I just joined the site not 30 minutes ago. I have been lurking and reading it for around a year. What got me going was finding a bike at a yard sale for $15. It was too cool looking to pass up, so I bought it and my brain was immediately consumed by the need to make a cool bike out of this diamond in the rough. I found out from the serial number that it is a 1970 Schwinn Corvette.
So, many hours of work and about $400 in parts later, I wound up with this:
In the mix is a hot rod shop doing the paint along with a little chain and seat stay frame bending to get the fatti-o tires to fit, and a silversmith's sandblaster to strip off the old paint. And that is my wife in the picture.
And here is my next project:
It is a Western Flyer, but I don't know what year. I do know that the skiptooth crank dates it to before 1960, but I'm just starting my research on that.
To any Atlanta/surrounding area members: if you would like to meet up one day and discuss all things bicycle, I'm game. Personally, I'd like to figure out how to get Newell recycling to let us grab frames before they destroy them. There is an army of old men in beat up pick up trucks driving around my part of town at 4am on recycling day, picking up every bike frame and taking it to be destroyed.
I have one more thing to throw down: I'd like to see a discussion topic on tools and workshops. I am currently thinking about buying an air compressor, but wondering if I should. I thought a miter saw with a metal cutting blade would be good for cutting tubing to make custom frames, but I am wondering if that is overkill. In short, I'd like to discuss tool/workspace decisions with some of the more experienced builders on this site. It would be invaluable to the newbies like me. What do you think?
So, many hours of work and about $400 in parts later, I wound up with this:
In the mix is a hot rod shop doing the paint along with a little chain and seat stay frame bending to get the fatti-o tires to fit, and a silversmith's sandblaster to strip off the old paint. And that is my wife in the picture.
And here is my next project:
It is a Western Flyer, but I don't know what year. I do know that the skiptooth crank dates it to before 1960, but I'm just starting my research on that.
To any Atlanta/surrounding area members: if you would like to meet up one day and discuss all things bicycle, I'm game. Personally, I'd like to figure out how to get Newell recycling to let us grab frames before they destroy them. There is an army of old men in beat up pick up trucks driving around my part of town at 4am on recycling day, picking up every bike frame and taking it to be destroyed.
I have one more thing to throw down: I'd like to see a discussion topic on tools and workshops. I am currently thinking about buying an air compressor, but wondering if I should. I thought a miter saw with a metal cutting blade would be good for cutting tubing to make custom frames, but I am wondering if that is overkill. In short, I'd like to discuss tool/workspace decisions with some of the more experienced builders on this site. It would be invaluable to the newbies like me. What do you think?
