Shoestring (DONE!)

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Wow, what a great build! I haven't checked in with the bike community in a while as I've been too busy with house and car projects but man I've been missing a lot! You're doing a great job with all the little details on this build. I really love the headlight, decals, tank treatment and fabric ideas not to mention the rusty patina. It's amazing what can be done on a budget with a little creativity. This build actually inspired me to try to get something together for this build off, despite not really having time for this right now.

For future builds I was thinking you could have fun with your handle for head badge decals or what not. BFD is a fun abbreviation. Also "B.F. Dead" in a B.F. Goodrich style.

Great job and keep up the great work! Looking forward to seeing the final result.
 
Wow, what a great build! I haven't checked in with the bike community in a while as I've been too busy with house and car projects but man I've been missing a lot! You're doing a great job with all the little details on this build. I really love the headlight, decals, tank treatment and fabric ideas not to mention the rusty patina. It's amazing what can be done on a budget with a little creativity. This build actually inspired me to try to get something together for this build off, despite not really having time for this right now.

For future builds I was thinking you could have fun with your handle for head badge decals or what not. BFD is a fun abbreviation. Also "B.F. Dead" in a B.F. Goodrich style.

Great job and keep up the great work! Looking forward to seeing the final result.
Thanks Pondo! I'm really hoping to get this one done in time, but it's proven far more difficult than I anticipated; life has been repeatedly getting in the way for me too! I've been wanting to build a patina bike for a long time now, but I just couldn't find one with the right look until I came across this one. It's probably my favorite build so far, since it dips more into the "arts & crafts" category than some of my other builds, and I love arts & crafts! While I've been slow to get this bike done, it's been fun experimenting with all sorts of tricks and techniques to try and make all my additions to the bike look like they've been on the bike for the past 50 years. I'm glad to hear I've inspired you to join the Build Off with a bike of your own!

I actually want to use my icon as a head badge on the bikes in my stable that either don't have a head badge, or I just don't feel like replacing.
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BFD is a fun abbreviation, but admittedly, I abbreviate it as BFTD, which probably doesn't work as well. I do like that B.F. Goodrich idea though! Maybe I could do something like @The Renaissance Man did last year with his X-53 where he painted "Hoosier" on the sidewalls of his tires, except I'd paint "B.F.T. Dead" on the sidewalls of my tires!

Thanks Pondo! I'm going to try my best to get this one done on time!
 
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Okay, looks like I've hit a few more speed bumps. I don't know if anyone remembers the small crack in one of the seat stays, but apparently, I need to get that crack welded before I can even think about riding this bike. Good news is that I know a couple folks who can help me with that. Bad news is that one of those folks is going to be out-of-state for the next couple of weeks, the other is a long drive away, and another option might not be available until tomorrow at the earliest.

What's more, is I might be house and pet-sitting again starting this week. I wasn't scheduled to do that this time (and in fact, I was going to use this opportunity to go to the Springfield, Missouri swap meet on Friday and Saturday to do some possible bike-trading,) but the couple's dog I've looked after before injured her leg again, which means they might need my help once more. Nothing is set in stone yet, but if it turns out they do need me to come over and stay at their house while they're on vacation for the following week, it could slow down my build progress.

Admittedly though, the biggest hindrance to getting this bike done on time is both the summer heat, and to a stronger degree, me. I am not a morning person by any means, but the best time to work on my bike is early in the morning when the temperature is in the 70s and 80s. I could also work on the bike in the evening around sunset, but I kind of need that sunlight for some of what I'm doing. Frankly, though, I can tolerate a little heat, at least until I start to get a headache. I just need to get to bed earlier so I can get up earlier. I'm going to test out this bleach fade trick I've seen online on a fabric sample and see if that works for getting the right "patina" for the fabric I intend to use on the tank insert and headlight. I'm also going to see if I can use what paints I have to stain the fabric, and maybe even that front tire...

