Firewing 1953 Columbia 3 Star DeLuxe (2nd) - 3/15 TRADED

[Missing Link]

Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/31 1948 Chrysler Tail Light

Love the light, are you going for the heaviest bike in build off history? I think you may have succeeded.

 

[kingfish254]

Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/31 1948 Chrysler Tail Light

Love the light, are you going for the heaviest bike in build off history? I think you may have succeeded.

Not at all. The seat braces are only 1/16" steel, the skirt guards are light, the headlight is typical Columbia, nanner isn't much more that a regular seat, bars aren't much more, fenders and chainguard are stock. The tailight is a little heavy, but not bad.

This is a RAT build, not a LYCRA build!!!!! :mrgreen:

 

[kingfish254]

Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/31 1948 Chrysler Tail Light

That light is cool in and of itself but way cool as a tailight on a bike 8) ....I love the subtle use of re-purposed old car parts on bikes.

I love old car parts on bikes too. Last year, I used a 55 Chevy hoodie morphed with a 53 Ford hoodie, and a 50's police spotlight

 

[dragnusa]

Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/31 1948 Chrysler Tail Light

I kept trying to remember what the light went to, I know Id seen them before. I was guessing it was a 49 but couldnt remember to what

 

[kingfish254]

Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/31 1948 Chrysler Tail Light

Sweeeet light !!!!!
Just wondering how much more can you fit on your bike,will there be room for you to sit and peddle :?: :lol:

You know me. I don't do anything half way.

 

[kingfish254]

Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/31 1948 Chrysler Tail Light

King, the light is a sweet choice. I love it, It brings back fond memories of my 1948 New Yorker convertible.

You mean to say that you had something like this? That is a wicked car!!!

 

[kingfish254]

Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/31 1948 Chrysler Tail Light

keep this up and your gonna place real high again!! love the light

Troy

Thanks man.
Still too early to speculate with 9 weeks to go and so many wicked builds.

 

[MazdaFlyer]

Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/31 1948 Chrysler Tail Light

Looks like this is from a 1948 Chrysler

Wow! My first car was a 49 Plymouth that looked almost identical to this, except mine was gray, white walls, black rims with baby moons. Cost me 49 dollars made from mowing lawns. Wish I still had it...neat taillight by the way.

 

[kingfish254]

Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/31 1948 Chrysler Tail Light

Cool story. I bet it was a cool car too.

I cut some of the longer side of the light off and mocked it where it matched the curve of the fender. I don't like it here. It's just too bulky.






What I plan to do is cust it down more and mount it lower on the fender like this.

 

[kingfish254]

Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-6/1 Clear Hoops

I started to work on the tail light,
but before I can do that I need to work on straightening the lower rear of the fender,
but before I can do that I need to have the wheels/tires that I am going to run on this baby,
but before I can do that I need to lace up the wheels,
but before I can do that I needed to clean and clear coat the rims.

So, I wire wheeled the tire side of the hoops and then clear coated the tire and spoke side. I stared with gloss clear because I have a ton of it from yard sales. I kinda knew that the gloss wouldn't look right with this patina, but I used it as the first coat, then went to HD and bought a couple of cans of clear matte finish.

 

[kingfish254]

Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-6/1 Clear Hoops

Worked on a few more odd jobs on this one.
Painted the Nexus hub (no pics)
Paint the New Departure coaster lettters


Sanded down the front light and painted it. I still need to age it some.


Worked on the Delta handlebar horn and got it working great. I am not using it for this build but wanted to try the tips that were posted recently.
Started working on the delta tank horn that was with my Columbia tank. Definitely some contact issues that I have to work through.
I can get spark through the coil, so I just have to work through each connection. Started by sanding some of the contacts and soaked it in battery cleaner.
Here are some inside photos of the horn guts.

 

[SCHWINNRAY69]

Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-6/1 Clear Hoops

Coming together very nicely!

 

[rat-a-tac]

Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-6/1 Clear Hoops

throw that light in with those Koi. I hear koi are a natural rusting agent.

 

[Funkme]

Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-6/1 Clear Hoops

I'm sure his wife would make him some cement flippers, if he did that...

 

[Jake Sensi]

Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-6/1 Clear Hoops

I'm sure his wife would make him some cement flippers, if he did that...

She sure would. Hey B!! Looking great man. I see Egghead Jr. is back at it again. Haha Do it!! Peace

 

[kingfish254]

Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-6/1 Clear Hoops

Coming together very nicely!

Thanks
S L O W L Y
Geting there.

 

[kingfish254]

Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-6/1 Clear Hoops

I'm sure his wife would make him some cement flippers, if he did that...

She sure would. Hey B!! Looking great man. I see Egghead Jr. is back at it again. Haha Do it!! Peace

I say, I say, boy, that thing ain't evah gonna fly!

 

[kingfish254]

Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-6/1 Clear Hoops

throw that light in with those Koi. I hear koi are a natural rusting agent.

Maybe I'll try that with the rear fender.

I'm sure his wife would make him some cement flippers, if he did that...

You are soooooo right!! QueenFish hates it whenever she looks out in HER courtyard and sees anything bike related.

 

[kingfish254]

Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-6/3 Tank Horn + Wheel Lacing

I documented some exploded views of the Columbia Delta Tank Horn in the How To section.
:arrow: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=73159&p=712131#p712131

Got the switch working with a little soldering, but couldn't quite get the horn to make the right sound

So, I took the horn out of one of my Royce horns and it worked like a champ!!

 

[kingfish254]

Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-6/3 Tank Horn + Wheel Lacing

Now that the hub and rims are dry, I decided to try my luck at lacing up the wheel.

I used this spoke calculator
:arrow: http://www.rockx.eu/cfw/index.htm

Turns out I needed 260mm spokes and I happened to have a whole box of DT Swiss spokes from the bike store buyout.

I then found this easy video on my cell phone and stepped through the steps for a 3 cross pattern. It was perfect, no accents, good visuals, and good subtitle instructions. In one hour, I was able to lace my first wheel since my Screamer 2 when I was about 14 years old.
:arrow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwAoZ-ST0Bc




I love the look of the old crusty nipples that I am re-using. I plan to paint the spokes primer red, so this was just a practice run to make sure that I had the right spoke length and that I could do it.



Tightened all of the spokes down to where the tip is flush with the back of the nipple. Still not quite as much tension as I feel they need, but pretty close. I am going to cut the spokes just a bit and add a few more threads with my spoke threader. The wheel is very round and fairly close to true too, so it shouldn't be bad to do this again with the shortened and painted spokes.
When I painted the hub, I first laid down a couple of coats of primer red, then laid a light coat of flat black. Once I de-lace the wheel, I plan to sand a bit here and there to fauxtina it a little.