The Elgin Experiment (could have been a contender)

Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum

Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Re: The Elgin Experiment (Chrome In A Can...3:30 am teaser)

steer clear of the fabric backed stuff. it doen't stretch.

i've used leater jackets, deer hide etc. (dont wanna use anything thicker to wrap the seat)
leather jacket ($3 good will)even used a seam to my advantage.
IMG_1054.jpg

IMG_1088.jpg

deer hide (lightly dyed)
IMG_1589.jpg

IMG_0998.jpg
]
thinner, real leather is def. the way to go.

now ya could stitch/lace a panel of the 11 oz veg tanned leather to a section of deer hide.(pehaps a deer hide skirt laced around a seat pan shape piece of the veggie tanned) this would allow easy wrapping of the seat while giving you the heavier leather to tool.
 
Re: The Elgin Experiment (Chrome In A Can...3:30 am teaser)

Thats a good point about the thinner leather, Im going to head over there again soon. Another question i have, is do you use any padding under the hide? the pan is not the most uncomfortable thing, but when i rode more than a few miles on this bike, my rear was not that happy.

So, i started to mock it up...
c0b909af.jpg


when ups arrived...
9e97bb80.jpg


and...
2fbba9cd.jpg


643f654b.jpg


db156a4d.jpg


85959c7d.jpg


overall the quality of these discs arent that great. they fit well and are an easy install. If you want discs, and you dont want to hand over 300 smackers to moon - these are your best bet, unless you make your own.
 
Re: The Elgin Experiment (They call me Floppy Disc, baby.)

yes. i use padding. the last one i did, i just used dish towels(dollar store) the quilted looking type.

i cut a few pieces shaped like the pan (contact cemented each one in place) the last piece i cut larger than the pan so i could wrap around the edges (i use contact cement on both top and bottom edges to hold it in place) i found if you make all the layers wrap around the edges, folds become an issue and its hard to get a nice wrap with your leather.

again with the leather i use contact cement on the top and bottom of the pan (especially the edges)

you will have to wait for each layer of contact cement/padding to set up.
i usually leave it tacking up on both pieces for 1/2hour before connecting and 10 mins after thier glued together before appling the next layer.
 
Re: The Elgin Experiment (They call me Floppy Disc, baby.)

Wow those discs dramaticly change the affect, is that the color they are staying? I'm not sure if I like them yet or not , it makes the bike look really short...it just might be the color I don't know....., It does remind me of a very rare military HD with a shaft drive that has the solid wheels a friend of mine owns. All I know is whatever you do it will be cool........and done....more than I can say :oops:
 
Re: The Elgin Experiment (They call me Floppy Disc, baby.)

I dont quite know if i should paint them.. i thought about spraying them silver, but i know the paint wont hold up and it will look like crap in a few months... i also thought about pin striping them like old solid wheels.

i dunno
 
Re: The Elgin Experiment (They call me Floppy Disc, baby.)

I 've seen those and wondered how they would look, as my wife would kill me if bought the Moonies . If it were my build I would have a die cut decal made up(just because I think vinyl would stick to the plastic better then paint) with ELGIN in cursive, just like hubcaps from back in the day. I do like it. :D
 
Re: The Elgin Experiment (They call me Floppy Disc, baby.)

That thing is absolutely "gorgeo.........Never mind, I'll wait til your done.
 
Re: The Elgin Experiment (They call me Floppy Disc, baby.)

thats all?!?!? ive destroyed perfectly good complete bikes :lol:
looking forward to seeing more :mrgreen:
 
Re: The Elgin Experiment (They call me Floppy Disc, baby.)

looks awesome! i think the tank needs some silver. :wink:
 
Re: The Elgin Experiment (They call me Floppy Disc, baby.)

it'll clean up...
5b894419.jpg


no it wont..
510dacbb.jpg


it started as a horn - my plan is to do another dual color light like i did last year..

photos.jpg


photo-3.jpg


Speaking of last year... I dont quite know if this elgin is going to live up to last years standards...

DSC_0038.jpg

:cry:
 
Re: The Elgin Experiment (Lets learn how to botch paint jobs)

oh dont second guess yourself, that bike is awesome too. :lol:
 
Re: The Elgin Experiment (Lets learn how to botch paint jobs)

I think next year im going to do do a patina'd bike - i dont like painting anymore.

here is a less botched job of striping the rack - i wanted a thicker line to hide the -rough edges...

80dbfb4c.jpg


95ce743d.jpg


this bike is making me mad... so mad i smashed this buick
fb3d6ade.jpg


im going outside to take more pics of the headlight that... was kinda fixed
 
Re: The Elgin Experiment (Less botch - more stripe)

well, that last update had to be one of the lamest ive ever done. so i went out to make up for it - first off i want to show off this purdy stem i got
85959c7d.jpg


now, i sanded the headlight down and re-painted it, it came out just as crappy as last time, mostly because i didnt take it down to bare metal, these horns/lights have a realllly thick old paint on them and if there is a little bit of it exposed, the newer crappy paint spots and bubbles right up.

so i went rummaging and found this other headlight that i already converted to LED, i was going to use it on my motorbike and run twin headlights, but i can always get another one of these things.

679c4cbb.jpg


hmmmm....

f2664ef9.jpg


d56dc0a4.jpg


or...

38b85887.jpg


and...

47530ee7.jpg


or...

f09cf36a.jpg


im getting back in the swing of things... slowly

94bb12b3.jpg
 
Re: The Elgin Experiment (Lights!)

I like lights mounted higher too. I think their function is as much for you to be seen by motorists as they are for you to see where you're going.

Just my 2¢

Cheers!
 

Latest posts

Back
Top