Five-G Conspiracy - build thread.

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I have not done that yet. I’ll put it on tomorrow’s agenda, or maybe sneak out before bed. This afternoon was the Great Garlic Harvest of ‘23.
Ok, so I had to know…. Sure enough, about a 3-4mm difference at the seat tube. Will finesse it more, though it may be easier once the seat stays are on for the full rear triangle levearge.
 
I have not done that yet. I’ll put it on tomorrow’s agenda, or maybe sneak out before bed. This afternoon was the Great Garlic Harvest of ‘23.
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Applied some weight and leverage this morning and brought things into better alignment, equal measures on either side of the seat tube with the string method.

And this, perhaps less scientific method:
(the yellow line is a yardstick)
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Now onto seat stays, after which I’m sure there will be more adjustment needed. At least now starting from a good base.
 
It’s a lookin’ like a bike!
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Seatstays didn’t cause any misalignment.👍🏼

The blue trainer tire isn’t sticking around, and probably a dofferent wheel altogehter, but it was handy and has a disc. (Why do I have a disc brake training wheel you ask… I ask myself that question often!)

Checked for sanity against the drawing, and it’s within reasonable deviation.

Also had my wife do a standover check & it fits.
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Next to extend the steerer tube, add SS & CS braces, and the rack mounting.
 
Had a productive morning.😄

Started with reaming the seat tube:
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Then the head tube… didn’t think the length of the headtube would be a problem, but now I know the max. length the tool will do.

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Also traced the bottom bracket theads, but no pics. BB threads in by hand easily.
 
Been a few days for this one, but progress was made today.

Set the headset and put the proper tire on back to check the stance ( Steer tube is 2 spacers too long, but that’s better than being too short,) and marked for CS/SS braces.

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Then welded them up.

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Still debating if I need a middle tube. The original cycle trucks had one. Not sure if the headtube needs extra support, really. Won’t have more than a few bags of groceries up front, and I have ideas for mounting the basket. Oh! Decisions!
 
Maybe use a couple clamps, or tape (ala @kingfish254 ) and mock up a second tube to see how it looks. Right now the gap is pretty big....
 
Meanwhile…

The basket finnally arrived after sitting 9 days in the Philadelphia post office, from a Philadelphia seller, “waiting acceptance.”

Hey postmaster… It’s a wire basket in a cardboard box that weighs next to nothing!

Eh hmmm…

Not the sellers fault. Nor the postmaster, really. Just some weird thing that has put my progess on this build on standby. Good thing I have a Class 1 Build ;D

A standard Wald 137. Here’s the stance:
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Big enough for the essentials:
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And the Client (my wife) approves!

It’ll be fixed to the frame via method I’ve determined but don’t care to explain now. There will also be a rear rack, probably off the shelf, to add capacity and balance.
 
There is one other choice that may look best as it would mimic parallel to the ground, but with just a bit of tweak. Parallel to the chain stays with just a bit of "nose up" after they pass the headtube, which I think would be a good look. But it's your vision and you're on point so far...
 
I was thinking of something like this, to create sort of a 'tank space'....

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Actually, now that I look at this ^^, I like the line that the top of the lattice creates better.....makes for more of a 'tankish' look.....

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Just my thoughts. But like Carl says above, "....it's your vision, and you're on point so far."
 
Well, you know how visions tend to migrate in the build off! :bigsmile:

Going back to the original drawing... (and yes, if you look close you can see the snowflakes on the other side, wrapping paper has this nice 1" grid pattern on the non-decorated side as cutting guides. Work great for drawing full scale.) ... I intended a mid-tube parallel the ground.

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As we settled on a standard basket instead of a more industrial platform, I'm having second thoughts. I like the look of various options, and my wife has given me artistic license... which means I'm paralyzed by choices--that become all too permanent once the cutting and welding begin.

Today, I'm leaning toward a tank-look tube that flows into a platform/support system and maybe incorporate some wood into the base & tank area, with the basket on top. But that's a lot of extra work and time is a tickin'.

Time to go procrastinate this one by working on the Jetflow.;)
 
I had no idea Nova Cycles was going out of business. Dang, that's where I got many of my parts.

Cycletruck looking great.
Framebuilder Supply out of Portland, OR seems to have taken up the mantle and carry many of the same items. Also, the website is a little more modern, so easier to navigate. I've bought a few items from them and the customer service & shipping has been great.
 
Been a bit …
Have the basket set up.

Decided against a mid-tube because the center of the seat tube is 0.6mm wall and I don’t trust myself. All else is good, straight, and true amd I just don’t want to mess it up by burning through.

For the basket I used one of these brackets from Trek/Electra that is supposed to go on the steerer tube, just chopped it down and welded it.
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Then added some supports in the “forklift of death” configuration. Used the basket’s fork stay tabs to secure it there. If we decide to go with a different basket or some other configuration, we can.

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I think that gets me pretty close to painting, if it ever stops raining here.
 

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