Rat Rod Bikes Build Off #17: Let's Go!!

[The Renaissance Man]

I made an imitation TOC screwdriver for this slot. Freezing in my freezer at -20 F followed by Gibbs penetrant, followed by pounding, then heat with my torch, followed by Gibs, followed by pounding for two days has done nothing to loosen the pedal dust cover. The head set and bb aren’t moving either. I may be forced to drill holes in the dust cap and make a right angle wrench to fit in the holes. Dang. I’m freezing and heating for one more day before I just do soaking at room temperature. I wonder how dry ice and a torch would work?

Is it possible that the caps have reverse threads on one side like the axels?

 

[The Renaissance Man]

Apparently, if you sell it to me and then I sell it back to you, the fab work is nullified. I've been watching a lot of Ozark. Let me know if you need anything else laundered!

I've never seen Ozark but that sounds legit. Anyway, shipping has really been a crap shoot lately so I'm still out.

 

[kingfish254]

THERE ARE NOW 37 BUILDS!!!!

 

[OddJob]

@Ulu I hope you decide to join in on the Build Off 17 fun! This is a good crew on this forum, I feel like you would enjoy the banter and the ideas that fly around from builder to builder. Let me know if you have any questions along the way.

RaT oN~!

 

[us56456712]

Is it possible that the caps have reverse threads on one side like the axels?

Thank you, I thought of that, but I don’t know as I can’t budge them either way. Grrrr. Makes it more frustrating when you aren’t sure which way the nut turns. It’s the non drive side so maybe. This bike is very different, but still looks like a bicycle. Heavy duty gas pipes and some of the fittings are a hair above blacksmith made. Still, it works pretty much like any other old bike, just a different approach to engineering (threaded bars, two piece Thompson crank, pinch bolt headset and block chain). I might see if I can get my needle nosed vice grips around the bottom of the cap and lightly squeeze to see if this loosens up the rust.

 

[ingola]

Naw man, I say roll with it. Or wait for more feedback. Only two of us have chimed in so far. I was thinking out loud as I responded, and you can see by the end, I felt it was fine. What does everyone else think?

I'm new here and want to see what the guys who've been around can do. I only find bits and pieces if people don't like it simply vote for someone else.

 

[kingfish254]

Thank you, I thought of that, but I don’t know as I can’t budge them either way. Grrrr. Makes it more frustrating when you aren’t sure which way the nut turns. This bike is very different, but still looks like a bicycle. Heavy duty gas pipes and some of the fittings are a hair above blacksmith made. Still, it works pretty much like any other old bike, just a different approach to engineering (threaded bars, two piece Thompson crank, pinch bolt headset and block chain).

Keep periodically spraying/soaking it in Aerokroil or PB Blaster

 

[kingfish254]

If you need a little inspiration. Here is an oldie but a goodie gallery of the finished builds from Rat Rod Bike Build Off 6

https://ratrodbikes.com/forum/threads/unofficial-all-rrbbo-6-finished-bikes-pic-heavy-beware.43764/
Some of the pics have disappeared or were hijacked by photobucket, but still some cool fun ideas on display.

.

 

[Captain Awesome]

If you need a little inspiration. Here is an oldie but a goodie gallery of the finished builds from Rat Rod Bike Build Off 6

https://ratrodbikes.com/forum/threads/unofficial-all-rrbbo-6-finished-bikes-pic-heavy-beware.43764/
Some of the pics have disappeared or were hijacked by photobucket, but still some cool fun ideas on display.

.

Such a good one

A couple of my all time favorites in that one year

 

[kingfish254]

Such a good one

A couple of my all time favorites in that one year

That was my freshman build off. Along with Jake and Yoothgeye. Been hooked ever since.

 

[Ulu]

@Ulu I hope you decide to join in on the Build Off 17 fun! This is a good crew on this forum, I feel like you would enjoy the banter and the ideas that fly around from builder to builder. Let me know if you have any questions along the way.

