Splat Rat

[Wildcat]

This is my entry in the ORBO. The frame is another scrap old frame from the junk shop in Olongapo City in the Philippines.
This frame is heavier than the others.

The idea is for a rugged bike that will get beat on and still hold up. I'm too old to go off any jumps but maybe I can find a volunteer in the neighborhood to try it. I have plenty of forks and will try to make a monarch style heavy duty springer. I have springs and an old truss rod bracket made custom that I bought from a member here years ago and never used. It's 1/4" steel. I want to use 2 springs but one might do the trick.

This will only have a coaster hub for braking. A cheap hub at that, I can't find a decent coaster hub over here, they are all the same kind. I'm using the best hub of two and polished all the parts to make it operate as well as it can.

I may use a heavy steel cottered crankset instead of the good alloy one pictured, just to keep it all heavy. Finally I plan on a splattered paint job for almost everything, frame, forks, seat, handlebars and rims. For this, I think a brown basecoat with greens and blues will look good, but I've never done a splatter paint job. This bike should be rugged and look the part.
Splatter paint, That's where the name comes from. Not splat like crashing. Not me, anyway.
(Edit: Just made a correction to the name.)

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Sounds like a solid plan! Good luck on your build!

 

[metalchewy]

Good solid start.

Looking forward to your springer build up.. been wanting to make my own more than once..

Will be cool to see how your splatter job.turns out. I've never tried it.

 

[Wildcat]

I was going to try to make some shims so the 1" fork would work in the larger frame. Luckily I found a way to do it that works better. The lower race worked with the larger bearing and cup, so that solved that. The upper was a problem, but one of the smaller cups I had actually fit perfectly into the larger cup solving the whole problem. None of the other 1" cups would fit. So the headset is set.

I'm looking at both springs in a setup like a monarch. The top bracket is wide enough for both springs to attach, but I'll make a plate that is a little wider and bolt it all together. I can cut off the fork tube and attach a plate across the crown with attachment points for the bottom of the springs. Then it's just making up the fork flanges. When the top part is bolted together that will show where the fork will need to attach the lower flanges. So far, no welding needed.

The cottered crankset has 44 teeth, should be a good ratio with an 18 cog on the coaster hub. I need to get a spindle made for a cottered set.

 

[GeePig]

I was going to try to make some shims so the 1" fork would work in the larger frame. Luckily I found a way to do it that works better. The lower race worked with the larger bearing and cup, so that solved that. The upper was a problem, but one of the smaller cups I had actually fit perfectly into the larger cup solving the whole problem. None of the other 1" cups would fit. So the headset is set.
View attachment 176614

I'm looking at both springs in a setup like a monarch. The top bracket is wide enough for both springs to attach, but I'll make a plate that is a little wider and bolt it all together. I can cut off the fork tube and attach a plate across the crown with attachment points for the bottom of the springs. Then it's just making up the fork flanges. When the top part is bolted together that will show where the fork will need to attach the lower flanges. So far, no welding needed.
View attachment 176615

The cottered crankset has 44 teeth, should be a good ratio with an 18 cog on the coaster hub. I need to get a spindle made for a cottered set.

View attachment 176616

ah yes - frame, forks, hammer...

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Looking forward to the splat on your rat. Gonna be phat, Wildcat

 

[metalchewy]

Cup to cup shim. Interesting idea that I may borrow on a future build.

Sounds like a torque'y gear ratio. Agree, should work well.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Where did you get those springs? I've been thinking about making my own Monark springer fork, but I don't know what kind of springs to get, or where to get them.

 

[PaveLow]

Looking forward to the splat on your rat. Gonna be phat, Wildcat

That's enough of that, Friendly Hat!

 

[Wildcat]

Cup to cup shim. Interesting idea that I may borrow on a future build.

Sounds like a torque'y gear ratio. Agree, should work well.

I have a whole box of those cups, but only one fit, the others were a tiny bit too large. They may be able to be pressed together.

64 GI is what I calculated, the same as my 1980 Typhoon came new. With the weight that may be good on the road but maybe will need a 20 tooth cog for the dirt.

