TRADITIONAL Quasi-Motobike : Video Update #7...pg 10

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Know who else sounded like Casey?
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Zoinks!
 
That was a great video, thanks for recommending the channel. I'm going to be checking out more, there's definitely projects I want to do that require patina. :cool2:
 
Day 17

A balmy 82° and sunny here in the north country. Got a ride in this afternoon. Before I took off,I added two RaT-ina galvanized conduit clamps to simulate the traditional motobike tank.

Rides well.

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Or just faux finish the kraft paper tank and leave it.

Instant decoy tank!

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When I suggested to faux finish the kraft paper, I never imagined that you would take it seriously. Just don't leave it out in the rain for very long! :p

Great job!
 
When I suggested to faux finish the kraft paper, I never imagined that you would take it seriously. Just don't leave it out in the rain for very long! :p

Great job!

Yeah, hopefully the sealer and fauxtina have locked in the freshness. Our humidity would probably make it wilt. :D
Looking awesome OJ!!!
 
All I can say is, you guys must really be dedicated riders to be out riding vintage rat rod bikes in the rain! I mean, I raced in the rain on slick trails over mud, rocks, tree roots taking my life in my hands. But that was expected. These days, if it's raining outside, my bikes and I are safely in the dry confines of the BACK40. :bigsmile: :bigsmile:
 
Incredible work, I had to go a few pages back to check if that was the CADboard tank. Colour me rusty and impressed!

Love the bike so far. Excuse me if I missed it, but I'm thinking that a huge carbide/old lamp would look great on it.
 
Incredible work, I had to go a few pages back to check if that was the CADboard tank. Colour me rusty and impressed!

Love the bike so far. Excuse me if I missed it, but I'm thinking that a huge carbide/old lamp would look great on it.

Thanks BRE! I have a couple more additions I'd like to try. So far May has been very fruitful. We'll see how June and July go!
If you have any photos of the carbide lamp you suggest, please send them along.
 
Day 20

Consider this an 'avoid falling on to page 2 slacker status' post.

This weekend we opened our campsite for the 35th time since we bought it in December of 1989. At some point early in the first 10 years of it's existence, my mom and dad purchased a screen house gazebo from Menard's 11 ft diameter octagon, and hauled it up to the property. The first few years, we just had it sitting on the ground and would take it down at the end of each season and store it back home. In 2002, we decided to lay out a 4x4 foundation to permanently level and screw down the frame / screen sides of the gazebo. We always remove the top every fall to avoid the snow load during the winter. Here is an early shot of the gazebo.

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Around 10 yrs ago, one third of a three trunked red oak tree got blown down and landed on a corner of the gazebo. I was able to use some aluminum angled pieces to replace the broken parts, re set the screening, and we were back up and running again.

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Here's the length of that oak trunk, about 35 feet away from where the gazebo sits.

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Four years ago, I replaced the original top, as it had holes in it from wear and tear over the first 31 yrs. Those were our only two issues with damage; up until this past weekend.

My son and I went up to do the opening of the camp, which we always try to get done before Memorial Day weekend. I am teaching him the ropes of opening and closing for when the camp is permanently passed on to him and his brother. We have a 42' destination travel trailer up there for our main dwelling, as well as 7 acres of woods for friends and family to tent camp, etc. So getting the camp / trailer / boat / forest clean up involves skills related to plumbing, HVAC, small engines, and lumberjacking. :wink1:

Everything was going really well, until while cleaning up some dead fall from the winter, we noticed one of the large pines (our association is called ' Majestic Pines', the tallest are nearly 100' tall and 3 1/2' in diameter on our property) had the dying top broken and hanging from the tree, right near our camp. Instead of being surprised by an imminent tree fall, we decided to tackle it. This tree was about 60' tall. It wasn't our first rodeo, but we were facing a tree that was leaning toward the south (and the sun) and we wanted to drop it more to the northeast. Alas, we were not successful. Even with my 210 lb son on our guide rope and using a tree as block and tackle, we couldn't keep the giant pine from landing on about 2/3 of the gazebo.

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Yes, under that mass of pine branches is a 120 sq ft of screen house. We did keep it from hitting the trailer, our two ATVs, and either of us however, so that was good. After 2 1/2 hrs with me on the chainsaw and Luke stacking and dragging the debris away, we ended up with just the last 25' of the main trunk on the ground for future cutting and splitting to campfire size.

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You can see on the stump next to me how the tree dropped pretty much 90 degrees from the way I had it cut to go. The bottom half will make for some great campfires in about 2 years.

Here is the way our camp looked from the trailer before we left yesterday. Where the chairs sit is the foundation for the screen house. My boys decided that they really liked the former style, and Menard's is still carrying that exact model 35 years later! So we ordered one up and I will grab it later today, to be erected some weekend in June.

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My hands are so swollen and sore that it will be awhile before I touch any tools or play my guitars. Just typing this post on the laptop is a chore. Every muscle group north of my rib cage is tight and sore. I'm too old for this! :bigsmile:

But we really love this place, and it has been our mainstay for all of my son's lives, and will hopefully continue for the next generation to enjoy as well. Here are some photos from our 30th Year Family Gathering in 2019 to close this out...

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And grandma holding court with a few of the grand kids in the gazebo.

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The patina school is always adding new curriculum for OJ to peruse on Youtube. For @Pondo and any others interested, this is a new to me video and subscription I added this week in preparing to 'make paper look like old metal'. The guy has many vids out on different techniques, I believe he was a prop maker in the film industry. And his voice over is definitely in the 'Top 40'....give a listen, I think you'll hear what I mean!

The first one he shows is similar to what I did. And I used my mustard application instead of his hairspray.


The first one with the hairspray looked good, but after using Rustoleum textured spray and seeing you use that spray popcorn stuff, that coffee grounds trick just doesn't cut it.
 
The patina school is always adding new curriculum for OJ to peruse on Youtube. For @Pondo and any others interested, this is a new to me video and subscription I added this week in preparing to 'make paper look like old metal'. The guy has many vids out on different techniques, I believe he was a prop maker in the film industry. And his voice over is definitely in the 'Top 40'....give a listen, I think you'll hear what I mean!

The first one he shows is similar to what I did. And I used my mustard application instead of his hairspray.



That is a cool video on the techniques.
 
Wow sounds like quite the adventure with the tree. Glad you all survived. Get rested up for the gazebo assembly. Hopefully your boys help you with that one.
We have both sons and two of the 'Bros' lined up for June 8 for a little more tree clearing and the new gazebo construction. Every year for the past 10 their bros have joined them for a long weekend at the camp. Many of them are purely city kids, and the campsite was their first adventure into the outdoors. Great group of guys. Here's a photo of most of tbe group at my oldest son's wedding.

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