RaT oN~!

Indications are positive, but I am having trouble finding parts at/thru the local bike shops.

Lots of stuff is on back order so I finally decided to buy this fat bike I’ve been looking at, mainly for parts. It was $1000 and my wife was gonna freak out when I started cutting it up.

I’m still looking into possibilities of a crusted over ladies Rollfast (which I think is way over priced at $495) and a very nice Schwinn Tiger for $500 (a very easy restore.) I think it would be a Sin to cut up the tiger. It’s too nice.

Well as the song goes, you can’t always get what you want, but sometimes you can get what you need. What I needed was a bicycle, and I got not only one but 2 & I’m working on the second build in 2 weeks.

And true to the rat rod etiquette, I’m going to blow apart the current bike to build the next one.

 

[Ulu]

Part of my previous post got lost.

I did not come home with the thousand dollar fat bike because as I walked into the bike shop with the cash in my pocket someone was buying it.

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

Apparently, if you sell it to me and then I sell it back to you, the fab work is nullified. I've been watching a lot of Ozark. Let me know if you need anything else laundered!

You won the interwebsz for the day with that. I'm still laughing.

 

[Ulu]

While I am not personally much of a cheater, one of my greatest heroes, Smokey Yunick, was the worlds greatest cheater. At least when it came to stock car racing.

So I don’t have any moral high ground to stand on here. Certainly not until I start building.

Last night I tore my Manhattan bicycle completely apart and put all the parts on my Schwinn frame. I had everything except the rear wheel, and it didn’t fit.

The rear tire rubbed on the upper stays, and without some grinding & welding it’s a no-go.

So at midnight I took it all apart and put it all back on the Manhattan frame.

Essentially I un assembled & reassembled two bicycles last night, after 9pm. I was thinking last night at 1:30 AM that at least I will get to go riding this morning.

This morning, the front tire is flat!

The gods are LOLing At me this morning.
But I will have the last laugh because there are two brand-new tubes in my cabinet. 8D

 

[kingfish254]

40 BUILDS

 

[handyandy1100]

Well, it looks like there is finally enough entries to create a Page 2!

 

[us56456712]

Keep periodically spraying/soaking it in Aerokroil or PB Blaster

I pinched the dust cap with needle nose vice grips to try and break up the rust bond, froze it again, torched it again, pounded on the cap and filled up the inside of the pedal with Gibbs. I did that twice over about 15 hours and it just came off using my imitation TOC homemade screwdriver. Now, I have to get the bearing cone nut off. This gives me hope for the rest of the stuck parts. I’m going to have to bring the frame out here from my daughters basement and put up with the penetrating oil stink in my room for a few weeks. I can be more persistent than relying on others. It’s still in the 30s at night, too cold for penetrant to work so it’s going inside.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

@us56456712 are you using this discussion thread as your build off thread? Might want to start one of your own so we can keep all the updates together

 

[us56456712]

@us56456712 are you using this discussion thread as your build off thread? Might want to start one of your own so we can keep all the updates together

I’m not sure about entering. I’m doubtful that I can get it apart so there is enough time to actually build it. I usually just soak stuff this stuck all summer. I’m trying to see if I can hurry up the rust bust. I’ll probably have to make a tool to take off the other pedal. A standard SAE 9/16 open end wrench isn’t long enough to get leverage. A standard pedal wrench won’t fit. I tried a pipe over the wrench and skinned my knuckles. Perhaps I can weld an extension on a 9/16 wrench, or just wait for penetrant to work. If I bust everything loose in a few weeks, then I’ll enter. Getting the pedal dust cover off in a week of trying just about everything is encouraging.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I’m not sure about entering. I’m doubtful that I can get it apart so there is enough time to actually build it.

Gotcha Boss, your builds are always a learning experience, didn't want any details to get overlooked. Both the antique bikes you build, and your unorthodox methods are interesting to me