Jukadi

[us56456712]

Jukadi is a mis pronunciation of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan Finglish word Jukuri or Jokerri which means a homemade work vehicle made from an old truck or car. This mis pronunciation is sometimes done by non Finnish Yoopers. Other places call them doodlebugs. These were made during the depression from junk vehicles. It is pronounced you-ka-de, or you-ka-re with the emphasis on the first syllable with a slight pause between the you and the ka sounds as in Finnish rules of language. I have owned a ice cutting machine for cutting block ice from frozen lakes with a conveyer to lift it into a wagon. The ice cutter was made from a 1928 Star Car. I have also owned a sawmill with a 36 and 50 inch blade powered by the front half of a 1928 Buick straight 8 car. I also owned a firewood buzz saw powered by a Model T. You drove the stripped down Model T to the woods, jacked up the buzz saw side of the rear axle, swung a friction pulley down that attached a cradle to hold the log onto the elevated rear tire and the buzz saw spun like mad. You shoved the log over and lifted the cradle and the log was cut by the spinning buzz saw. My pride and joy was a log skidder for the saw mill made from a 1930 Model AA truck. I have pictures of this stuff from the 60s but I can't find them right now. The buzz saw was the worlds most dangerous machine and the saw mill was the worlds second most dangerous machine, at least that is what my mechanical engineering buddy said. I have also seen a well driller made from old Ford truck, a gravel sorter made from a old Chevy sedan and many others. The mechanical engineers wife calls my bikes Jukadi bikes, which gave me the idea of building one using these homemade work machines as an inspiration. The idea is to take junk and repurpose it or convert it into a useful whole machine for as little money as possible, which is what a Ratrod bike is.

Frame that I will cut apart and modify. Right now it is Gender Bender made from a Kresge's All Pro woman's 3 speed.

Two partial Bendix 2 speed manual coaster hubs that I will try and make into one?

 

[Funkme]

Welcome to the build off.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Cool story and great theme!
I have my air compressor running off an early '70's Toyota motor, so this is my kind of thing...

Luke.

 

[OddJob]

Ya du! Love the U.P. Spent many summers canoeing the waters, hiking the Porkies, and winters skiing slopes. Your build sounds cool! Looking forward to the "Finn-ished" product....

 

[us56456712]

Started with one of these:

+ Huffy road bike top tube bent in a fire, + Mongoose mountain bike seat post stays also bent in fire = this:

Then cut off the rear triangle and added the new rear triangle from one of these:

New rear triangle:

Old gender bender All Pro front half and Huffy rear half held together with a pipe gusset, no welding yet:


Next up for the frame is for me to build a jig so it can be welded.
Seat possibility, not sure on this one as it looks 7th grade; old pan seat, sleeping pad and Goodwill thrift store leather scrap: art work by me. The egg monster is not happy, not only is he sat on and cracked but he is also suffering from overripe aromas.


Front wheel made from a cheap old mountain bike alloy front rim and a Bendix Red Band. Used spokes. Thinking about using this on the front, or rear if I can't make the two Bendix 2 speeds into one that works.

I will slack off for now, gota get some time to build the jig.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Busy, busy, busy! You are leaving us all for dead!

Luke.

 

[us56456712]

Busy, busy, busy! You are leaving us all for dead!

Luke.

I'm retired. Really not that much work

 

[The Renaissance Man]

I like the story! Should be interesting to see where it goes.

 

[us56456712]

OK, I thought I would play with my Bendix 2 speed manual shift hub and build a wheel. It's gota be built as much as possible with crude tools and junk, just like the Finns built their jukadis. I measured the hub and measured an old cheap mountain bike alloy rim and figured I could use the spokes from a low flange 26 inch steel rimed wheel I had in my parts bin and use the large flange Bendix hub with a 4 cross instead of the 3 cross on my steel rim. Well, it was close, I needed 268 mm spokes and the closest used ones I had were 265. I built it the first time and only got the drive side spoked; the spokes were too short to build the non drive side. I took another wheel apart and used vice grips to get the rusted spokes off with sparks flying with the rust welds gave way. I took all the spokes and used the longest ones. It appears on cheap bikes they aren't too particular about getting the spokes all the same length. There were a wide variety of lengths. I built it again with 14 mm nipples instead of 12 mm. I got the drive side done and half the non drive side but the spokes were too short for the last course on the non drive side. Phooey I cried loudly. I will have to buy spokes as I doubt I can find any free ones that will fit either 3 or 4 cross. The important thing to me is I tried to make do as the old Finns did during the depression.
Parts bin:

Mountain bike alloy wheel rim donor:

One of 2 steel rim spoke donors:

Spokes and throw away hub and rim:

Ist attempt but the spokes were too short to finish the drive side.

Only 9 spokes to go but I couldn't cram them in, back to the jukadi drawing board:

 

[kingfish254]

Good luck with your Yooper Rat.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

So close but so far with those spokes!

Luke.

 

[us56456712]

I didn't give up on using junk to build this wheel. Today I calculated the length of spoke necessary for a 3 cross and went and measured the spokes on my three 24 inch wheels. They were too short. Boy I am having trouble building this wheel in the jukadi tradition.

 

[us56456712]

Got it spoked. I used 265 MM spokes and 14 mm nipples. I took apart another wheel that had better spokes all the same length and I had a few 12 mm nipples on the last try. Whew, wheel all made from spare junk in the jukadi tradition.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Got it spoked. I used 265 MM spokes and 14 mm nipples. I took apart another wheel that had better spokes all the same length and I had a few 12 mm nipples on the last try. Whew, wheel all made from spare junk in the jukadi tradition.

Success!

Luke.

 

[us56456712]

I would like to build a ratty tank for this project. The problem is a tank serves no purpose, just decoration which is contrary to the jukadi ethos. Jukadi builders stripped everything that was not necessary, unless it didn't get in the way of what they were building it for. They would leave the grill shell and sometimes the bumpers but to build an obviously homemade tank would be against the tradition. I have been racking my brain trying to figure out a use for a tank on a klunker single track type build. My Model AA log skidder had a power take off connected to a lifting crane with the hood and all the body removed from the dash back. The frame was cut in half, shortened and held together with bolts and fish plates. It had very large tires with chains, very simple. Any ideas for a practical use for a tank?

 

[Dan Hampton]

Make the tank a tool box or some other kind of storage. Nice fab work too.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

Tool box works, so would a headlight housing...
Cool theme.

Carl.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Battery holder...

Luke.

 

[brett4christ]

Hooch stash!

 

[us56456712]

Hooch stash!

Best idea yet, light and potent, not top heavy to mess up the cornering. False courage for the big downhill.