I found this dumped in my yard.

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us56456712

us56456712

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I had this Schwinn tandem frame placed in my side yard by another collector who didn't want it as he likes complete original bikes. My daughter is getting married in a year and wants a tandem to ride after the ceremony. I asked a friend if I could borrow his and word got out and viola: free frame. I am trying to get the head set off to build up a tandem. I have all the stuff I need in my junk. The head set moves a few turns every day. I soaked it in phosphoric acid for a few days and then started PB Blaster, torch and plumbers pliers and repeat. Right now it is soaking with acetone and light vegetable oil, then tomorrow more torch and twist.
 
deorman said:
The Blaster is good stuff. I use a pipe wrench. :grin:
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It's rusted on so tight that the pipe wrench just slips, which amazed me as this usually works. I have two different ones and they both slip. The giant plumbers pliers can give me about a quarter turn if I use all my strength and then rest. I have been getting about two turns a day. I might have to put all my bikes and other treasures in the yard so I have enough room in my shop to put the headset in my big vice and use my giant pry bar to work on it. I might just cut it off as I have several heavy duty Schwinn forks. I hate to cut it off though, patients might get it yet. I think this frame was dismantled a long time ago as even the cups are gone from the bottom brackets. I think it was outside for sometime as the bottom of the rear triangle is rusty, like it was sitting in the damp. Perhaps a previous owner couldn't get the fork off and it got passed around. I just dismantled everything (except the spokes) from a 57 Schwinn American girls bike that will be my daughters birthday present and the stem and fork race were stuck. I was amazed that the pedals and seat tube came right off. The previous owner had re greased everything he could get apart so it was pretty easy. He must not have been able to get the stem out because after I got it out with a torch the stem bolt was bent in an S shape. The fender and chain guard bolts needed heat. It had so many coats of paint on it that I didn't know it was an American until I started sanding. The give away would have been the Bendix manual 2 speed but that must have failed as the rear rim is now an early painted non Schwinn rim. I am replacing the wheels, stem, head set, chainring, crank, pedals, bars and fenders. The seat is nice but an early Messinger replacement, but in the correct blue and white color. It does not have the S on the seat top. I am fussing with both of these Schwinns so my two mens cruisers and my Klunker project are collecting dust. I have gotten a lot of other bike projects done though this summer, stuff that has been hanging on the wall for 6 months to a year, stuff like replacing a bent fork. I have not been riding as much as I usually do, too many projects taking up my time.
 
model-a said:
I wish someone would drop on of those in my yard all I get dropped in my yard is poop from the neighbors dog lol.

model-a, Chris
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I have 2 dogs but I built a 30 foot by 100 foot fenced dog run play yard for them. My neighbor on the right has two dogs and my left neighbor has one. I got holes dug and poop. I started throwing it back with a shovel. They now tie the right two dogs up and got the yard guard electric fence for the left one. When they asked my why there was poop on their grill and on their roof I told them that it must be one of these cosmic mysteries. They must think I am a little crazy with all the bikes in they yard, sheds and garage and figure it's easier to just fix the problem than deal with the crazy old guy neighbor. I once told noisy hardy party tent camping neighbors that woke me up after the bars closed in South Dakota to shut up. I am small so I figured it would either work or get worse so what did I have to loose. My first thought was to fly out of the tent naked with a big cowboy hat I had just bought, but as much as this idea appealed to me the 20 something girls would probably want the guys to call the cops and I would get jail for indecent exposure. I modified the plan and put on cowboy boots, black underwear shorts, and the big cowboy hat. I figured the tall hat would make me look bigger. They had a massive fire going with 6 foot flames which reflected off my ivory white body. I kept moving around in a agitated manner so they couldn't focus on how small I was and the fire reflection added to the effect, it was beautiful. I told them in a quiet polite but agitated fashion to can it as I had a sleep disturbance and just got released after years of prison for killing someone that woke me up but I don't remember it, I just can't help myself. I was amazed, thy shut right up, it actually worked. Their drunk eyes were as big a plates. They next day I took my time packing up, having breakfast, hiking, etc but no one emerged from the tent when I left at noon. They must have been ready to have pee explosions. I think they really believed me. What are the chances of this tacit ever working again? I don't recommend it.
 
It's amazing that people like us see "Great Projects" in rust while others simply see rust. I have two bicycles that started off as piles of parts...rusted and tattered. Brought them home for 30 bucks. My friends rolled their eyes. This past weekend we rode them around in a car show; my daughter was stopped several times to be photographed and I received a few offers to buy mine. My daughter loves her Roadmaster and wouldn’t trade it for any brand new bike. I've done several restorations and when I find them usually they are a mess (and cheap), I look right past the rust and say "nice project."
You said this tandem may have been passed around a bit prior to you receiving it... I say it was being guided to you thru several people so that you could save it. Now there will be tons of people who get to see it and ride it...very cool.
 
I got the steering race apart. I had to clean the junk and bikes from my shop so I had room to put it in the bench vice and use my pry bar. It howled and got hot but it came apart the rest of the way. With the fork removed the whole frame fits in my Jed Sled phosphoric acid bath. I'll try and show some of the build when I get around to it.


 
Any plans for replacing that bent fork?
 
I hate using pipe wrenches, they always slip on me. For the top nut I use an adjustable crescent wrench and the bearing retainer gets the Vise-Grips. I just had a war with a Monark and I propped the frame up and shot WD-40 down the threads every day as I walked by the garage. When that didn't work, I used a little heat from a propane torch.

I worked the nut back and forth a little to knock the rust out and I patiently worked it up and off the fork. I had to do the same with with the retainer.

HEAT IS YOUR BEST FRIEND for removing stuck hardware.
 
Yeah, sometimes making it glow is the only thing that will work. Where a sized wrench will fit, (like the top nut), that's what I use. Kroil and PB Blaster are far superior to WD-40 for separating rusted steel parts.
 
rickpaulos said:
Any plans for replacing that bent fork?
Click to expand...
I don't think it's bent, it's backwards in one of the photos and looks bent. I have other Schwinn forks if I need to replace it. Riding will tell me if it's bent, but by eyeballing it I think it's straight. Sometimes I can't even tell their bent when I put them on a flat table. They look OK but then pull to one side when riding.
 

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