Yea I meant the rack....
Chicken always needs to be cook all the way through...
Chicken always needs to be cook all the way through...
~The Pepperbox Special~ Done.
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I've been busy, unfortunately not with this bike, it's sitting at the side of my shop currently rusting quietly, while I calculate the next step. I did however decide on a wheelset, or rather rule out the 2 speed Bendix set, as at a swap meet on Saturday I traded the Bendix set for this-
It's an AMF built, Texas Ranger, I'm not sure what year it's from, but it sure is cool and definitely has potential as a future project.
So I'll be going with a Komet set more than likely, although I do have some crusty New Departures, that just need the skiptooth cog replaced with a 1/2", so I guess I'm back in the same woods just with different wheels, this is feeling a bit like my winter build off seat conundrum.
It's an AMF built, Texas Ranger, I'm not sure what year it's from, but it sure is cool and definitely has potential as a future project.
So I'll be going with a Komet set more than likely, although I do have some crusty New Departures, that just need the skiptooth cog replaced with a 1/2", so I guess I'm back in the same woods just with different wheels, this is feeling a bit like my winter build off seat conundrum.
Pulled out one of the Komet wheelsets today, pulled the old dry rotted tires off, expecting to have to clean up some rust and assess damage, and instead found like new inner rims, I wish I'd have gotten picks now. I greased the hubs, put new rimstrips on and shod them in 26x2.125 blackwall Kenda Cruisers.
I think they fill out the fenders nicely and the knobbiness adds to the overall toughness.
I also started playing with figuring out exactly where to chop the fender.
I think that by cutting right behind the holes for the fender light, and now gone brace, it will allow the trusses to stick out past the fender making them pop more and once the headlight is mounted it will fill up a lot of the space at the front of the fork.
Of course the first cut is always the hardest to make, but I think it's getting made tomorrow. Tonight, this project sleeps, among it's brethren, tomorrow, is another day.
I think they fill out the fenders nicely and the knobbiness adds to the overall toughness.
I also started playing with figuring out exactly where to chop the fender.
I think that by cutting right behind the holes for the fender light, and now gone brace, it will allow the trusses to stick out past the fender making them pop more and once the headlight is mounted it will fill up a lot of the space at the front of the fork.
Of course the first cut is always the hardest to make, but I think it's getting made tomorrow. Tonight, this project sleeps, among it's brethren, tomorrow, is another day.
The Renaissance Man
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Looks good, I like the headlight!
That aged nicely! I like your plans on the fender cut and that light looks perfect there (just make sure that there isn't a chance of the tire bottoming out against the nuts of the light).
Great looking build!
Great looking build!
Thanks for the advice. The headlight is actually going to be mounted on a bracket yet to be fabricated which will bolt to the front truss and float a little above the fender. The placement in the picture is simply the best I could do while holding a light in one hand and trying to maneuver my phone into a decent position with the other, only a semi-accurate representation of the final light placement.
Great choice on where to cut the front fender, totally agree that is is a cool look with the struts and light!
Luke.
Luke.
looking good.
As I said yesterday, the first cut is the hardest;
From there on it was all a piece of cake. I used the piece I cut off as a template to help replicate the original shape of the end...
...and after the rough cut ended up with this.
I then precision ground it on a belt sander and cut the slot for the spring bottom to go through;
Once all was said and done, and the fender was mounted up again, it looked something like this.
With that done and my appetite whetted, I moved on to the chainguard.
At a recent swap meet my friend and business partner, Allie (SPOKEoftheDEVIL) and I were both enamored with an old J.C. Higgins that had been motorized;
This bike haunts my dreams at times, it was just so well put together in an over the top fashion. Allie really dug the stock chainguard, so much so that she made me take about a dozen pictures of it, and has suggested on more than one occasion, that I find some way of drilling out parts on this build.
So I decided to go with SPOKEoftheDEVIL's advice and drill some holes. I got one of my son's crayons and did a rubbing of my chainguard, and from the rubbing,made a template.
