Huffmaster

[Couch tater]

It's winter, I'm bored, gonna build something.

This one will be starting with a September, 1945, Huffman frame. It is the same frame that was built for the armed forces under government contract during WW2 except it is a civilian frame so it isn't worth big bucks. I've taken after it a couple times and it just never got where it was going because the bike didn't like it. Listen to the bike folks, it knows, it always knows.

My plan is to build a Frisco chopper style ride. Think Indian Larry, RIP. Powerful, minimal, built for speed, a getaway machine for whatever crime your committing at the moment.

A major donor and contributor to this project will be a 1959 Roadmaster wimmens bike. I bought it for the equivalent of forty trips to the dollar meal menu and it's time to do something with it (besides trip over it)
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Here is a first mock up. The steer tube and upper struts need to be shortened to fit correctly. And that AMF hoopla needs to vanish ten minutes ago.

OK, that has something going on. But, and there is always a but, how would it look with a set of deep V 29ers? I happened to have a set handy and so nobody needs to ask again, like this.

I'm going to hafta stew on that for a little while. Maybe, but probably not.

 

[Mr. Monkeyarms]

This is the kind of build I really enjoy. Grabbing a frame & a few parts with a general idea of a direction. Then let the imagination & "what if's" take you for a ride.

 

[Starnger]

Nice start!
If you want to get rid of some spare parts left over the build - let me know

 

[Couch tater]

The surest way to get rid of winter boredom is to start a build. A whole bunch of other stuff needing my undivided attention popped up just as soon as I got started on this build but I'm still plugging along on it. Firstly, I made a major investment in ratting tools. Thanks to my good friend EBay, I now have a 1" x 24 tpi die and a 55mm die wrench. Swapping forks around ain't gonna be nothing but a thing going forward. At the princely sum of $32 for the whole she-bang, my initial impression is it cuts threads much better than expected. I did have to knock down some casting flash on the wrench though, sharp pointy things. I'm a little OCD about chasing each and every thread on everything I build so this is the final piece of that not normal behavior puzzle.

For your viewing pleasure:

The fork is fitted to the frame, sanded, and in a light coat of primer now. I already replaced the acorn nuts and still need to replace the locknuts but pretty stuff can wait till later. I've started sanding the frame to bare metal. Sanding suuuuuucks. Broccoli suuuuuucks. But you can cover broccoli with chicken gravy and make it through a serving. Chicken gravy just makes sanding a big sloppy mess and don't ask me how I know.

Looks pretty much like the last picture of it only different:

So now I'm spending way to much time and energy trying to figure out what color(s) to paint it when the time comes. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can bog down one of my builds faster than painting choices.

 

[Couch tater]

Nice start!
If you want to get rid of some spare parts left over the build - let me know

I'm not using the fenders, chain guard, and rack but shipping to Poland could get expensive.

 

[Wildcat]

If it's just the shockmaster from the AMF you're using, then slap a cheap repop springer on the AMF and you have a $100 CL bike. Extra money for parts for the Huffy.

 

[Couch tater]

If it's just the shockmaster from the AMF you're using, then slap a cheap repop springer on the AMF and you have a $100 CL bike. Extra money for parts for the Huffy.

I'm using the wheels. It has a Komet Super out back, Front axle is bent but there are a bunch of axles in my stash. Definitely using the chain wheel and maybe the crank after measuring arm length. The seatpost is the type with a wedge & bolt so that will be sticking around.

Girls bikes are a hard sell around here. I've been watching a pretty decent 1947 Higgins 4 star with skirt guards at $100 for sale for over a month and it is still available. If I had more room,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Couch tater]

I keep getting tied up doing other things for other people and progress has been slowed on this build. I got a good deal of the sanding done, getting to the fiddly and tedious hand work in the tight spots now. De-spoked the wheels to clean everything up. I mocked it up on a spare set of 26" wheels so I could start getting some idea of which direction it wants to go in the build. The colors I'm leaning toward are a dark garnet red and black but that could change. I'm thinking a bobbed rear fender, no front fender, a long spring saddle I pieced together from spare parts, medium rise bars, and some speed holes.

 

[Starnger]

I keep getting tied up doing other things for other people and progress has been slowed on this build. I got a good deal of the sanding done, getting to the fiddly and tedious hand work in the tight spots now. De-spoked the wheels to clean everything up. I mocked it up on a spare set of 26" wheels so I could start getting some idea of which direction it wants to go in the build. The colors I'm leaning toward are a dark garnet red and black but that could change. I'm thinking a bobbed rear fender, no front fender, a long spring saddle I pieced together from spare parts, medium rise bars, and some speed holes.


View attachment 182875

Would look cool with some large front sprocket!

 

[Couch tater]

Would look cool with some large front sprocket!

I'm going as low buck on this one as I can and will be using the sprocket from the donor bike. Other than paint, I'll be using up some stash parts to get it together.

 

[JA331]

I keep getting tied up doing other things for other people and progress has been slowed on this build. I got a good deal of the sanding done, getting to the fiddly and tedious hand work in the tight spots now. De-spoked the wheels to clean everything up. I mocked it up on a spare set of 26" wheels so I could start getting some idea of which direction it wants to go in the build. The colors I'm leaning toward are a dark garnet red and black but that could change. I'm thinking a bobbed rear fender, no front fender, a long spring saddle I pieced together from spare parts, medium rise bars, and some speed holes.


View attachment 182875

Looking awesome. Cool frame with my favorite springer fork.