Skill level

[Uncle Stretch]

Uh Oh another worthless rant by Uncle Stretch.

I have noticed from the time I have been here , that the skill level will be higher with the amount of frames that people build. Just like me , I started taking old junk bikes, cutting them apart ,and trying to build something beautiful out of them. Then the realization that it would be nice to not have to use parts off of old frames to build them came to me. Its just metal, so why not get the size to make my own BB and neck tube. Sometimes its easy to find a supplier that has the size that you need. Take neck tubes.If you find the three sizes of neck bearing races/cups , its really easy to find some tubing to fit one of them. I found that old galvanized pipe that people use for the corner post on chainlink fences is the perfect size for the BB. Now you can bend up some tubing , weld some stuff together ,and design a pretty good bike. You may have a few failures along the way , but as you build a few you will learn what works and what dosen't. The guys that build the extreme frames on this site (not me ) spend the time to really detail their builds. The work involved probably takes months instead of the days I spend , but they come up with some amazing creations . Its what separates the ultimate frame builders from the guys that hack up a couple frames ,weld them together and ride. If your skill level dosen't get a little better with each one, then your destined to build the same stuff over and over. A good example is the three wheeler built by RGL on the bikes with motors. His attention to details is fantastic , and shows you what you can do if you take your builds to the top level. His work, and that of a few others, is an inspiration to us all. Good luck building.

 

[karfer67]

you are right that bike is amazing. i dont build as many as i used to mostly because i want each one to be perfect it is a sickness of mine. i was inspired to do my own frame honestly because you make it look so easy but i quickly found that things like chain line get tricky when you try to get artistic with some parts......oops!!! but i will stay with it and figure it out eventually.

 

[Uncle Stretch]

Boy I know thats right ....I came close to messing up on the tank bike frame. Another inch higher and I would have been bandsawing off some chain stays. I won't make that mistake again. I know better. Next ones I will pull some strings from the BB to the dropouts and make dang sure before I start the final welds.

 

[icyuod2]

sure we could all build fully custom frames from scratch, but then again we could call this place hot rod bikes .com :wink:
skill has nothing to do with my love of giving old used up items a new lease on life (and not just bikes)
its what keeps me coming back to this place. i'm not looking to become a custom bike builder, its just a hobby i love. and its not just the build, i love the hunt, finding the bike/parts, visiting junk yards antique stores or even searching the web.

next desiding factor, the all mighty dollar. keeping the builds cheap is a must, and it don't get any cheaper than finding an old bike in the trash.

don't get me wrong, i love your bikes (whats not to like) but building bikes from scratch, would only fuel 1/2 my addiction.

 

[Uncle Stretch]

That is true Icuod2 ,The majority here don't want to build custom frames. This was kinda to the small percent of the ones that do. I never really think about stock frames anymore , because I really don't fit on them. My stock ones will hang till I decide what to do with them. I find the beauty in both , but am not really challenged by figuring what color to paint something ,or which tires and wheels to use. My custom frames cost less than any of the cheapest frames I have bought + shipping. If everybody here built custom frames this place would be insane. :shock: :shock: :lol: :lol:

 

[icyuod2]

yeah, i never really considered changing paint and parts a "build", theres gotta be some custom fab in there somewhere.
don't ever stop building those wonderful creations, or challanging yourself, cause this place just wouldn't be the same.

its all about the challange.
myself, the challange is learning something new. i find most times i just learn to become comfortable with the task at hand, then move onto something new to learn.
kinda a jack of all trades master of none.

in other words, i just have way too many hobbies. i really am quite surprized i've stayed interested in bicycles this long.

 

[Rat Rod]

It really comes down to making a bike your own....whether it's a new Electra you just bought, a 1930s Elgin or a frame you build from scratch.

For the most part, the common thread is that they are cruiser style bikes that we all enjoy customizing.

Some folks have just as much fun taking an old frame and building it up from parts that the collect over time. Others find enjoyment in building the frames themselves and the idea of creating something from nothing.

That's what makes this community fun and interesting....lot's of variety! :wink:

 

[DougC]

I've always loved building stuff, but the first time I've built ANYTHING it was lousy. The second attempt usually ends up much better than the first. :lol:

This has happened so many times that I have some to see the first attempt as a "junker" run; if the whatever-it-is even works at all I'm happy.... for a while. If it doesn't work, I'm not real surprised.

Keep a list of all the mistakes you've made, and re-read the list when doing another build. You add less and less to the list as time goes on.
~

 

[Graylock]

Uh Oh another worthless rant by Uncle Stretch.

I don't think so. My skill level has come a long way in the past few years and it's because I watch closely to people like you Uncle Stretch. Always looking to raise the bar and not afraid to make mistakes. Every one should try from the ground up build at least once. The only one build of mine that comes close is my Shadow build. I did a lot of bending by hand with a few fails but there was two found pre bent tubes and I used a front fork as one of my parts.

There still is nothing like a good ... change to satisfy the need :shock: .....you know, the weekend builds that you ride around. I also like what Hoedad is putting out, crazy stuff.

Those who think that they couldn't hack a rat rod out, that's just nuts. You just need to try. :wink:

I'm all worked up now, I wish my garage was a tad warmer, I'd be building now!

