Elgin Rat.

[Aluyasha]

About a week or so ago I got a bike off of a guy who posted it on CL. He said it was a Schwinn based soley on the handlegrips. I offered him $75 for it, at first he wanted to get more money for it but after a day called me back and let me take it.
It was missing it's seat, was hand painted with stick on pinstriping. Obvisously not original handlegrips. But was a skiptooth and looked Elgin, so I brought it home.
Got a Troxel seat for it, put on a headlamp and rear reflector, stripped off the paint and let it be bare metal, gave it a rack, new treads, and cleaned the bearings and all that.

Here is a before picture of when I brought it home:

Here it is today:

Next on my list to add to it is a headbadge, older pedals, and a hopefully a tank.

 

[Aluyasha]

Just finished the homemade wooden tank for the Elgin. It is a little scraggly looking but I used a 20 year old saw and this is my first time making one so I still think it came out pretty good. lol
I also ordered a headbadge so hopefully that will get to me soon and I can put it on.
Here it is:

 

[B607]

Your rack is sloped backwards because it's a rack for a 16" frame. Your frame is 18". (measured from crank center to top of seat tube.) I have a bike with a 16" frame and could sure use that rack if you want to part with it. Here's a pic of my bike with a rack for an 18" frame. You can see how my rack slopes the opposite way as yours. PM me if you want to sell it. Gary

 

[aka_locojoe]

Looks good. nice work on the tank.

 

[Mister R]

Wait a minute, I thought most bikes posted on craigslist were Schwinns? You mean they're not? I was looking forward to getting one o them Schwinn Mongooses. It'll have breaks and peddles and everything.

 

[Pappy]

Aluyasha...if you don't mind a little constructive criticism,I'd lose the rear rack. It detracts from the koolness of your bike instead of adding to it,in my humble opinion. I like the tank idea alot though. Bear in mind that this is just my opinion and you do with your bike whatever you want as I really do like the direction you are going with it...P 8)

 

[Aluyasha]

Thank you everyone for the feedback. This is my first try at a rat bike, I welcome the opinions.
After I get the headbadge I was then going to replace the pedals with maybe some vintage looking teardrop pedals. Other than that I am out of ideas to do to it for now.
If I do remove the rack is there something that would look better that I could put in it's place?

 

[Pappy]

You seem to be getting pretty good with that 20 year old saw...why not try making your own rear rack using the same wood you used to make your tank...hmmmm...like maybe a surfboard or something like that...food for thought...P 8)

 

[Aluyasha]

Ok, so I think I want to lightly theme the bike. I have dice valve caps on it so I thought I would go with a kind of casino theme.
Anyways my idea is to somehow laminate playing cards onto the wooden tank. How would I go about this? Is there some kind of clear coat I can use or something?

 

[ozzmonaut]

Ok, so I think I want to lightly theme the bike. I have dice valve caps on it so I thought I would go with a kind of casino theme.
Anyways my idea is to somehow laminate playing cards onto the wooden tank. How would I go about this? Is there some kind of clear coat I can use or something?

Modge Podge

 

[Aluyasha]

Thanks!

 

[Aluyasha]

So I just finished reattaching the tank after I Mod Podged the playing cards onto it.
Here are some pictures, one side of the tank has a royal flush and the other side of the tank has a straight. I also added the four suits and a joker on each side.

 

[Henry morgan]

ha like what you did with the cards. I blacked out the frame on my B52 bike. and put cars on sheet metal and called it black jack
but cards messed up when I clear coated it... I ended up have the sheet metal painted by a friend... so now more black jack
but I like yours.. its cool

 

[Black Crown Tattoo]

skuff thos tank mounts up and soak em in water then throw em outside!age them suckers! and loosing the rack would make that bike 400x cooler! awsome bike for 75 bucks!

 

[Aluyasha]

Just wanted to post a photo of what the bike looks like as of tonight. I took off the rack and homemade tank, put on a little tool case and flipped the handlebars.
What do you all think?

 

[Black Crown Tattoo]

Personally I think the bike is awsome! Not in love with tool pouch! But over all looks way cool now! Sometimes less is more!!

 

[Black Crown Tattoo]

What did you use to strip it?

 

[Aluyasha]

What did you use to strip it?

I used a spray called Citristrip, I had to get something safe indoors as I live in an apartment with no room outside. lol
I do not know how well it would work on real bicycle paint, when I bought the bike someone had already stripped it and put housepaint on it. Stripped off the housepaint great though.

 

[Black Crown Tattoo]

Thanks man!