Blackened (7-21, update)

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Heavy Pedal

Heavy Pedal

Joined
Feb 14, 2008
Messages
194
Reaction score
38
Location
Minneapolis, MN
Cool! RRBBO4. I missed the space build-off. Lotta great bikes in that one!
I'm using what I believe to be a Columbia Sterling, because it says Sterling on the chainguard. I posted this bike a while back in the finds section, and someone said it was a Columbia. Any help with the year of this model would be great.
I'm calling it Black Sunshine after a song by White Zombie, plus I have a few cans of black to use. Don't know if I should go gloss or flat. Anyhoo, thats it. Later.

columbiasterling.jpg
 
Re: Black Sunshine

Yep, it's a mid-late 60s Columbia. I have this one, called the Rat-Ster. Been working on it sporadically for about a year. Hoping I can get a 24x3" tire out back. ~Adam
SUNP0029.jpg
 
Re: Black Sunshine

Heavy Pedal said:
Gee... I guess I should have paid more attention to the build sites! :oops:
Click to expand...

Don't worry about it. I sure don't refer to it by that name. It's just my '62 Typhoon. :lol:
 
Blackened

Blacksheep, thanks for the feedback, but I'm gonna go with my second choice, Blackened, a song off Metallica's 'And Justice For All' album. When you think about it, there are alot of possibilities for the word black for a name. A few off the top of my head, Blackout, Back in Black, Black Plague....
I checked out your '62 Typhoon build. Very cool! Black and chrome!
 
Re: Blackened

Thanks for the compliment on my bike, but you really didn't have to change the name. I was just pointing out that it was a good one. Blackened, on the other hand, is also a great song and bike name. 8)
 
Blackened (6-1, update)

So I got the whole bike disassembled. Now I start piece by piece. Decided to come up with a different seat. I had a set of seat pans that go together, but the mounting bracket was shot, so I had this older mounting bracket and thought I could combine the two.
seat1.jpg

First thing I did was sand 'em down and primer them.
seat2.jpg

Then I had to come up with a seat cover. I've done white vinyl before, so I found this scrap piece of black leather and thought it would go well with the black theme going on.
seat3.jpg

Next I needed some padding for the seat pan, so I used a big piece of cotton I found in the trash at work.
seat4.jpg

Then I cut the cotton and leather to give me enough to tuck under for the second part of the seat pan.
seat5.jpg

I then put the pan in place and bent the joining tabs down to keep it together.
seat6.jpg

Bolted the older mounting bracket on and called it done.
seat7.jpg

I apologize for my cell phone pics. Now, on to the fork. Later.
 
Re: Blackened (6-1, update)

O.K., as far as the fork goes, I wanted something different than the original. So I found an old BMX fork that fits the frame I'm using and cut 'er down.
fork1.jpg

Then I took a section of leftover chainlink fence pipe, measured the desired length and cut it in two.
fork2.jpg

I needed spacers to make the 2 pipe pieces fit better, so I cut off some sections from another scrap fork for the original fork.
fork3.jpg

After the fit, I drilled 2 holes on each side and bolted the sections together.
fork4.jpg

Then I measured (guesstamated) at the end of the pipe and drilled a hole, and hacksawed a path down for the front wheel to bolt onto.
fork5.jpg

Finished fork with angle cuts on the lower fork.
fork6.jpg

And a shot with first coat of primer.
fork7.jpg

Now that that's done, on to the handlebars.

I'm seeing alot of cool builds so far! I can't believe the number of bikes in this build! Cooool!
 
Re: Blackened (6-20, update)

Got the frame sanded down and painted it flat black primer, which is the color I'm going with. Looked kinda boring, so I thought I'd add a frame insert for a tank look. I wanted it to fit perfectly in the frame, and doing this before was a pain, so I came up with another idea using powder to make my stencil.
tank1.jpg


tank2.jpg


Then I cut out my stencil and traced it to a piece of 3/4" board.
tank3.jpg


After cutting it out, I painted it with the black primer used on the frame.
tank4.jpg

Then I jazzed it up by screen printing this design on it.
tank5.jpg


Still much to do in a summer that's filling up! Later.
 
Re: Blackened (6-26, update)

Thats a great idea you came up with to make a stencil! Have to put that one in the memory bank!
Coming out slick!

Thanks, Joe
 
Re: Blackened (6-26, update)

Very good Idea.How did it work out? :mrgreen:
 
Re: Blackened (6-30, update)

Attached the frame insert with screws after drilling 2 holes under the frame to the wood. You can see a little of the front screw. Holds it in good and the insert fits great. Also got a decent skip-tooth sprocket off a 1950 Schwinn to go with a rear rim I got with some other bike parts at a sale.
frametank.jpg

The front rim is a 24" Schwinn.
wheels.jpg

Got some rust sanding to do. Great.
 

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