CT Schwinn: Banana, Banana

[OddJob]

Steve, the mere fact your wife is into rat rod bikes is cool enough, let alone wanting to design her own (with your help) and showing up at the swap to hunt for parts!

Looks like you've been busy the past few weeks...Rat On!

 

[MplsCoaster]

Thanks Guys, yeah it helps that my wife likes them too. She puts no space limits on how many there are around .

The Paint came in and I did a quick test. From left to right is the Firemist orange without any primer and only one coat compared to the cap. Then the chainring with the Firemist orange on top of the copper metal color, the just the copper, then the hammered copper.

Compared to pedalnotagia's (assuming) correct color, the Fire mist will be pretty close yet different enough. I didn't shake it as much the first time and hardly any metal flake came out. I'll have to do as suggested and make sure they are well shook.

So, I think I'm going to lay down a coat of self etching primer first, then white primer (because of semi transparency of paint), then 3 coats orange, that's the plan at least...

Found a Schwinn headset (to replace rusty original), and I plan to paint the outside cups body color. Found a black $5 6.5" MTB one piece crank that I think will work (versus first try 7") for less knee interference. I don't think the handlebar idea is going to come together so I still have plan A and now working on a plan C .

I'm getting ready to start paint prep work for both bikes but I've got a midterm to finish first. The days are counting down and I need to get going!! It's July already

Happy Fourth of July Everybody!

Thanks for looking,
Steve

 

[MplsCoaster]

Thanks Guys for the Likes!

I'm still on task to finish the bike but probably until the last minute. My CPU on my laptop crashed last week and all the progress pics may be gone Arghhhh!

So a "no-picture update", sorry (how boring!). I got my rear brackets for the seat made. then I remade the rear ones again once I got the front bracket setup. I found a way so the front is attached but won't show and either will the stock loops (will show pics once my laptop is up and running again -- if I can install the new hard drive correctly).

I was able to make “Plan D” work out and chopped apart and reattached the black high rise handle bars into medium rise (16” to 11”) and made them have 7” more pullback and reduced the back sweep angle from ~10 degrees to ~80. I’ll describe the details more with pics next time…

I had to do many repeated spot putty applications and sand offs to get the holes in the tank covered (with screen that was JB-welded on the inside). The handle bars took a ton of work too. Body work is an art and I'm not such an artist .

So I’ve got all the parts primered with self-etching primer (which I hope works well enough on roughed up and sanded chrome and smooth bare metal surfaces). All the black parts now have one coat on them. All the frame color parts are now additionally primered in white (for better translucent fire mist orange paint finish, I hope).

We’ve got a week of hot and humid weather coming up so hopefully it breaks by next weekend.

Trying to get this done and take 2 classes and get my thesis topic nailed down has been a really hard but always worth it.

Thanks for looking, I mean reading (sorry)

Steve

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Just glad you are still going Steve!
Looking forward to the pics, sounds like lots of progress!

Luke.

 

[MplsCoaster]

Thanks guys for the support and the likes!
I got some pics for you Luke

Laptop is still down so I'm using a SD card reader at school. Don't tell anyone, I should be studying
Here is how the handlebars compare: After they were cut up and put back together and before...
I'm glad it worked out because it was a kinda big deal to get the way back seating position.

here is how I cut and reassembled them

Got them and holes in the tank filled, many more fill/sandings after this shot

Here is a shot of the front bracket how I wrapped it around the seat tube and fastened it to the banana seat bracket

Remade the rear brackets and looks like a clean and fairly sturdy install (am adding turnbuckle to rear brackets too). I like the stance and this was one of the main features about this bike to get my rear as far back as possible. I think (I hope) it might be a wheelie machine

The hot humid weather finally broke yesterday so got a lot more painting done (12 hours worth, with breaks of course).
First 3 acid etched primers then 3 white primer layers, This bike is going to be heavy

The Duplicolor paint was really different than the Rustoleum. It has a directional spray nozzle (oops, should have read the directions first) so you fan side to side and then lay it on thick up and down. It was too crazy to be switching mid spray so got 3 coats on (1 light side to side then 2 coats up and down ) with good coverage. This stuff definitely did not gloss up. Maybe it was the way I sprayed it. Its kinda like the copper Rustoleum where it is shiny like metal but more matte. I like the way it looks, thank goodness

Glad the front seat bracket doesn't show because I'm too lazy to paint it black


Lots of parts got painted gloss black (to match the sissy bar) and that went reasonably smooth.
So all everything is painted and here is the piles of parts

I'm concerned a bit that it may be a little dull with just 2 colors but I don't have any more time to do anything (like maybe some pin-striping on the tank). Oh well..