Then I tore up some stock tin.
The devil's in the details, and I'm quite pleased with how those details turned out, in the end I cut almost 5" off the front fender and drilled 13 holes in the chainguard, doesn't sound like a lot but when it's all part of the bigger picture it brings this vision a little closer to completion.
I also mounted the bars just to get an idea of how they would look, I've still got a little more de-chroming and polishing left to do, but I think they're keepers.
As the sun sets on another day,and the mid way point in this build off approaches, I've still got miles to go before this project is put to bed, but tomorrow's another day, with more ideas to flesh out.
From there on it was all a piece of cake. I used the piece I cut off as a template to help replicate the original shape of the end...
...and after the rough cut ended up with this.
I then precision ground it on a belt sander and cut the slot for the spring bottom to go through;
Once all was said and done, and the fender was mounted up again, it looked something like this.
With that done and my appetite whetted, I moved on to the chainguard.
At a recent swap meet my friend and business partner, Allie (SPOKEoftheDEVIL) and I were both enamored with an old J.C. Higgins that had been motorized;
This bike haunts my dreams at times, it was just so well put together in an over the top fashion. Allie really dug the stock chainguard, so much so that she made me take about a dozen pictures of it, and has suggested on more than one occasion, that I find some way of drilling out parts on this build.
So I decided to go with SPOKEoftheDEVIL's advice and drill some holes. I got one of my son's crayons and did a rubbing of my chainguard, and from the rubbing,made a template.
Then I tore up some stock tin.
The devil's in the details, and I'm quite pleased with how those details turned out, in the end I cut almost 5" off the front fender and drilled 13 holes in the chainguard, doesn't sound like a lot but when it's all part of the bigger picture it brings this vision a little closer to completion.
I also mounted the bars just to get an idea of how they would look, I've still got a little more de-chroming and polishing left to do, but I think they're keepers.
As the sun sets on another day,and the mid way point in this build off approaches, I've still got miles to go before this project is put to bed, but tomorrow's another day, with more ideas to flesh out.
Last edited:
The Renaissance Man
__CERTIFIED DIVER__ (Open Water & Open Dumpster)
Staff member
Moderator
Pro Member
Looking good! Love the speed holes!
Great ideas and execution going on with this build. The holes on that Columbia guard are great.
I am really digging this build!
I am really digging this build!
that's some fine drillium there. well done.
that motorized Higgy deserves it's own post.
that motorized Higgy deserves it's own post.
You should post that motorized Higgins photo in the bike of the day thread.
Forgive the low light, shoddy, cell phone pics, I just had to post a little teaser, as I'm getting close to having the rack as I want it. Of course some fit and finish, bits and bobs and the ever prevailing patination is yet to come, but as of now here it is.
Yeah, that's the old ashtray mounted beneath the rack as a sort of a mini trunk, I still have to cut the inside a bit to remove the ashtray frame and lighter socket, and I've got to remove a little bit of metal from the lower part of the rack's rear so that the lid can open all the way. I've got some trim work to do on the center metal strip that goes between the planks, and I've got a lot of screws to rust up.
But for right now I'm satisfied with where this ended.
Yeah, that's the old ashtray mounted beneath the rack as a sort of a mini trunk, I still have to cut the inside a bit to remove the ashtray frame and lighter socket, and I've got to remove a little bit of metal from the lower part of the rack's rear so that the lid can open all the way. I've got some trim work to do on the center metal strip that goes between the planks, and I've got a lot of screws to rust up.
But for right now I'm satisfied with where this ended.
very cool build I like it alot !!