I also bought a gallon of distilled water for my ultrasonic cleaner, and a refrigerator condenser coil brush to clean out the inside of the frame, leaving the current budget at $9.43. I could probably cheat it a little if I say I bought that $9.27 (after tax) brush for all my bike projects, but that's a detail for ironing out later. At this point, my main goal is to get this bike done. If I go a little over-budget, I can live with that.
 
I could probably cheat it a little if I say I bought that $9.27 (after tax) brush for all my bike projects
I always use this fudge factor for tools if I know I'll need them for other projects. Special tools that will be dedicated to one project get included in the overall budget. Another way to consider the cost of tools is the cost savings over having something done professionally at a shop. Labor really adds up so it's worth it to me to buy some tools here and there. Plus I'm hopelessly project addicted. 😁
 
I always use this fudge factor for tools if I know I'll need them for other projects. Special tools that will be dedicated to one project get included in the overall budget. Another way to consider the cost of tools is the cost savings over having something done professionally at a shop. Labor really adds up so it's worth it to me to buy some tools here and there. Plus I'm hopelessly project addicted. 😁
"Fudge factor." Mind if I borrow that? :grin: 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!
 
Small progress report: My fading technique definitely had an effect on my fabric sample, just not quite the effect I was hoping for. The fabric has faded, but the spray-bottle bleach/water technique also caused the fabric to... brighten? It's weird. I'll try and get photos tomorrow when it's light out again. I'm still tinkering with it, but I might have to use my old khaki work pants for fabric material instead.

Also, it's official: I'm house- and pet-sitting again starting this Thursday. I'm going to try and get as much done before then as possible, but I may have to work on my bike over at this other location for the following week. I'm going to try getting the wheel hubs rebuilt over the next few days, and I might be able to get my frame patched up too. If all goes well, I just might be able to get this bike in a rideable state by the end of the week. Here's hoping!
 
Okay, pictures will have to wait until later, but I managed to accomplish quite a lot between yesterday and today! To keep it brief and to the point, I'll just list what I've done so far:

1. Got the crack in the frame welded shut.
2. Cleaned out inside of frame with variety of brushes and air compressor.
3. Lined inside of frame with ATF.
4. Cleaned a number of wheel hub parts in ultrasonic cleaner.
5. Rebuilt front wheel axle, using a few parts robbed from other front wheels.
5.5. Tested front wheel; spins smoothly, but needs some truing.
6. Dyed shoelace handlebar streamers with coffee.
7. Bleach + direct sunlight on fabric = rip and tear.
8. Installed headset bearing cups using all thread, washers and nuts. Results were... mixed.
9. Practiced staining other stickers with coffee. Getting good results.
10. Final assembly has begun on frame, with seat, seat post, seat post clamp/bolt, and rear rack installed.
11. Sprayed fork steerer tube with 2 coats of primer to both protect from further rust and to add thickness for the bearing race to seat properly.
11.5. Bearing race still has minor but noticeable play when mounted to fork. Need to find a solution.
12. Picked up some paint and textile fabric medium for dying/staining fabric for tank insert and headlight.

I'll try to post photos of my progress soon, but odds are tomorrow is going to be spent mostly getting ready for my house and pet-sitting job on Thursday. I'm going to try and get as much done on the bike as I can while there, but this could slow things down a bit for me, especially since the job runs from Thursday to about Saturday the 27th. I might be cutting it close on this Build Off, but I haven't thrown in the towel yet!
 
