Rat Salad - 7/26 - Done! Complete! Finished!

[streetpirate]

Starting with a ~'59-'60 Hawthorne Hercules I found living behind some guys house with 3000 other bikes last summer.

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=46363

more info on the bike http://threespeedbicycles.com/Hercules_ ... ycles.html














Those are the pics I got before I took the bike apart for a cleaning.

It started out as a 590 iso 26" bike, and I'm putting 630 iso 27" laced to a '69 Sturmey 3 speed.
This will be a no-power tools build, as it will be built in the living room of my apartment.
I need to take off for school so the pile-o-parts pics and the initial mock-up pics will have to wait until this afternoon.


The name seems fitting, this bike came from the same home town of birmingham as Judas Priest, but I'm not the biggest Priest fan so I might change it. Maybe some Motorhead (even though their a london band) reference or Sabbath (birminghams finest) reference? Cantelever architect? Wheels of Confusion? Rat Salad? Speedfreak(will be a path racer-ish bike)? Built for Speed? Iron Horse? Lemmy's Mole?

[yoothgeye]

Looks like you have your work cut out for you, so what is your moss idea?

[Gold Street Customs]

Nice to see some more brit bikes this year.

[streetpirate]

OK, Rat Salad it is! Inspirational theme music for the build, just have to build it in two and a half minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiK2rs7Vvjk


the pile-o-parts




70's nishiki mixtie fork, all chrome under the paint I think, will be stripping the paint and leaving it chrome.

random old aluminum roadie stem, some aluminum straight-ish bars, and late 80s, early 90s bmx brake levers





bought two front 27" wheels with old ratty skinwall tires off craigslist, same guy I got the bars, stem, and forks from. One aluminum for the front, and a steel in the back. I bought the steel wheel for the back because it had the same hub flange size as the aw hub from my parts box, so I could lace it up without buying new spokes. the front hub is a Mallard Spidel thats made in france laced to an araya hoop










using the Wrights leather saddle I bought off the for sale section here a while back, was crusty and dry but with lots of tlc and half a tub of velo orange saddle goo it's as good as new







mocked up






got the square crank off the same nishiki mixtie to replace the cottered one that I had to cut off with a grinder










So I need to find some brake calipers with the right reach, that match, that are sidepulls, and cranks and a sprocket. then on to the small parts like cables and such.

Still don't have a plan for the paint, I'm thinking medium blue metallic ala Mopar B5 blue with white detailing around the lugs, but undecided. I might try some faux-tina just for kicks

[Houndog]

I love the name,I am a huge Sabbath fan!!!..I don't see the need for paint..

[streetpirate]

I love the name,I am a huge Sabbath fan!!!..I don't see the need for paint..

I'm still torn on leaving the frame the way it is, it has the patina but I'm just not sure if I'm sold on how it looks? I may try to take a little more off. all these frames ive seen were metallic red, which seems to be a thin coat of transparent red over a silver base for the metallic look, all over black.

I'm a huge early 70s rock fan, and Rat Salad encompasses perfectly the sound of the genre. Maybe I'll start providing appropriate background music will all my updates?

Dirty Tricks - Back Off Evil 1975
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjuMXLJsNK8

[yoothgeye]

Sweet, almost a rider already.

[streetpirate]

Ive been wanting to build the frame up since I got it, just got the new parts a month ago then decided to wait for the build off to assemble.

[streetpirate]

and I'm not trying to build a competition winner, just the most awesome bike I can build out of the used parts I can find around town and the cardboard box of spare parts that I actually would want to ride everyday in comfort, style, and speed

[NewOrleansFlyer]

Is that a picture of trucks on the Salt Flats in the background?? Maybe one of the coolest places ever...used to go out their to launch high powered rockets......big high powered rockets!

[streetpirate]

my screensaver on my computer is a slideshow of the pictures I took when I made the pilgrimage to speedweek over the summer. http://s33.photobucket.com/albums/d75/s ... ek%202011/

the pic I took thinking of RRB





I'm just a car nerd that has resorted to building cool bikes while I'm poor and living in an apartment while finishing school

[streetpirate]

can't forget the soundtrack updates!


Fresh Blueberry Pancake - Hassles - 1970
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egqIGnSzbD8

[Doon]

I like your thinking. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

[Circa Cycles]

Looks great so far.Love the stance Looks quick already

[streetpirate]

used shop towels wrapped around the forks soaked in acetone to remove the paint without harming the finish underneath in my apartment bathtub/parts washer




that got quite a bit off after about 5 applications and soaking for a while, then used a plastic scraper to get the majority of the remaining paint off, then detail work around the crown with an old pocket knife, then fine steel wool the remainder off to get this



the red is just a reflection


I have so much homework right now I should not be messing with bike parts!


Can't forget the tunes!

Cactus - One Way Or Another - 1971
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSZ-9-ocxRs