Born Again Hawthorne - A Rider it is

[SILVERKINGPC]

The paint & saddle came out really nice. Nice job!! Good looking ride.

 

[MazdaFlyer]

I got my hands on a pair of Sunlite 26x2.50 Revolutions. Mounted they measured out at 2.49...nice! But wait I put the front one on and the edges of the tire rub on the fender braces.[emoji1361] It would make a nice static display.
Well I splayed out the brace a bit and used various orders of brace and truss rod placement at axle...about every possible combination. I got it minimized but there is still some rub. I like the tread on these but the Sandy Beach tires fit better.
I have one more option. I have a set of Electra 26x2.35 diamond tread tires on another bike that I can trade out. This is fun, right?

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[OddJob]

Wow, those Revolutions are phat!
The fender brace placement and fender tweaking are always a challenge. But when you spin that wheel and hear the beautiful 'no rubbing sound' for the first time....ahhhhhh!
One of my favorite accomplishments on these builds is to put together a bike that looks like it's about ready to crumble into a big pile of rust; but makes no sound at all when you pass the people eyeballing your ride as you cruise by...

 

[MazdaFlyer]

Wow, those Revolutions are phat!
The fender brace placement and fender tweaking are always a challenge. But when you spin that wheel and hear the beautiful 'no rubbing sound' for the first time....ahhhhhh!
One of my favorite accomplishments on these builds is to put together a bike that looks like it's about ready to crumble into a big pile of rust; but makes no sound at all when you pass the people eyeballing your ride as you cruise by...

Yah they fill up the fenders nicely. If the braces were on the outside of fenders I think they would work but that mutilates the originality.
A heads up for anyone considering these tires: The diamond tread wraps around the sides and that is what rubs. The extra rubber of the diamonds also give it the advertised width. Without fenders they would be fine at least on the front.
I like the original GoodYears, but they seem narrow. The Sandy Beach tires would work OK. I think I'll still pull out the bike with the Electra tires and see how they look. I have another old fenderless Roadmaster that will probably get the Revolutions.
I got some of the FolkArt acrylic for potential saddle aging, we'll see...



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[Wildcat]

You probably already did this, but here's how I've adjusted the braces to make a wide tire fit.

1. Mark the spot on the brace where it needs to be the widest, then remove the wheel.

2. Straighten the brace from fender to the end where it bolts to the axle.

3. Then take a piece of something, a 2 x 4 or other thing that's the width you need and put it right on the mark.

4. Then squeeze the brace so the ends are closer together than they will be when bolted up to the axle. The bend should be right at the mark with the rest of the brace still in a straight line.

5. Then when you put the wheel back on, it will be as wide as possible at the mark.

Those tires look great on there, maybe they deserve one more try.

 

[MazdaFlyer]

You probably already did this, but here's how I've adjusted the braces to make a wide tire fit.

1. Mark the spot on the brace where it needs to be the widest, then remove the wheel.

2. Straighten the brace from fender to the end where it bolts to the axle.

3. Then take a piece of something, a 2 x 4 or other thing that's the width you need and put it right on the mark.

4. Then squeeze the brace so the ends are closer together than they will be when bolted up to the axle. The bend should be right at the mark with the rest of the brace still in a straight line.

5. Then when you put the wheel back on, it will be as wide as possible at the mark.

Those tires look great on there, maybe they deserve one more try.

Thanks. I've tried a modified version of your suggestion. Guess I'm just not wanting to change geometry of things. The rear wheel clearance at the chain stays is also an issue.


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[MazdaFlyer]

I think I've had enough self induced tire drama for a while, although OddJob suggested the Sandy Beach tires. I mounted the 26x2.50 Sandy Beach tires with the correct tubes. They're back on the bike, they also required some tweaking of things to prevent any rubbing. Inflated to 45psi they finally measured in at 2.335" wide. So for now they are the Hawthorne tire of choice.
I pulled out my EvansColson bike with the Electra Diamond tread, they were measuring at 2.40", so I didn't even bother swapping them out.

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[OddJob]

They look great on your bike! I chose them because of the all black, old school tread pattern, and the fact that the weren't so 'squared off' which I had feared the Revolutions might be for fitting into tight fenders. That's what kept my Duro Beach Bums off my current build as well.

 

[MazdaFlyer]

Side bar...wife's yard art 24" Schwinn compass wheel. Temporary location.!

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[MazdaFlyer]

Well I greased the bearings an cups and put crank back in place. I had to tweak the left arm a bit as it was rubbing the frame. The chain is back on as well, moving nicely. I also put the pedals on, the grips and pedal blocks are an obvious mis-match.

Still need to prep the chain guard and finish up the saddle. I'm not sure that I'll use the rear rack, it had light at one time. I have a couple of LED lights that I plan to use for a dual headlight.
The steering spinner is interesting, I'd say it came from a tractor. I might throw it on.

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[OddJob]

How is the saddle 'rat-ification' coming along? I also have used the acrylic on the Thompson grips like yours and it would work on the pedal blocks as well for more of an aged look that might blend the two together.

 

[MazdaFlyer]

How is the saddle 'rat-ification' coming along? I also have used the acrylic on the Thompson grips like yours and it would work on the pedal blocks as well for more of an aged look that might blend the two together.

Trying to make this puppy look old again after coating it with Rustoleum LeakSeal. Per @OddJob I used some FolkArt acrylic paint: Medium Gray, Wrought Iron and Coffee Bean. Also "I stopped before I thought I was done".
BEFORE

AFTER

ORIGINAL

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[Fv2]

Looks good, that turned out really well. I think you stopped at the right time.

 

[MazdaFlyer]

Looks good, that turned out really well. I think you stopped at the right time.

Thanks for the props. May need to add some silver to buttons.


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[OddJob]

Man, that saddle turned out really cool! I'm hiring you to rat-ina all my saddles from now on!

Seriously, nice job! Again, now wasn't that fun?

 

[MazdaFlyer]

Experimenting with cheap LED lights, on mission to double them up. I gave up on using the original mounting brackets.
I cut off a 2.25" long piece of 1/2" square tube and notched the ends. I need to drill a couple of holes to attaché the lights. Then I'll need to go through my parts stash in hopes of finding a mounting bracket to attaché to the bike.

Need to put the saddle back together...


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[MazdaFlyer]

Siamese lights ready for a mounting bracket.

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[MazdaFlyer]

I couldn't leave well enough alone and went about messing around with a simple bracket idea. Result is as follows. I think I'll move the lights up to the top hole and shorten the bracket. Nothing is ever truly finished.

Notice the stray lock washer?
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[MazdaFlyer]

Still a little undecided about using the rear rack. I did discover that a delta light cover will fit the bezel on the rack. Now I need to come up with 1-3/8" dia light that will fit in the tube, or make something.

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[MazdaFlyer]

Well the light turned out to pretty simple. I found an old LED flashlight that was given out at a charity ride. I wrapped some Gorilla Tape around both ends to get a friction fit in the original light tube. After putting it in place and adding the Delta lens it should work OK.

Now I feel obligated to give it a shot in the rebirth build.


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