clips wrapped it around the forks and laced it together with some black paracord. Anyhow this keeps the forks from bashing the frame at full lock.
I really hate this thing and it has to change to something else.
Late night garage shots when it’s too wet to go out.
I decided that, for the sake of styling, this bike should get some dummy lights.
So I had two of these little red lenses that came as extra parts with the fake Jaguar. In my bike update thread I show how I made one of these into a taillight.
I’m going to make another tail light, but this will be different. First I had to sand it down to fit.
I’ve added this lens to a bit of lamp hardware, artificially aged.
I cut these lenses down lens very carefully on the belt sander. It was tedious because this plastic likes to melt and ball up. I basically just did it by eyeball, following the little circles molded into the lens.
I haven’t decided what method I would use to retain the lens but it might just be adhesive.
The little fancy bit comes from an LED lightbulb which I cannot show you assembled because I don’t have another one like it.
Here it is with a “plain” one And the lens which I have already trimmed down to fit.
Anyhow, this is diecast aluminum alloy and it is beautifully done. Here I drill it out to 3/4” hole In anticipation of someday mounting a bulb inside.
This is a heat sink that radiates away from the electronic circuitry in the base of the electronic bulb. I suspect the newer bulbs don’t require this because they make less heat through better circuitry.
In the close-up shots you can see that I have scratched off some of the white paint from the fins on the wire brush.
I wanted to make it look a bit ratty, But I don’t know if I like this. I have another one stashed out in the shed, if I decide it needs to be smoother instead of ratty.
I have some bits that might work for headlight mounts, I don’t have a headlight that I want to use yet. The old Plymouth parking light lens might make an interesting headlight.
Somehow, but I don’t know yet.
So I had two of these little red lenses that came as extra parts with the fake Jaguar. In my bike update thread I show how I made one of these into a taillight.
I’m going to make another tail light, but this will be different. First I had to sand it down to fit.
I’ve added this lens to a bit of lamp hardware, artificially aged.
I cut these lenses down lens very carefully on the belt sander. It was tedious because this plastic likes to melt and ball up. I basically just did it by eyeball, following the little circles molded into the lens.
I haven’t decided what method I would use to retain the lens but it might just be adhesive.
The little fancy bit comes from an LED lightbulb which I cannot show you assembled because I don’t have another one like it.
Here it is with a “plain” one And the lens which I have already trimmed down to fit.
Anyhow, this is diecast aluminum alloy and it is beautifully done. Here I drill it out to 3/4” hole In anticipation of someday mounting a bulb inside.
This is a heat sink that radiates away from the electronic circuitry in the base of the electronic bulb. I suspect the newer bulbs don’t require this because they make less heat through better circuitry.
In the close-up shots you can see that I have scratched off some of the white paint from the fins on the wire brush.
I wanted to make it look a bit ratty, But I don’t know if I like this. I have another one stashed out in the shed, if I decide it needs to be smoother instead of ratty.
I have some bits that might work for headlight mounts, I don’t have a headlight that I want to use yet. The old Plymouth parking light lens might make an interesting headlight.
Somehow, but I don’t know yet.
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2020
- Messages
- 772
- Reaction score
- 4,039
Really dig the unique, creative aspects of the build, Looks like a fun ride!
That’s the fun part of the whole business!
Otherwise it would just be greasing and painting one more old bicycle.
I needed something quick and that’s what came to hand.
I have some big rubber bushings that came from the saddlebags of a motorcycle. But I might actually just put rubber bumpers on the frame.
It’s a photographic illusion. I stuck Gandalf way up front in the shot and I pushed Frodo into the background so he’s minimized.Trust me, that is not messy
This is the Birdseye view.
Every horizontal surface is at least two layers deep.
I’m thinking the tail lamp should be larger and more masculine.
Other larger potential lamp junk from my pile.
Ha ha, nice vertical shot, but that is merely a 'comfortable' level of stuff. It is not as tidy as my warsztat, as I keep the mess to one tiny corner of my work bench and another tiny area by the door. Messy is when you have dozens and dozens of wheels everywhere, part built bikes, junk bikes outside etc., and your bench is more like a memory...
A nice square rear light between the rear stays, under the saddle, would be a good choice, but also a pair of the round ones further down wouldn't be out of place either.
A nice square rear light between the rear stays, under the saddle, would be a good choice, but also a pair of the round ones further down wouldn't be out of place either.
I attempted to stuff that big square lens under there but it’s just too big and square on the top to mesh with the seat.
I decided that I would try for more of a tombstone shape. I cut this down with a hacksaw and the belt sander.
This is a disk from a used hard drive and they are as shiny as any mirror. It fits so perfectly that it literally snapped into the 6 plastic sprues.
I need to back up the other reflective sections with something silver or white.
I want this to attach, with two ears, to the 5/16” threaded rod, which connects the struts below the seat. I will have to make a back up structure for it, possibly from plastic.
I decided that I would try for more of a tombstone shape. I cut this down with a hacksaw and the belt sander.
This is a disk from a used hard drive and they are as shiny as any mirror. It fits so perfectly that it literally snapped into the 6 plastic sprues.
I need to back up the other reflective sections with something silver or white.
I want this to attach, with two ears, to the 5/16” threaded rod, which connects the struts below the seat. I will have to make a back up structure for it, possibly from plastic.
That is an excellent piece of work, and it is years since I have seen the disk from a hard drive
I love the fact that it just clipped on - imagine how much data you could be carrying around with you when you ride that bike...
I love the fact that it just clipped on - imagine how much data you could be carrying around with you when you ride that bike...
Lots of boring calculations and plans for things long built and forgotten.That is an excellent piece of work, and it is years since I have seen the disk from a hard drive
I love the fact that it just clipped on - imagine how much data you could be carrying around with you when you ride that bike...
I don’t know what those discs are actually made from, but they do not appear to rust. I’ve had some hanging around out in my workshed for years after I disassembled the drives for the magnets and recyclable aluminum.
I scrapped out every generation of computers from our engineering company over the course of 25 years and I still have about 10 old hard drives I haven’t disassembled yet. Some are so old they only hold 250 MB.
I kept a bunch of the steel cases because they are 19 gauge, which is the same thickness as my old American cars.
I haven’t decided what to put on the back of it yet, but I might do it in molded epoxy. I have some expensive epoxy I need to use up before the shelf life vanishes.
I’m afraid it’s going to be more elaborate than that. Whatever back I put on it is going to be the structure and it will carry the reflector and the lens and steel tabs which will mount it to the bike.
