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

shop deals on amazon
BOXKARS
Bike Wall
Advertise with us
Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum

Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/13 Elgin Skirt Guards

Machine Age Victim said:
I really like that the top of the skirt guards line up with the back of the seat!
Click to expand...

Yeah, that will make it easier to hide the seat support behind the skirt guard.
 
Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/13 Elgin Skirt Guards

Machine Age Victim said:
I really like that the top of the skirt guards line up with the back of the seat!
Click to expand...

This is the only thing that makes me really like the skirt guards. Its all about those LINES baby!
 
Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/15 3 speed

Thanks guys.
I still need to figure out how to fabricate the curved seat support.

I have been busy lately getting our upper carriage house (above the shop) prepped for a new tenant. So not much work on FireWing

I decided that I want a 3 speed on FireWIng and was almost prepared to de-hub one of the new Electra clearance wheels that I have. Then while I was over at my bike stash, I looked around and remembered that I had a Nexus 3 hub on this tandem. Off she came, along with a giant length of shifter cable and shifter.

tandem.jpg


I am going to pull this hub and re-lace it to the old orignal Columbia rims.


I'll use the Project 356 shifter with a big 8 ball
IMG_2202_zps6e8a803a.jpg
 
Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/11 LeatherBars+Seat+Crazy 8s

kingfish254 said:
Long day at the office, but I couldn't help trying the Elgin skirt guards on that came in the mail today.

Click to expand...

This looks GREAT!.. Just crusty up the rear fender and call it DONE! :mrgreen:
 
Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/15 3 speed

Glad you like it Skipton. I am having fun with this build.
I am sorta dreading and excited about lacing the wheels myself.
Not much free time for a week or more, so it's slow going for now.
 
Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/15 3 speed

kingfish254 said:
Glad you like it Skipton. I am having fun with this build.
I am sorta dreading and excited about lacing the wheels myself.
Not much free time for a week or more, so it's slow going for now.
Click to expand...

Lookin sweet... I never built a wheel before,but I brought all these coaster hubs...
So I de-laced and re-laced a old mountian bike rim for practice...
Seem to come out fine,just that the spokes wer a lil long...
But now I dang bout me a spoke threader :wink:
have to make do with whats around here...
 
Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/15 3 speed

Love the look so far, King.

I think a lot of folks dread lacing wheels, and most stay away from it as a result. But when you do it (as I doubt you'd hold back) you'll see that it's a lot of fuss about nothing. It can be tedious, but not complicated. Just find a good source of reference material. I used what Sheldon Brown posted:

http://sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html
 
Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/15 3 speed

I have everything that I need for the wheel. When I bought out some tools and parts from a closing bike shop, I ended up with spokes, spoke threader, truing stand, nipples, etc.
I don't think that chrome/stainless spokes are right for this build and I don't have many black spokes. Once I calculate the correct length. I'll probably paint some spokes with red primer.

As a kid, I re-laced a new back rim on my Screamer 2. If I could do it then. I should be able to do it now.
 
Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/15 3 speed

dragnusa said:
Love those tandem frames. I want to turn one of them into a stretch cruiser
Click to expand...

One of my early ideas for BO7 was a stretch board track racer using a water ski
tandem2-Copyb.jpg
 
Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/15 3 speed

That's why I built Flexy instead!
 
Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/16 Wheel Work

Worked on the wheels tonight.
Broke down the Nexus speed wheel and cleaned up the hub. I'll end up painting it with some fauxtina before I lace it.



Then I disassembled the old rear wheel.


First I removed the New Departure coaster arm. I can't replace the Nexus are, but I am going to skin it with the ND arm.



I love the patina and length on these nipples and was able to save 32 of them from the rear wheel (not so lucky on the front).


One rim ready. I am going to clean up the tire side fo the rim and just clear coat the spoke side to capture this paint and patina. I love these things!!


On to the front wheel.


I may use this hub if the guts are okay. I could only save 10 of the nipples from the front.


Two rims ready.
 
Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/15 3 speed

kingfish254 said:
dragnusa said:
Love those tandem frames. I want to turn one of them into a stretch cruiser
Click to expand...

One of my early ideas for BO7 was a stretch board track racer using a water ski
tandem2-Copyb.jpg
Click to expand...
I think it would be an interesting stretch if you cut the tubes in the middle down to the top tube and mounted a recumbent seat right above the rear crank
 
Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/18 GIJoe WHERE'S JAKE?? GTB!!!

In an effort to see if Jake Sensei is hiding out there in GTB Ninja Mode, I brought in GI Joe to help.

 
Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/18 GIJoe WHERE'S JAKE?? GTB!!!

I have some ideas on how I want to make the rear seat support for my nanner seat.
My dad had the big steel shelving that I plan to cut up.




First I need to do some better fitting of the chainguard, fender, and Elgin Skirt guards where they need to be.

To use the skirt guards, I needed to move the chainguard to the outside fo the seatstay, so I made some notches and flattened the rear mounting tab.


Then I positioned the skirt guard and drilled mounting holes.


After I bolted the skirt guard to the chain guard, I started mocking with big art paper my ideas on the rear seat support. Somehow I didn't take any photos of this, but I have a good plan that I hope to start cutting out tomorrow.

As I stared and stared at the bike, I kept trying to think how to make the nanner work. I needed to have the nanner higher up off the top tube to make any suspension work. This wasn't so bad, but it broke up the lines a little. I happened to look up at a hairpin saddle and it's big front spring, and a lightbulb went off. I quickly pullted the front spring from a Felt saddle guts that I had and put it under the nanner's nose. I love how this helps with the frame flow.


I had the one idea to use the rear springs from the Malaysian seat, but those just weren't doing it for me. Then I saw the undercarriage of an old Persons saddle that I had laying in the floor. This frame is going to work great with the bracket I have planned. Just need to do some cutting tomorrow. I love the patina on the galvanized springs too. Much better than chrome for this build.






I also love my New Departure Nexus 3 Speed
 
Re: FireWing 53 Columbia 3 Star-5/18 GIJoe WHERE'S JAKE?? GTB!!!

Lookin' good Man 8) This could be your coolest build off bike yet :wink:
 

Latest posts

Back
Top