(ORBO) Klunkerbolt -DONE!-

[Roadie64]

Ha... I like it. No words just lets the mind wonder, "What's this guy up to?" could be a buck to stretch the leather on... could be a wooden seat... or what else could it be? Hmm.

Sent this one from my laptop, but sometimes I post from my cellphone via Tapatalk. I changed the signature line to, Sent from my banana phone... hope it makes you smile.

Carl.

It did make me smile... and yes, a "buck" for the leather, I lost conn half way through the upload. I managed to get one more pic uploaded.

 

[Roadie64]

I'm not happy with the way my seat turned out.... I'm freakin stoaked!! We'll see how it holds up through time.

 

[G-Matt]

Nice job dude


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[LukeTheJoker]

Looks awesome!

Luke.

 

[GuitarlCarl]

I wouldn't have thought of the wooden buck.
So, after securing the leather to the buck,
what did you do to the seat to make it "remember" the shape?
Steam? Hot water soak? Inquiring minds want to know...

Carl.

 

[Roadie64]

I wouldn't have thought of the wooden buck.
So, after securing the leather to the buck,
what did you do to the seat to make it "remember" the shape?
Steam? Hot water soak? Inquiring minds want to know...

Carl.

Brooks saddles appear to use 20oz leather(which basically means one square foot of leather weighs 20 ounces) on their saddles, it's almost 1/4" thick. I had a half hide of 20oz tooling leather(it's stiff, "raw", vegetable tanned leather) that I removed my seat from the shoulder area(which is the strongest least "stretchy" area of the hide). I soaked the leather for about 10 min in warm water and then started by anchoring the back of the seat to the block, then cut out pieces of material and using vice grips I started pulling, stretching and anchoring the leather to the block. It takes some time and patience(I've got 6 hours labor in the seat). I then let it dry for 24 hours on the block, removed the nails and had my molded form. Then it's just cutting the excess leather off to the desired finished shape. I punched the holes for the rivets and three holes in the center(like Brooks) and dyed it. I used #10 stainless button head screws with nylon lock nuts(because I didn't have, or want to purchase, the heavy duty, solid rivets) to anchor the seat to the frame. I still have to "condition" the whole seat with mink oil and finally apply a satin shene leather finish to the top of the seat for water proofing. I had to buy the screws(under 2$) and shene(9$), the rest of the stuff I had on hand.

OH!!! My new/used wheelset came in yesterday, it's better than I could of ever hoped for... I load some pics later.

 

[OddJob]

Really cool! Great job on the saddle. Gotta give that a try....maybe BO-11....

 

[Lil' rat rod]

Awesome job on the saddle! I started messing with leather myself last year and have been toying with the idea of messing around to see what I could come up with for some saddles.

 

[us56456712]

It did make me smile... and yes, a "buck" for the leather, I lost conn half way through the upload. I managed to get one more pic uploaded.

I did a very similar thing but instead of a buck I made a plaster mold and squeezed the wet leather into it with clamps. I didn't dye the leather, I wax hardened it. You put the formed saddle leather in the oven at 250 degrees and then pour molten paraffin onto both sides of the leather, then wipe it off while still hot with a rag. It turns out very hard and waterproof.
http://ratrodbikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/homemade-long-spring-saddle-for-under-15.95580/

 

[metalchewy]

Outstanding work on the seat. When you break it in, it looks like it will be a comfortable ride. Seems a few of us skinned on the buildoff [emoji106] [emoji106]

Building... riding...

 

[Roadie64]

Really cool! Great job on the saddle. Gotta give that a try....maybe BO-11....

Thanks, OJ!

Awesome job on the saddle! I started messing with leather myself last year and have been toying with the idea of messing around to see what I could come up with for some saddles.

Thanks LRR! Leather is fun to work with. Get creative bro!!

I did a very similar thing but instead of a buck I made a plaster mold and squeezed the wet leather into it with clamps. I didn't dye the leather, I wax hardened it. You put the formed saddle leather in the oven at 250 degrees and then pour molten paraffin onto both sides of the leather, then wipe it off while still hot with a rag. It turns out very hard and waterproof.
http://ratrodbikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/homemade-long-spring-saddle-for-under-15.95580/

Great job on that seat. How's it holding up!

Outstanding work on the seat. When you break it in, it looks like it will be a comfortable ride. Seems a few of us skinned on the buildoff [emoji106] [emoji106]

Building... riding...

Thanks MC! "skinned"... love it!

 

[us56456712]

Thanks, OJ!



Thanks LRR! Leather is fun to work with. Get creative bro!!




Great job on that seat. How's it holding up!
The seat is thick leather that has been soaked in melted paraffin and copper riveted to a metal seat pan. There is padding under it but it is very firm. It is so heavy duty that I will never wear it out in my casual riding. I found another recliner dumped in the woods so I have two more sets of springs to make long spring seats with.


Thanks MC! "skinned"... love it!

 

[us56456712]

I started assembling the red band and it was missing the expander... I found some parts in my stash but it's not the same pitch. I assembled it and it doesn't stop the wheel, and the axel is bent. Gonna go to my LUBS and see if he has any parts.

Have you ever seen an old Columbia fork that wasn't bent to heck????

You can straighten the axle. Put a nut on on one side and clamp that into a vice, move the nut up to the bend, put another nut on above the bend and gently tap on the nut, The axle will straighten. However if you do some klunking on it expect it to bend again. I am just riding on a bent Bendix axle as I don't want to take it apart to straighten it again. The problem is that this will eventually ovalize the races, but I don't care, it works with the bent axle.

 

[Roadie64]

Done! I'm at my sisters house using a reliable internet connection to upload pics and post. This bike honestly is one of my best builds... the wheel set just toped it off and tied everything together. I robbed the exerciser post off of one of my talls.

The flame paint turned out great! The final ratios are 1.8 in first and 2.3 in second with a 39 front and 22 rear. It works great on mild trails!!!

The Sturmey drum brake ROCKS! I've never felt such a smooth and reliable brake on a bike! I'm sold!!! I had to make a hard wood spacer to fit between the break arm and fork. Again, love the flame paint!

I found this really cool set of break levers on an old japan Schwinn. There is a nice balance of aluminum and chrome on pieces parts throughout the bike.

The three triangles on top. I punched a bad hole in my seat on one of the first holes when making it. Nothing is perfect!

I ordered some bear traps... again, the triangle..

Here it is... DONE!

 

[OddJob]

Very rat-isfying indeed! Like the custom touches with the flame paint, front drum brake, saddle work...nicely done! Now throw 'er in the Finished lane!

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Great build, congrats on finishing!

Luke.

 

[G-Matt]

Love that integral rack on that frame . Perfect for a klunk . Nothing to to rattle or loosen up on it . . Show it off on F/B klunkers and such nonsense.


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[Roadie64]

Very rat-isfying indeed! Like the custom touches with the flame paint, front drum brake, saddle work...nicely done! Now throw 'er in the Finished lane!

Thanks OJ! That drum brake is AWESOME! I will be using them for future builds for sure.

Great build, congrats on finishing!

Luke.

Thanks, Luke! The first finished build for me. I want to see yours done although. Is there a thread for builds that didn't quite make the time line? I have a couple of them... =]

Love that integral rack on that frame . Perfect for a klunk . Nothing to to rattle or loosen up on it . . Show it off on F/B klunkers and such nonsense.


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Thanks, G-Matt. These really are cool frames. I paid too much for this one, complete, with missing fenders, bent fork, missing light in the tank, missing parts in the red band, chain guard wasted.... but oh well, that was over a year ago and my memory doesn't sting too much now that I'm klunking with it.