Graylock

 

[Uncle Stretch]

Well Greylock , once I posted this I realized that not everybody is into designing their own frames. I have really done the ones for two reasons. One to show everybody there is nothing magical about frame building , and two to keep me doing something to stave off senility. They say if you don't use it , you loose it. The desire to build something out of an old rusty junker , dosen't appeal to me anymore. I need the challenge to see if I can improve my welding and designs. The frames and eventual bikes mean nothing to me. I like for them to turn out nice, but really I like to show everybody , what can be accomplished, if you don't have the fear of failure. God knows I have made lots of mistakes. I cut up a few. Your builds and everybody else's , keep me thinking. I copy some and dream some. Its the way I stay happy. :lol: I am not that great of a frame builder , but I try to improve with each one I do. :wink:

 

[KOTA]

Uncle Stretch you make me laugh! First off, I would take any of your builds and hold them up against just about anything being built out there. I decided a while ago that I wasn't out to re-design the bicycle. I have more fun just putting rusty junk together. I don't have the time or desire to design frames.... At one time I thought I did, but then reality set in. What the heck am I gonna do with these things?(I've made some LONG ones that have to be TRUCKED to where I was going) I found that I really enjoy "riding" rather than building. I do have ONE build that I really want to do (not tellin ya what it is). :lol:
I know you admire details on some of the builds lately, the ones that take MONTHS. I could only imagine what YOU could build, if you spent months on a bike. So how about it? I'm glad you found something to keep you sane, so how about going crazy for us! :lol:

 

[Uncle Stretch]

Kota if you have noticed my style is to hit it and go. I doubt that I could do a month long build. I very rarely let the paint dry before I stick them together. I try for real close and let it go at that. Today I got a mild case of depression, that will need to go away before I can attack another build .Its not a big thing , and I guess it happens as you get older and think if you were lucky and in good shape (which I'm not ) how much life is really left. I will move on and do another. It won't look like a stock frame with a flat black paint job.
I was going to copy a Nirve Switchblade , but I'm going to dream up something of my own. I have a few ideas floating around. Thanks for the vote of confidence , I needed it today for sure.

 

[karfer67]

stretch i thought you were done building frame? anyways i agree with you on one hand that there is only so much that can be done with a stock frame before you either can't get the design you want in the end, or like yourself are unable to ride it. however i WILL say that events like the build off really push a builder to see how far a stock frame can be pushed even if ride ability may be pushed a bit. even i will admit that if i was building the galt town hooligan for a rider, it would not have had the carb slash bell set up. but i felt that it was needed to push it and get the bike noticed. In the end it works well and as my fellow club members can attest it is ride able. anyways to each his own i do also agree that the more you build the easier it gets and makes you want to challenge yourself more and more which is a good thing and what i think this is about in the end. build what you love, and with each new build try to push yourself just a little further.

 

[stretch]

ill keepy my bit short. i enjoy taking old forlorn frames and molding them to my vision, cuz its cheap and i like to keep people guessing where that part came from. 8) and those schwinns are plenty! i enough of em to build three more frames!

 

[Uncle Stretch]

Karfer I try to stop building frames , because it totals my shop out. The grinding dust covers everything. Then I realize that there are things that need to be worked on around the house and I ignore them when I'm building. I walk away from my shop for a week and its all I can think about , is getting back to building a frame. I am happiest when I'm cutting ..welding ...and grinding. Dosen't make sense to me , but its the way it is. I build what is in my mind and try to make it look good and be rideable. Sometimes the two don't meet. Most of the time I get it, and if not I have a porta bandsaw to solve the problem.

Stretch if you find your nitch , then that is the path you need to follow. Several people through the few years have gotten on me for stripping the paint off of a Schwinn, much less cutting one up. I try to stay away from them as much as possible. No need to make others unhappy if you can help it. There are bunches of next bikes to chop up and nobody cares. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[bicycleguy]

If I'm just looking for a quick project or something fun to build that I haven't thought out very much I like to hack up old frames and try to make something new with what I have laying around but there's only so much you can do with old frames and random bits of tubing. If I really feel like letting my imagination run wild I usually just start with some tubing and see where it ends up because even if I draw diagrams and sketches of what I want to build it rarely turns out like what I originaly thought it was going to be. (is it just me or does anyone else have that problem? :wink: )

 

[skillsthebarber]

well I took the plunge today. I went to HF and got the 90 amp flux wire welder, the went to home depot and got lincoln wire for it. I got it all set up and will try some welding tomorrow. I fully expect it to look like bubble gum at first, but with enough practice and a little luck I might be ok. Im pretty excited.

 

[Spokeshave]

Good Luck. Don't get down if your having trouble at first. May I also suggest getting a book or two on the subject . It helped me a bunch.
Have fun,
Spokes

 

[Uncle Stretch]

well I took the plunge today. I went to HF and got the 90 amp flux wire welder, the went to home depot and got lincoln wire for it. I got it all set up and will try some welding tomorrow. I fully expect it to look like bubble gum at first, but with enough practice and a little luck I might be ok. Im pretty excited.

Ah its like watching a child take his first step. I have faith you will master it and then go on to build the bike of your dreams. :wink:

 

[stretch]

well i do hack at those cheapo huffys, next, and misc. frames when i get my hands on them, but i generally stick to the 70's schwinn frames. they made millions of them so i have no guilt. 8) i take breezes, colleigates, varsitys, and even a 20" typhoon. the only reason im going to chop up a late 50s jaguar ladies frame is to make it a cycle truck. so its gonna stay schwinn, just not what it was born as. :wink: