Okay, now that I'm more-or-less settled into my house/pet-sitting gig, I've got some belated progress pictures to share!
Frame crack before:
Frame crack after the Sapulpa VoTec guys welded it up for me:
Fabric bleaching progress. I kept spraying this sample with a 1 part bleach to 4 parts water mixture, but apparently I either need to keep the fabric soaked in water constantly, or keep it out of the sun to prevent the fabric from tearing apart with ease after so much bleaching.
Dying/staining experiments. Tested out coffee on a few more stickers, which turned out nicely, and my shoestring streamers, which also turned out just like I wanted them!
Fork progress: Masked off fork for primer, applied 2 coats, and used an irresponsibly discarded beverage can as a shim for the crown race. I didn't realize it until after I installed the fork, but I forgot to install the front rack before installing the crown race, so I had to do that step twice.
I also sealed up my frame and filled it with ATF to help clean the inside of the frame and slow the rust inside.
I also tried using this technique I've seen other builders use for installing bearing cups. I'm not sure I care for it that much, but I figure the experiment was worth the $4 I spent on hardware. I'll at least want to see how it works for the bottom bracket.
I also installed the seat post, seat clamp, rear rack and seat that day. I wanted to flip the seat's clamp around to push it back a little, but the way the seat's built, that just isn't doable. I do have an idea of how I could move the seat back a little, but that can wait until later.
I also rebuilt my front wheel axle that day. Spins like a dream, but it could use some truing.
Since the back wheel isn't done yet, and I'm not ready to throw the front tire on my front wheel yet, I just threw these wheels and tires on so I could transport the bike to the place I'm currently staying. I also installed the handlebars along with the fork.
Shoestring is starting to look like a bike again!
Lastly, ultrasonic cleaning. Turns out it's pretty simple and easy to use. I don't know why I was so intimidated by it!
However, as nice as the ultrasonic cleaner is, it's not flawless. Sometimes I get more grease and gunk off of my parts using wire brushes, the "Jet" setting on the garden hose attachment, microfiber cloths and the air compressor than I do with the USC. These Komet coaster brake parts still have some junk on them after a few heated cycles in the cleaner. But that's not my biggest concern.
After drying everything off, I couldn't help but notice a few wear marks on the parts. And in some spots, there's this fine, metallic, grainy texture that I can't tell whether it's residual grease, patina, or wear marks. What I want to know is:
1. Are these parts still good, and
2. Can/Should I use the brass wire brush wheel on my dad's grinder to clean these up like I did the axles? 3. Also, would it be bad if there's still a little bit of old grease in the bearings when I pack them with new grease? Some of this stuff does not want to come out of the bearings. I really want to get this bike rolling again, and I'd really love to learn how to rebuilt one of these Komet Super coaster brakes while I'm at it.
That's all the recent progress I've made on the bike up until Wednesday.
Today, I plan to cut out and apply some of the stickers I made to the chain guard and tank, as well as revise the head badge sticker. Something I'd like to do today if possible is paint some "rust" on the bottom bracket bearing cups, paint some patina onto the front tire, and stain a sample off my old khaki work pants for the headlight and tank insert. I also want to sketch up some ideas for the headlight too. Hopefully I'll be able to share photos of my progress tonight, but it might take longer, since I can't hook my phone up to my Macbook to pull photos off of it. I can use my Nikon, but it's not quite as convenient to work with sometimes.
I think that's a fair way to justify not adding the cost of certain tools to individual project budgets. After all, I've got plenty more bikes that could use a coil brush for cleaning seat tubes and headsets. I agree, labor really does add up, so getting tools for long-term use on multiple projects makes total sense. I know the feeling; I've got enough projects to finish as is, but gosh darn it, I keep bringing home more!
