*The 76er* (I. Think. I'm. Done. update: 7/29)

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Re: *The 76er* (Sayonara paint! update: 5/15)

So let's paint it red again!
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You and your inhalant addiction.
 
Re: *The 76er* (Aloha new paint... and fumes! update: 5/16)

Days 16-17

Well, I've been in rehab a couple days for my inhalant addiction, but I busted out to come home and do a little work... and a little painting :wink: .

I would've done some work yesterday but after work I went mountain biking with a friend. About halfway through the ride the bearing race on the inside of his hub cracked due to a bent axle and the bearings took refuge inside the hub... not pretty. We nursed it back here to the shop and threw on a new wheel. So I did some work, but none on my bike.

I got an early start this afternoon and started off rubbing down the frame with some tack cloth, I got a picture because I love this stuff and there was a time that I didn't know about tack cloth, so I thought I'd share in case it can help someone else:
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After wiping it down I started laying on a thin coat of flat black, and no, this is not my final color:
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As thin as I layed it the red oxide primer still peeks through for the final effect I'll need later.
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Thin coats=smooth...
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While that was drying I got out of the shop for some fresh air (learned that in rehab) and started to think about where I'd be sitting on this bike. I started with the seat post. This is a structural part and I'm not too sure how I feel about modding it.
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So to help me make the decision of what to do I asked my cutting wheel:
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I guess I have to do something now, I'll start with a little bend:
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And since I have to trust my rear end on this thing, I cut a gusset from some leftovers from the washers I used to make the fork dropouts (look on the vice):
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Then I did the same thing I've done with everything else, I eyeballed it into position:
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I was about to switch the welder on when a guy showed up on a bike. I didn't recognize him, but I think he's the guy I bought my tandem from, anyway, he had this disassembled 18" boys bike in perfect condition on his bike's rack:
IMG_4209.jpg


Out of gratitude, I sent him away with an old chainsaw, a tire, and a handlebar, in return he's bringing by a bike, some wheels and tires, and a custom handlebar. Talked with him for a while and then closed up shop to go to my son's preschool graduation.

Got back, played with kids, talked with a friend, got kids to bed and back to the shop to weld up that seat post:
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If you think it's ugly now, you should've seen my welds. I kinda like the way it turned out, so I cleaned it and shot it with some clear coat after I set it in the frame to get an idea of how it would look:
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Still thinking of my rear end I went upstairs in the shop to work on my saddle. I don't a bunch of cool saddles sitting around that I could just grab and toss on the bike, so I've been thinking of this alot. Started by better shaping my small piece of foam padding:
IMG_4217.jpg


Next I cut out and stretched my old leather over the saddle the best I could with only 2 hands (a problem I've had since birth). It was kind of bland, but I was thinking ahead and yesterday I found these copper rivets on clearance at Tractor Supply for .99 cents.
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Drill holes and hammer them on:
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It's no pricey Brooks saddle, but I think it turned out decent, and only cost me .99 cents.
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And that's it. I feel like the more I do, the more work I make for myself. My plan to make or modify every item I put on the bike makes progress slow.

Hope everyone likes it so far, thanks for the comments! :humbled smiley:

On October 23rd 1976, in a weird case of irony US president Jimmy Carter states that "I've looked on many women with lust. I've committed adultery in my heart many times. God knows I will do this and forgives me... in a Playboy magazine interview. :shock: The Bible teaches Christians to flee from temptation, President Carter might've been able to do this, had he owned a '76 Murray Skybolt."
 
Re: *The 76er* (Aloha new paint... and fumes! update: 5/16)

yoothgeye said:
...I feel like the more I do, the more work I make for myself. My plan to make or modify every item I put on the bike makes progress slow...

I hear ya... But everytime a part DOES get finished the rewarding is much greater than the tedious time you went through to make it. Most of the time...

Nice progress. That seat came out awesome. Those rivets are just perfect. Never saw those for sale anywhere... For that price I hypothetically woud have bought 50 packages...

I think I'll go getting me some tack-cloth. If I learn the technical term in Dutch... I really don't wanna sound like a fool asking for things in a specialty-store. :oops: Not that I ever had dustproblems, eventhough I work in and around a very dusty place, I know things can go wrong very quickly when painting. Looking forward to this bike's final finish.
 