Assembly next..., Can't wait to ride!!!

Thanks for looking
Steve

 

[kingfish254]

Glad to see you're gonna finish in time. Love the paint and the lay back nanner

 

[OddJob]

The copper and black should look great together! Be anxious to see it in person some time soon...maybe a ride between summer and fall semesters?

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Love it! The extra moved back banana is awesome, looking forward to seeing it together!

Luke.

 

[MplsCoaster]

Thanks Luke and Kingfish. I'm glad you like the seat. It took the most work.

Yeah Odd Job, we'll go for a ride with our groovy bikes probably in late August after Summer Semester.

Thanks for the likes GowJobs, RustyGold and Brett4Christ!

Worked on it late last night then again tonight and got the first ride in before in got dark. I really like the way it rides!! I'm kinda surprised . It's really long but rides smooth, easy, comfortable, and stable, Yeah!! So different than anything else I have.

I goofed around with the contrast so the colors are more saturated than in real life but the semi-cloudy, low-light just flattened out the photos. I'll get some sunshine shots tomorrow and I think you'll be surprised how much it looks more copper than orange (no metal flake or gloss though).

I had to put the pinstripes (tape, sorry) on the tank and chain guard otherwise it was going to be too dull.
I like the way the whitewall, banana seat stripes, and tanks stripes look (I'll get a better shot tomorrow).

It was already turning heads as I rode it around the neighborhood so I met my goal: helping it to get some love.

Quite a few little details yet to do and then a nice cruise tomorrow with glamor shots.

I'll go into more features on my next post.

Its so great to be part the Build Off!!

Thanks For Looking and the Support,
Steve

 

[The Renaissance Man]

That looks fun to ride!

 

[OddJob]

You really brought that baby to life with the paint and the stripes! REallly like the whitewalls / slick combo. And that seat is crazy.....it's like a fender and saddle all in one. Nice work Mpls! Looking forward to seeing it in person.

 

[G-Matt]

Nice man , old school slick & laid back ride . Came out very nice . May I say orange grips the black get lost with the bars just a thought .


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[OddJob]

Nice man , old school slick & laid back ride . Came out very nice . May I say orange grips the black get lost with the bars just a thought .


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Yeah, good point G. Or, even white grips would look cool.....

 

[MplsCoaster]

Thanks RM, it really is fun, again surprisingly . Its the first low seat that I can ride with being way back. My knees aren't too bent at the top of the crank stroke either. I guess there was a plan there, just not sure it would come together.

Yeah Guys, I was originally going to go with white grips and pedals but decided I wanted to keep a simpler look. Your both right that the grips get lost but I'm kinda okay with that.

For some reason, I always want to match the grips to the pedals so that orange pedals, at this point, is too late. Matching some of the brass hardware to the more metallic orange didn't look to bad but the wrong orange won't look too good.

Front shot (no photo funny stuff)

Last night weather report: Saturday-Sunny! This morning: cloudy with storms
Got to get sunny photos yet...

 

[MplsCoaster]

Got some details done and just a bit of cleaning left. NO Sun, Arghhh!

So I took this shot. I've wanted a tall sissy bar on my bike ever since I put one on my Wife's Eliminator. Now I do, Yeah! (the colors in this pic couldn't get much flatter )

Banana, Banana!!

We may go for a ride together later with these two bikes. I think people might get a kick out of it. We sure will.

Thanks for looking
Steve

 

[The Renaissance Man]

I really like the clean no clutter look of this bike! All of the black is perfect.

 

[OddJob]

Sun

Thanks RM, it really is fun, again surprisingly . Its the first low seat that I can ride with being way back. My knees aren't too bent at the top of the crank stroke either. I guess there was a plan there, just not sure it would come together.

Yeah Guys, I was originally going to go with white grips and pedals but decided I wanted to keep a simpler look. Your both right that the grips get lost but I'm kinda okay with that.

For some reason, I always want to match the grips to the pedals so that orange pedals, at this point, is too late. Matching some of the brass hardware to the more metallic orange didn't look to bad but the wrong orange won't look too good.

Front shot (no photo funny stuff)

Last night weather report: Saturday-Sunny! This morning: cloudy with storms
Got to get sunny photos yet...

Sun's out Steve! Hope you are finding some good photo ops!

 

[MplsCoaster]

I'm over in the finished section now, here is the link:
http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/in...ertonin-to-the-finish-line.99547/#post-998259

Sorry I didn't post more but when you computer goes flippy, so do the pics. Oh well.

 

[Chad T]

This turned out cool. Quite rakeish. Black + copper looks great together.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Glad you made it Mpls!

Luke.