The RUST HUFFER (the DAYTONATOR Mk II)

[rms37]

I have a project that fits the time frame and general qualifications for this build-off so I decided to throw my hat in the ring. It is time to de-construct the DAYTONATOR which was assembled to be my rider for our local Fall Color Ride last fall.

I put the bike together based on an idea I had for some time and was able to ride it about 2 miles on the abbreviated FCR (the weather let us down this year). The bike rode surprisingly well as I am not a fan of using springers on my riders. I was even able to stop without problems after someone noted that I hadn’t tied down my coaster brake.

My intention now is to move the springer to another bike and build the RUST HUFFER starting with the frame and rear fender from the Daytonator. While the “D” was a nice ride, one outing is typically the duration for anything I use and I had originally envisioned a bike with more of an even rust finish.

So my goal for this build-off is to build a Ratrod rider that mechanically rides well (I plan to bolt down the brake arm this time), slightly modified from stock, with an even rust/house paint patina, and that I can keep together and forget.

The DAYTONATOR, Fall 2008

 

[Unchained]

Don't lose the springer! :mrgreen: You could build a bike around that beast!

 

[BrigmasterA]

If you need to lose the springer my way, phil, lemme know. ;-)

 

[yeshoney]

Nice to see you in on this one!

Sometime you have to post some of your other bikes.

Joe

 

[BankerRAt]

That springer looks familiar "JOE"? I like it so far

 

[Danimal]

That springer looks familiar "JOE"? I like it so far

Nope, I have Joe's. Guess where it's going?

 

[rms37]

I was afraid that the opening photo of the Daytonator would garner more excitement for the Dial-A-Ride springer than for the proposed build sans-springer. Like Mr Knit-Knots, I deemed the D-A-R springer just too exciting and am hoping to build the Rust Huffer to be about as exciting as sitting back and watching steel oxidize.

I hope to have the Daytonator knocked down by the end of the weekend and then start digging for parts for the Rust Huffer build. The Dial-A-Ride springer is scheduled to go back to the pile that represents my later Dial-A-Ride bike, which I plan to start re-assembling in case anyone exciting comes to visit.

I am planning to surplus the wheel set from the Daytonator if anyone is interested. I’m gathering some parts to take to the Tacoma Swap Meet this weekend and I will try to list some of them in the classifieds before the end of the week.

 

[karfer67]

very cool bike good luck i say piss off the purists and whack that rare fork up u would win the "most wrong thing to do to a super rare part award" for sure. good luck

 

[rms37]

Thanks Karfer67, the Daytonator served its purpose as a showcase for the Dial-A-Ride fork. If I tried too hard to win an award for doing something wrong with the fork it would only encourage others to try to best my efforts and then where would we be? Forced to look at Bluebirds done up in Drag Boat Metalflake Blue? Wait…that’s already been done…

Anyway, as soon as I get a free moment the fork will return to the pile, unscathed, and I’ll be looking for something else to prop up the front of the Rust Huffer. With Tomorrow being the Tacoma Swap and Sunday being Mother’s day. It may be next week before I get back to my pre-build de-build.

 

[rms37]

Timing is Everything

I do my best work under pressure and with deadlines looming. It takes a great amount of discipline to put things off till the last minute but after several years of placing my eBay bids with mere seconds to go I have developed a reasonable skill set in the arena of premeditated procrastination.

Goodbye Daytonator

I was out of the house this morning at the crack of dawn (if I lived in Hawaii, about 9:00 am in my neighborhood) and came upon this grisly scene, the site of the last stand of the Daytonator.

According to eyewitness reports, sometime last night I finally blew the bike apart and then casually went indoors to attend to my regular TV regimen and rest up before the last big day of RRBO 4.

How’d you do that ?

One of the things that always bugged me about the Daytonator was the way the constructor had exchanged the front fender from a girl’s Huffman to facilitate a cheap bob and then left the excess metal protruding beneath the chain stays.

Some deft work with a dull hacksaw took care of the problem and signaled the beginning and the end of the customization phase of the Rust Huffer.

I liked the old Fork !

While the cushy ride provided by the Dial-A-Ride was nice, as I stated previously, I wanted something more boring and in addition, my goal has come down to building a bike that I could walk away from with no regrets.

Magic Fork Garden

Fortunately some of the Dayton forks in the fork garden have reached maturity, just two weeks ago they were only suitable for 24” applications but today I was able to harvest one in a very nice rust-tone that has reached 26” size. I’ll have to harvest the others before they become unusable though I may leave a couple in the ground until they reach 28” for any future upcoming Pre-Balloon and Canadian projects.

 

[rms37]

Wheels

While I could bore you with a lengthy story about my Wheel selection, I would also be boring myself so suffice it to say they are generally round, generally match the patina of the bike, and generally hold air (some of which is left over from the last time I rode them which may be twenty years ago.) During installation I was careful to tie down the brake reaction arm, something I failed to do before the Daytonator’s maiden voyage.

Iffy Stand

Along with the wheel installation came the attachment of a very rusty (mouth-wateringly so!) Iffy stand. Marketed pre and post war as a Jiffy stand they turn up often on eBay probably because no one liked them in the day. They sort of look cool when in the up position but don’t function all that well in the down position which is position that would validate carrying one along for the ride.

I used one on this build because they look kind of cool when they are up, it is really rusty, and I was afraid that a drop stand would provide too much down force clipped to the end of my bobbed fender.

Crankset

The Daytonator ran a small ½ inch pitch sprocket (Mossberg ?) and ½” drive train. I decided to return to 1” pitch for the Rust Huffer build and had done some homework over the last two months finding what I thought I would need.

A key ingredient was a rusted Huffman crank that is wider than all the other cranks I tried when I was putting the Daytonator together. This allows the crank to rotate a full 360 degrees unimpeded by the placement of the chain stays.

A crusty length of I” pitch chain is no problem because that is what all my prewar purchases have come equipped with.

The Final Touches

I’ve noted several goals I have had for this project. One of my goals was to recycle as little as possible of the Daytonator into this bike. Unfortunately I never dug up a Saddle that I preferred to the look of the one I used on the Daytonator. Along with the saddle came the seat post and seat clamp which fit the frame perfectly, something none of the other units I tried did. I’m ok with the shiny post but the super chrome seat clamp looked bad, my wife came to the rescue and offered up some quick rusting paint that she uses in her art. I was skeptical but the end result looks like it left the factory with the bike.

In an effort to Rat it up a notch I chose mismatched pedals for extra points.

Finally I broke my walk away from it plan by installing a set of my favorite “V” bars. They look great and they will insure I don’t ditch the bike halfway out on my next ride….

The End

 

[herr_rudolf]

I never liked rust...
..but seeing your bike makes me think twice. Now, I can see the coolness in oxidation. Your bike just looks RIGHT.

Well done.

 

[Dan Jose]

This was good fun. A laugh plus some pics of a cool bike.

 

[rms37]

Thanks Dan, I may be harvesting some more of those Huffman forks for my next sale post.