Re: *The 76er* (Paint, Steel, Leather, & Rivets update: 5/18)

I really dig the copper on leather look
 
Re: *The 76er* (Paint, Steel, Leather, & Rivets update: 5/18)

Looking good! Waiting for paint. I'm guessing some type of translucent (candy) color....I'm enjoying watching.
 
Re: *The 76er* (Aloha new paint... and fumes! update: 5/16)

herr_rudolf said:
Nice progress. That seat came out awesome. Those rivets are just perfect. Never saw those for sale anywhere... For that price I hypothetically woud have bought 50 packages...

I found them in the sale section, so I picked up the only 2 bags they had (10 rivets/10 washers each). I went through the rest of the store and found them with the horse tack supplies, the bags there were the exact same as the sale side, but $4.99 a bag. Even the item number was the same, they must have been overstock and had to get rid of some bags at .99 cents.

herr_rudolf said:
I think I'll go getting me some tack-cloth. If I learn the technical term in Dutch... I really don't wanna sound like a fool asking for things in a specialty-store. :oops: Not that I ever had dustproblems, eventhough I work in and around a very dusty place, I know things can go wrong very quickly when painting.

It is called tack cloth because it is "tacky" or sticky. It picks up not just outside dust, but overspray dust, the fine fine dust just sticks to it, it works better than a dry cloth or a cloth with cleaner or a chemical on it. I got mine at a house paint store.

KOTA said:
Looking good! Waiting for paint. I'm guessing some type of translucent (candy) color....I'm enjoying watching.

Out of 5 layers, I am on #2, you are talking about #4, and there may be a #6...
 
Re: *The 76er* (Paint, Steel, Leather, & Rivets update: 5/18)

mlee1111 said:
I really dig the copper on leather look

Thanks. The more I hammered those rivets with the ball peen hammer, the older more "vintage" they looked. My leather is already super old, and I think this worked out quite well. The only thing I compromised on was adding the padding. I should have just left it off and stretched the leather tight against the metal. If I sit on it and can't feel the padding I'll redo it.
 
Re: *The 76er* (Paint, Steel, Leather, & Rivets update: 5/18)

Love the rivets in copper. Looks like I need to check out tractor supply. I have looked at a few places around here for copper rivets and have had no luck. Do they have different types and sizes at tractor supply?
 
Re: *The 76er* (Paint, Steel, Leather, & Rivets update: 5/18)

nelvolks said:
Love the rivets in copper. Looks like I need to check out tractor supply. I have looked at a few places around here for copper rivets and have had no luck. Do they have different types and sizes at tractor supply?

No.

I started out in the hardware section and I was thinking about using furniture nails, they are like tacks, you would have to drill a small hole and then bend the pin over once you push it through, they only come in brass and chrome (chrome ones have an ugly hammered design). Luckily I found these copper rivets in the clearance section or I wouldn't have known to look in the horse section. I thought they would have different ones, but that's all they have. A bigger horse/saddle/tack supply place would probably have more.

They sell a pack online for $4.99 that has 12 rivets, they are all the #9 size (that's the size of the "head" same as mine), but these are 3 different length posts. I really could've used longer posts, but I made mine work.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/equine/hor ... e--5041865
 
Re: *The 76er* (Paint, Steel, Leather, & Rivets update: 5/18)

erichitscar said:
Seat looks good! keep it up!

Thanks man, I think I like it, but I'll have to wait until I start assembling the bike, there will be full mock-ups until I get to final (slow) assembly and test fit. With the triple, dual stems, headlight, etc... the front end will look heavy and I need to balance the look in the rear. This seat might be big enough to help, I'm thinking of adding another set of springs though.
 
Re: *The 76er* (Paint, Steel, Leather, & Rivets update: 5/18)

Man I'm digging this bike. I'll check on that for ya.I for one do not wanna know the color yet. Keep us on edge. PEACE
 
Re: *The 76er* (Paint, Steel, Leather, & Rivets update: 5/18)

Jake Sensi said:
Man I'm digging this bike. I'll check on that for ya.I for one do not wanna know the color yet. Keep us on edge. PEACE

Thanks man, another reason I'm not talking about paint is because even though I know the can I have for the intended final color, I don't know in what combination or order I will lay them down. haha
 
Re: *The 76er* (Paint, Steel, Leather, & Rivets update: 5/18)

yoothgeye said:
... another reason I'm not talking about paint is because even though I know the can I have for the intended final color, I don't know in what combination or order I will lay them down. haha

Ah... colortroubles for you too huh..?
 
