headlight bracket

[EGB]

after reading some posts I was inspired to make a headlight from an old tractor light, surprisingly it came out great! First time trying to solder, cant believe it works... So now the question is how do I attach this to the bike? There is a large bolt on the bottom of the light, is there an existing bracket I could use or modify to mount this light slightly above the fender?

 

[Duchess]

With no bolt hole in the center of the fork crown, what I'd probably do (before getting halfway through and coming up with a better idea) is build a bracket that is secured under the top stem nut something like the brake housing stops sometimes found with cantilever brakes. I would have the bracket come down the head tube and bend out towards the front to make a platform for the bolt. Since that's a heavy light, I would also make a second support bracket that the headlight would also bolt onto and that would stretch back into a kind of a V shape with the legs of the V sticking into the holes in the fork crown to the inside of the fork tubes.

 

[RustySprockets]

My preferred style of bracket is the stem mount that Duchess has described. This affixes to the bike as part of the headset stack (where the steering occurs). When installed as intended, the lamp placement would be right around the center of the handlebars. However, it is possible to suspend the lamp, inverted, from the same mount to place it near where the badge now sits.

Either way, some fabri-cobbling may be involved to achieve the exact look you're after.

 

[EGB]

My preferred style of bracket is the stem mount that Duchess has described. This affixes to the bike as part of the headset stack (where the steering occurs). When installed as intended, the lamp placement would be right around the center of the handlebars. However, it is possible to suspend the lamp, inverted, from the same mount to place it near where the badge now sits.

View attachment 86609

Either way, some fabri-cobbling may be involved to achieve the exact look you're after.

Where do I find a simple bracket like that? Something like that would be a good place to start!

 

[RustySprockets]

Where do I find a simple bracket like that? Something like that would be a good place to start!

Husky sells a set of reflectors that employ such a bracket. Those parts are getting harder and harder to find as manufacturers race away from traditional 1" quill headsets. Personally, I'd check out a used bike co-op, if you're lucky enough to live near one.

http://www.huskybicycles.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=hb&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=257-112

As an alternative, you could try a cable anchor bracket for center-pull brakes. That style of bracket does not project quite as far ahead of the frame's tubing--clearance for such a large lamp would be an issue, but it's a starting point. (They mount the same as above.)

 

[Phil Fink]

Another option might involve adding truss rods.
A strong piece of bar, with bent 'ears' at each end could be fastened via loop clamps to the rods; two attachment points, (with right-left athwart-bike fastener holes in order to pivot the up-down angle of the light). If the bar is strong enough, for its short length, with a hole in its middle, it might not allow the heavy light to bounce so much. Instead of bar, one might use angle for even more strength, but that complicates fabrication. 3 fasteners, including the stud on the light, but not including the truss-rod set-up, plus 3 hardware items (bracket and loop clamps).

 

[clamdigger]

Here are some examples of handlebar extenders that you might be able to work with. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Profession...573161&hash=item1cbb187b73:g:bK8AAOSwRE5aZfIg

 

[us56456712]

Have a bracket welded on to the fork crown. One of my 1940s bikes came with a bracket like this. I once made one like this for a light similar to yours. It needs to be beefy as the light is heavy and bouncing bends the mount. I welded side plates on to reinforce it.

 

[AndyA]

EGM:
It looks like the fork crown on that bike has room to drill a hole for attaching a bracket. I have drilled holes like that to attach caliper brakes. Have fun with the project.