Has anyone else ever noticed how when you're not looking for something you see it everywhere but the second you need it, nowhere to be found? I had big plans to recover my seat with the tops of old cowboy boots, I've never seen it done and thought, "hey that might be ratty/kitschy enough for this build.". So pretty much from day one I'm searching for old cowboy boots, yard sales, thrift shops, antique stores, might I remind you I live in Texas. Apparently unless I want super awesome, there's no way I'm cutting these up, vintage boots that cost an arm and a leg...big old fat goose egg. I was a little down and then today I found a pair, reasonably priced, good color, realized there's not enough leather up there to cover anything bigger than a slim road saddle. Fortunately this revelation came in the store before I had bought said boots, but nonetheless, I was cast mercilessly back to the proverbial drawing board...which lead me to a closet.
For the past 18 months I've been biking to work, 6 miles every day, rain or shine, consequentially I've slimmed down a lot. I boxed up a bunch of old clothes a few months back, as luck would have it that box of clothes I kept, planning to donate, still hasn't been donated, and in it, my now ill fitting vintage 1970's leather car coat, which now, will not make it through the night unscathed.
So disassembled a section of the back large enough to cover my seat;
Roughly cut it to shape;
And started playing around with some of the possibilities;
So far, so good, nothing glued down, nothing stitched, just a basic idea.
I wish the cowboy boot idea had worked out, but if I get creative enough, I think I can do something as cool if not cooler with the materials at hand, we'll see.
For the past 18 months I've been biking to work, 6 miles every day, rain or shine, consequentially I've slimmed down a lot. I boxed up a bunch of old clothes a few months back, as luck would have it that box of clothes I kept, planning to donate, still hasn't been donated, and in it, my now ill fitting vintage 1970's leather car coat, which now, will not make it through the night unscathed.
So disassembled a section of the back large enough to cover my seat;
Roughly cut it to shape;
And started playing around with some of the possibilities;
So far, so good, nothing glued down, nothing stitched, just a basic idea.
I wish the cowboy boot idea had worked out, but if I get creative enough, I think I can do something as cool if not cooler with the materials at hand, we'll see.
I spent a little time working on the leather for the seat a bit more today, gussying it up, nothing too fancy for right now, a little stitch work;
My thought right now is that I'll continue this stitch pattern over the nose and possibly do something else up top, I'm hoping that once this things finished and stretched I don't end up with a seat that's ribbed for his displeasure, but if that ends up being the case, I have plenty of leather where this came from, and a simple, no frills upholstery job takes like an hour.
After sitting in one place stitching got to driving me up a wall, I cannot sit still, I'm like the lovechild of a hummingbird and a shark, I decided to play around with some ideas I've had for a tank plate. I took some salvaged shelves, cause it's not a build off till someone makes something cool out of old metal shelves, and got to cutting. The end result...
...kind of lackluster huh?
I got three matching plates cut, because I have three different ideas, and I know at least one will not only not work, look horrible, or just turn out to be against the laws of the physical universe and therefore impossible, but will also completely and totally wreck the plate. So preemptive overproduction. There will be more to see as this tank experiment continues but it's late and I'm covered in metal dust and want nothing more than to take a shower, so stay tuned...till later, whenever that may be.
My thought right now is that I'll continue this stitch pattern over the nose and possibly do something else up top, I'm hoping that once this things finished and stretched I don't end up with a seat that's ribbed for his displeasure, but if that ends up being the case, I have plenty of leather where this came from, and a simple, no frills upholstery job takes like an hour.
After sitting in one place stitching got to driving me up a wall, I cannot sit still, I'm like the lovechild of a hummingbird and a shark, I decided to play around with some ideas I've had for a tank plate. I took some salvaged shelves, cause it's not a build off till someone makes something cool out of old metal shelves, and got to cutting. The end result...
...kind of lackluster huh?
I got three matching plates cut, because I have three different ideas, and I know at least one will not only not work, look horrible, or just turn out to be against the laws of the physical universe and therefore impossible, but will also completely and totally wreck the plate. So preemptive overproduction. There will be more to see as this tank experiment continues but it's late and I'm covered in metal dust and want nothing more than to take a shower, so stay tuned...till later, whenever that may be.