Re: *The 76er* (Paint, Steel, Leather, & Rivets update: 5/18)

herr_rudolf said:
Ah... colortroubles for you too huh..?

Not exactly, I know what color I want my top coat, I know the technique I will use to "modify" the finish, but I don't know how I will lay out the graphics.

I haven't given an update in the apst few days because in every build a little life must fall, and tonight, my frame fell on my head.

Our baby has been sick and not sleeping well and we've been really busy with work and church activites. I think we got the little one taken care of, I had a sleeping problem because of a bump or something under my eyelid making it VERY uncomfortable to close my eyes. Today was taken up completely because I took my youth group to Virginia to play paintball (I'm covered in bruises, youth ministers appear as big fat targets to students) and I got home tonight and had to fix a flat on my car, I must have run over something while driving the alleys looking for bikes.

So tonight as I was in the shop trying to remove a piece of plastic from my car's tire I stood up... under the hanging bike frame. Banged my head pretty hard on the BB housing and knocked the frame back down on me and onto the floor. Luckily it landed mostly on a small piece of OSB plywood which kept it mostly off of the cement floor. I sanded the scratched parts and gave it a quick once over again with the flat black... mmm... fumes... makes the pain in my head not so noticable.
 
Re: *The 76er* (Paint, Steel, Leather, & Rivets update: 5/18)

Days 18-23

Well, since there is no rhyme nor reason to what I build and when I build it, let's make a head badge tonight! I try to plan what I work on based on how much time I wanna spend in the shop, but I normally end up spending more time than expected. One night I'll just go in there planning to mount a tire and end up finishing the bike. haha

OK, if you remember from an earlier update I hacked up an old brass offering plate from church. Since then I've carried the bottom around planning to draw my design on it so I could cut it out, but I ended up drawing it on paper instead, then transfering the general shape to the computer, printing it on card stock, and then cutting it out.

So I started here tonight:
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Decided to make sure I liked the size before I transferred it to the brass and cut it:
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Yep, now to trace it onto the brass, get out some spray paint...
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And give it a light spray:
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Now I'll just wait a few minutes before I start to cut so I don't rub all the paint off. I went upstairs and finished the 18" boys bike that was given to me last week. This is a solid little bike and I'm sure it will make some kid happy when I give it away:
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Bike finished and off the stand, I got out my heavy duty snips and started cutting.
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My dad is a HVAC guy from way back, I should've driven to VA and had him cut it, he would've had it done and perfect in seconds, he's a master with tin snips, I'm just ok. Here's what I have so far:
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Do a little scribbling with pencil and get out the dremel tool.
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And I get this:
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Then I had to shape it to the tube on the bike, this by far was the toughest part. This brass is thick, at least twice as thick as any other headbadge I have held. I rolled it and hammered it and tried all sorts of things, finally I got it right and tried it on the bike again:
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Wow... so shiny! So I heated it red hot with the torch and it took the shine away:
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And before I left the shop, I decided I needed a few more fumes... I mean, to do some painting:
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Once that paint is good and dry, then I can lightly sand the badge on a block leaving the black paint down in the carved out areas, then either add more paint or clear coat it. We'll see how it turns out.

Soon I need to get my wheels ready for paint. Ugh...

Did you know that in 1976 for the becentennial they reintroduced the $2 bill after being discontinued 10 years earlier? If you got a $2 bill issued on the first day you could go to the post office and have it stamped! Wow, or you could save a bunch of them up and go buy a 1976 Murray Skybolt, sure over the years a Skybolt would depreciate in value and a $2 bill is still worth $2, but you can't ride a piece of government issued paper.
 
Re: *The 76er* (Headbadgery update: 5/24)

Awesome work on the headbadgery. Makes me want to make my own like that instead of buying that penny. Can't wait to see the end result.
 

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