Okay, pictures will have to wait until later, but I managed to accomplish quite a lot between yesterday and today! To keep it brief and to the point, I'll just list what I've done so far:

1. Got the crack in the frame welded shut.
2. Cleaned out inside of frame with variety of brushes and air compressor.
3. Lined inside of frame with ATF.
4. Cleaned a number of wheel hub parts in ultrasonic cleaner.
5. Rebuilt front wheel axle, using a few parts robbed from other front wheels.
5.5. Tested front wheel; spins smoothly, but needs some truing.
6. Dyed shoelace handlebar streamers with coffee.
7. Bleach + direct sunlight on fabric = rip and tear.
8. Installed headset bearing cups using all thread, washers and nuts. Results were... mixed.
9. Practiced staining other stickers with coffee. Getting good results.
10. Final assembly has begun on frame, with seat, seat post, seat post clamp/bolt, and rear rack installed.
11. Sprayed fork steerer tube with 2 coats of primer to both protect from further rust and to add thickness for the bearing race to seat properly.
11.5. Bearing race still has minor but noticeable play when mounted to fork. Need to find a solution.
12. Picked up some paint and textile fabric medium for dying/staining fabric for tank insert and headlight.

I'll try to post photos of my progress soon, but odds are tomorrow is going to be spent mostly getting ready for my house and pet-sitting job on Thursday. I'm going to try and get as much done on the bike as I can while there, but this could slow things down a bit for me, especially since the job runs from Thursday to about Saturday the 27th. I might be cutting it close on this Build Off, but I haven't thrown in the towel yet!
That was a productive day! That should set you up pretty nicely for having to spend a little time away from your project. For the steering bearing race, you could try slicing off a strip of aluminum soda can to use as a shim. I've had success with this before. It may last or not, I've had it go both ways, but at least it will buy you time to find a race that fits better someday.
 
That was a productive day! That should set you up pretty nicely for having to spend a little time away from your project. For the steering bearing race, you could try slicing off a strip of aluminum soda can to use as a shim. I've had success with this before. It may last or not, I've had it go both ways, but at least it will buy you time to find a race that fits better someday.
Yeah, I'm glad I made as much progress as I did, especially yesterday! I was hoping to have the coaster brake rebuilt yesterday, but I need to consult the more experienced builders both on here and The Cabe to see whether or not the parts are still good.

Oddly enough, I was wondering if aluminum foil could work for a shim, but using a soda can makes way more sense! Thanks for the tip!
 
Dunno about ultrasonic, but a plastic shaker jar and Simple Green worked for me.
I use a waterproof massager dropped into a can with simple green. It has speed settings. Trick I learned from my tattoo artist.
 
Got my can! Found it in the parking lot of Casey's where I had planned to buy my Mom a soda (since I don't drink that stuff,) so I could use the can for my fork. For once, I'm actually glad there are people who don't throw their trash away like decent, civilized human beings!

Once I finish getting the bulk of my stuff packed for tomorrow, I'll try getting my fork installed on the frame, as well as a few other things that will help with transporting the bike to my new temporary location easier. I might even make the bike rideable, with a different set of wheels and tires.
 
BFD is a fun abbreviation, but admittedly, I abbreviate it as BFTD, which probably doesn't work as well. I do like that B.F. Goodrich idea though! Maybe I could do something like @The Renaissance Man did last year with his X-53 where he painted "Hoosier" on the sidewalls of his tires, except I'd paint "B.F.T. Dead" on the sidewalls of my tires!

B.F. Radial TDs
 
I’ve used the aluminum beer can bearing shim method before, and I found out that it’s difficult to make one that stays in place.

The only good way to do it is to put some brass or lead on there, And shave it.

Unless of course you can do metal spraying. I’m not set up to do that yet, but I will.

Ideally, I think you’d want to swage it, but of course the tooling for that is not cheap. I have swaged tubing before by drawing a tapered craftsman socket into the tube with a heavy threaded rod and nuts and lots of grease.

Getting the correct dimension will probably involve some trial and error.
 
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:
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Frame crack after the Sapulpa VoTec guys welded it up for me:
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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.
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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!
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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.
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I also sealed up my frame and filled it with ATF to help clean the inside of the frame and slow the rust inside.
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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.
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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.
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I also rebuilt my front wheel axle that day. Spins like a dream, but it could use some truing.
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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!
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Lastly, ultrasonic cleaning. Turns out it's pretty simple and easy to use. I don't know why I was so intimidated by it!
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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.
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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.
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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.
 

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