This is the official list of new parts I just had to buy. Two 27 inch tires, two 27 inch tubes, two rubber tube protectors (the guy at the bike shop called them spoke condoms. He's a funny guy) and a set of cables. The pedals pictured are off my wife's Gary Fisher but it turned out they wouldn't fit (wrong size threads) so I went with the set off the donor frame. I also stole her old seat.
Total? $30.00.
Remember the cruiser handlebars off the donor frame? Remember how I said I was a cheap bastard? You do? Good cause I decided to straighten them, cut them off and make a flat bar out of them.
I absolutely love power tools. The real reason I did this project was just to justify owning them. I heated them up with my trusty oxy/acetylene torch and bent (And hammered. Let's not forget the hammering) them more or less straight then cut em down to a more human size.
I got this. A little bumpy but they'll work just fine and look okay once I get the brakes and shifter mounted. I hope.
Of course I couldn't do this alone. I did have some expert help. They're taking a break here. Just before this shot they were all over that bike, slobbering on things and generally making themselves useful.
The frame needed some final finishing. I decided to smooth some rough edges with Fast Steel and a sander. It's not fast and it's not steel but it is harder than bondo so...
Cut off a chunk.
Knead it to mix in the hardener.
And spread it on. You have about 15 minutes so you know, no hurry. BTW, fingers make great putty knives.
Time to sand. Woo Hoo, more power tools!
Frame's done. Time to paint. The missus had some very nice blue paint in the shed and there was plenty for the project so I....appropriated it. And hey! It's Rustoleum.
The fork. Please ignore that original yellow. The frame covers that up. I swear. I actually checked this time.
The fork. Please ignore that original yellow. The frame covers that up. I swear. I actually checked this time.
The frame. Does my ass really look like that? Maybe it's just the camera angle. Yeah, that's it.
All the parts together in one place. Can you feel the excitement? I was still certain I was going to be able to use those pedals. Without checking to be sure. Hey, everyone is wrong occasionally.
The wheels. I started out thinking I'd replace all the spokes. Yeah...not. Real budget buster. The funny bike guy said forget it. Just tighten them and let it go. So, new plan. Polish the rims and paint everything else.This time I got some real help. Isn't she cute? Thanks sweetie!
Painted the hubs but still not looking too good. Gonna have to go further. Words to send a sane man screaming. Luckily, I'm not sane.
Taping off the rims. Are we having fun yet?
Ready for painting. Hubs, spokes, gears. I painted everything.
And hey! It's a wheel. Whadda ya think?
I'm going to post the final assembly and test ride later this week but here's a teaser. The frame with the newly painted and tire shod wheels mounted.
Is it looking like an actual bike? Will it work and ride?
Is this all just an exercise in humiliation?
Tune in next week for the final installment of Insane Crazy Welder Boy and find out.
5 comments:
This project is 300 different kinds of awesome! I have been itching to do one like it for a while. Good stuff!
Hey brother! Welcome and thanks for stopping by. I'm having a ball with this project. So much so that I'm just gonna have to do it again. I encourage you to try it. It's downright cathartic.
Power tools are sooooo much fun!
I got your site linked. Great stuff. Keep it up.
eric
Ok is one of the rules I got to find the bike in a dumpster? That may be difficult because any bike within 40 miles of Detroit that can be ridden or pushed or sold for scrap is spoken for. I am thinking a good flea market, or garage sale find miht be better for me. I am thinking I would like to media blast the frame and then bring the frame to a high polish. How rad would a nearly mirror chrome bike be? I am thinking totally rad-tastic.
I think the flea market or garage sale is a great idea. Doohickie said dumpster but I actually found the Schwinn on a mtb trail. I keep seeing 10 dollar bikes on craigslist so my next project will probably come from there.
Media blasting the frame to a high polish would be cool beyond words and cause me to be mondo jealous.
I'm telling ya, this was more fun than I can describe.
What you're referring to as spoke condoms are probably more commonly known as rim strips.
I'm sorry to come in too late with this tip, but the backyard mechanic's trusty substitute is a few loops of insulating tape.
For single-walled rims(where the tube will rest directly against the tip of the spokes) this will do just fine, and have the added bonus of avoiding to use yet another item for its intended purpose.
On MTBs with double-walled rims(where the tip of the spoke is lurking at the bottom of a hole) the use of insulating tape instead of rim strips will add just a little extra thrill to every ride, as the tape is known to sometimes creep and stretch to the point of the tube bursting. Particularly if it's a warm day.
For high-pressure road tires on double-walled rims the use of insulating tape instead of rim strips is past the point of calculated risk and into the realm of sheer wishful thinking.
Otherwise, keep it up, I really like your approach!
Post a Comment