~The Pepperbox Special~ Done.

shop deals on amazon
BOXKARS
Advertise with us
Shop deals on ebay
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.
So another busy day, I stayed home from work because I've had a migraine since 9:00 am Tuesday, slept in, woke around 10:00 am, migraine free and went to work, on something I actually care about (I did not go to my place of employment).
Cut some cardboard and counted out some rivets;

and cut two pieces of leather from the ill fated car coat, and cut up an old flexible cutting board;

and what did I do with this hodge podge assortment? Made the rockinest mud flap ever to border on Leatherdaddysville.


While I was in my groove working with softer materials, I did a bit more work on the seat, I think I'll be adding a ridge along the center seam similar to the three on the lower but running vertically, and possibly call it quits. As of today, still unglued, stretched as well as packing tape holds, this is my seat.


Should I add the vertical ridge or just leave the seam visible, anyone have an opinion?
So as the sun moved across the sky, I moved on to something a bit more vexing, the tank plate. I decided to cut two pieces that matched the front of the tank plate, I then drilled them to match the details on the chainguard;

Drilled corresponding holes in the tank plate, after realizing that I probably should have clamped them all together and done it all at once...:confused: I then threw some screws where they won't end up once this things done, just so I could see how it looked put together, and bent some strapping, and wrapped some leather scraps to hold it all in place for the time being.


This is nowhere near done, I'd say maybe a quarter at best, consider this the prepped canvas of tank plates. More often than not, after I get over a migraine I go on these weird creative binges, so stay tuned something way cool is coming.
 
Last edited:
love the frame
 
It's been a good couple of days, I've been trying to figure out what chain ring to use, I needed something that was going to not be too busy, as to distract from everything else, but I also needed something that wasn't so plain that it just became a boring piece that served a function but overall lacked in form. This weekend I found the perfect piece;

While I was "geared" up I decided I needed something to fill the reflector hole in my rear fender so I put something together and I'm quite smitten with it;


Lastly I worked more on the tank, it's coming along but it's a lengthy process, plus it's down to the last few days till pay day so funds are low and my fastener finding excursion to the hardware store will have to wait, as will the world to see exactly what I'm cooking up. I drilled quite a few more holes, and using old nails to make rivets, attached some pieces of that strapping, I still need to rust it all up and work out the hanging straps.


But it's getting there slowly, one hole at a time.
I also have the handle bars exactly how I want them, after quite a bit of sanding, grinding and leaving them out in the rain. I also found the perfect set of grips;


Hopefully this week will be a productive one, and I'll have more to post.
 
Great ideas! Love the idea of using nail heads as rivets and that gear reflector is awesome!
 
You may consider boiled linseed oil top/bottom on the wooden rack inserts.
Once dry (er, uh...barbequed) and flat, linseed oil will seal, slightly darken
and keep them from warping again if they get wet.. Nice bike..
 
SILVERKINGPC said:
You may consider boiled linseed oil top/bottom on the wooden rack inserts.
Once dry (er, uh...barbequed) and flat, linseed oil will seal, slightly darken
and keep them from warping again if they get wet.. Nice bike..
Click to expand...
Cool, thanks for the tip. I was thinking polyurethane, or just not getting it wet ever again.;)
 
So here's a little something I've been working on. I realized I have an overabundance of crusty old, never going to see the road again, chains hanging in my shop. I use them sometimes in my artwork, but I thought, "how can I integrate these into a build?", since I'd never seen anyone use chains on a tank I figured I'd go for it. So here it is;

[URL=http://s1156.photobucket.com/user/littleblackhymnal/media/Photo1696.jpg.html] [/URL]
I've still got to soak all the screws and nuts in vinegar to remove the plating, and then apply a healthy coating of flux to give them that, really darn old look, then I've got to make the actual hanging straps, which will be made of old shipping strapping, something like this, but different;

Things are coming along wonderfully, but I've still got a lot to do and time is getting shorter. Every year the UNT art dept. does an employee exhibition and I'll be showing this in the sculpture category. I have to deliver it to the gallery by July 25, so I'm a little pressed for time, I've got six days less than everyone else, so it's almost time to burn the midnight oil.
 
Tank looks fab!!!
Some music to keep that Midnight Oil Burning...
 
Last night I wrapped the tank plate in a rag, soaked it in vinegar and let it sit, this morning there was no plating left on the screws I had used to secure the chains and the rust was beginning to show;


While I was waiting for the the pickle to take effect, I went ahead and glued the leather down on the seat, and got it stretched and put together, so that's done. One more brick in the wall.


And while I was at it, I figured I'd get the headlight mounted;

Right now, sans rack and mudflap, and tank straps, here it is;


I've still got a lot of distance to cover in a very short period of time, but seeing this put together, even though I'll have to take it all apart to shoot clearcoat, and then put it back together again, it's still awesome to see it all put together.
 
Great tank, great seat, great light, great bike!!!
 
LukeTheJoker said:
So, how is the seat? Is it comfortable, or does it suffer from the issue you thought it might? Looks great either way...

Luke.
Click to expand...
So far, so good, now, there's no chain on the bike, and the springer has an old stem bolt filling in for that main, massive pin until after clear coating, so I haven't taken it for a spin yet, but as far as sitting on it in the driveway goes, it's more comfortable than a bare pan, and the ridges can't be felt with jeans on, now if I were to don spandex :eek:...I'd look like a joke on this bike, and I'm pretty sure I might feel the ridges, but seeing as spandex isn't my thing, I feel that bridge shall remain uncrossed. To more directly answer your question, yeah it's pretty comfortable.;)
 
Missing Link said:
So far, so good, now, there's no chain on the bike, and the springer has an old stem bolt filling in for that main, massive pin until after clear coating, so I haven't taken it for a spin yet, but as far as sitting on it in the driveway goes, it's more comfortable than a bare pan, and the ridges can't be felt with jeans on, now if I were to don spandex :eek:...I'd look like a joke on this bike, and I'm pretty sure I might feel the ridges, but seeing as spandex isn't my thing, I feel that bridge shall remain uncrossed. To more directly answer your question, yeah it's pretty comfortable.;)
Click to expand...
:21:

Luke.
 
I won't bore you folks with detailed photos of random parts strung from kite string all about my patio, but clear coating has begun. With all the parts swaying in the breeze my house looks like something from "The Texas Tetanus Massacre", but that means I'm nearing that final stretch, where everything I've worked so hard on is finally revealed in all it's...glory? Glory's not quite the word, perhaps...decadence? If that term can be applied to a bunch of rusty tin, riveted and bolted together, some wood, some leather, some glass, a juxtaposition of media, texture, color and idea, then so be it.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top