 

[Wildcat]

Where did you get those springs? I've been thinking about making my own Monark springer fork, but I don't know what kind of springs to get, or where to get them.

Those were for a small motorcycle, bought through the Asian version of Amazon, Lazada. I had 2 sets for use on my annual build offering, Riff Ratt. These are leftover since I only used one pair. Look for small shock absorbers, I saw a lot of better ones than these but got the cheapest.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

Those were for a small motorcycle, bought through the Asian version of Amazon, Lazada. I had 2 sets for use on my annual build offering, Riff Ratt. These are leftover since I only used one pair. Look for small shock absorbers, I saw a lot of better ones than these but got the cheapest.
View attachment 176692

Awesome, thanks!

 

[Wildcat]

I measured some more and did the first cut on the forks. I have a section of metal that would work if it was thicker, but I can use it to show the metal shop what I want. I need 3mm thickness for the spring mounts. They usually give me a blank stare when I try to ask for something by size. I get the same confusion at the hardware store, but they get everything I need when I write it down, so the 2 long bolts for the springs won't be a problem. I hope to get chrome end caps.
These are the handlebars I'll be using, they will get the same paint as the frame.

I need to cut off the brake bosses and I'm going to straighten the legs on both forks.

I have a frame for practice on the splatter paint.

 

[Wildcat]

To explain my idea for the springer, I'll have a bolt with heavy washer go up through the bottom of the crown and the bottom brace will attach to it in the middle. (green line) There will be opposite holes for the left and right spring to attach to the bottom brace. Two long bolts will run from the bottom brace up through the springs and the top brace and top bracket where a locknut will attach the springs and tension can be added. (red lines) A chrome cap will top it off. I want to compress the springs to where the whole assembly feels very stable, no wiggle.

 

[Wildcat]

I made up a cardboard template for the 2 spring bases so the metal shop won't have any problem and they will look made for the springs. The holes in the top bracket are 3/16ths, I think I'll have all the holes drilled 5/16ths to use thicker bolts. I also will go with even thicker metal, the same thickness as the top bracket.

No place to spray, so I'm using acrylic paints and a brush. No problem with fumes, so I can work in my air conditioned office. I'll start with a couple colors and see what might look best.

 

[GeePig]

Are you going to use stepped washers in order to keep the springs aligned, or do you have something else up your sleeve? I am worried whether I can keep my second fork in line...

 

[Wildcat]

My plan right now is to have 2 bolts run vertically and use compression between the plates hold them in place. The bolts will be attached to the bottom plate, the bolt head on the bottom, each with a locknut on top of the plate to secure them. The bottom plate will be bolted in the middle to the fork. The springs will just sit on the bolts, where the bolts then will go through the holes of the top plate and the bracket where they will get another locknut to compress them together between the plates. When the springer moves the bolts will move up through the upper plate as the springs compress. I'm pretty sure that will be stable enough.
The flanges where the 2 forks bolt together with the wheel have yet to be designed, but I plan on using nylon washers for the connection points to accommodate movement and have the bolts and locknuts tight enough to prevent any sway. The flanges will be shaped so the wheel moves up right in line with the springs. That's the plan right now, subject to change if something doesn't work just right.

 

[OddJob]

WC, you've really got this spring thing figured out! Your Riff Ratt was one of my favs this summer, and this ORBO build is starting off even cooler!

One input on the splatter paint. I think if you start with a light color as your base coat on the frame, or your heaviest 'splatter' coat, it will show up better. If you try to put a light splatter over a darker color, it will likely darken the color of your top coats and not let them 'pop' as much. If that makes sense?

Just found this on a quick search. Haven't watched it, but might be helpful.



I'm def watching what you come up with on this build!

RaT oN~!

 

[dropstep]

I really like seeing the late 80s early 90s style splatter paint jobs on bikes.

 

[Wildcat]

This springer will have to take some punishment so it's got to be more stable than what I built on Riff Ratt.
I've watched a ton of videos on splatter so far. My experimentation on the little frame continues. I started with chocolate brown as the base, and added dark colors, greens then gray and blue. A little like camo. This is as far as I am right now. It might just be brown green and grey, I'll see when I throw on some purple and burgundy.