Tribute to our friends

[Dr. Tankenstein]

WOW! You are definitely building more than an average bike here, this is going to be a showpiece!

Keep up the great work, you are inspiring me....


Cheers!
Dr. T

[Fireproof]

My daughter has been doing the updates for this bike, but I made a few small parts for it at my shop after work Friday night and she was not there, so I will do this update.

First . . .

is that u in a dress ...u cant cut n weld in a dress !!!! MIKE

Yes Mike, but she has a pair of coveralls she wears when we’re working. I took some photos and forgot the flash. I did not notice until the photos were uploaded, so we retook the photo. Them newfangled cameras are some real complicated devices!

Secondly, I want to point out a booboo that we made so that you can avoid the same mistake. One of the basic rules when bending seamed tubing is to put the seam to the INSIDE of the bend. Fortunately, the seam did not split or collapse when we made the sissy bar, but it is right out where it can be seen, so it will take some sanding to get rid of it. Look back at the photos . . . the seam is that dark line on the tube. Oh well . . . onwards and upwards!

The pressure is on . . . I now see this check list she made every time I go to the refrigerator!

I'm going to address that last item all by myself!

[Fireproof]

On Friday, I was mulling over the options for mounting the sissy bar. Since the bar might get chromed, it needs to be bolted on, but with no hardware exposed on the outside of the bar. We will be utilizing an existing pair of holes in the dropouts. Also, it will be doing double-duty as fender struts. I was considering welding some small bolts to the insides of the sissy bar and then making up some plugs for the open bottoms of the tube. After I found a piece of groundig rod at the shop, I was going to stick it in the lathe to turn something to plug the bottoms of the bar, but I think I figured out a cool way to kill two birds with one stone!
First, I drilled a hole through just the inside wall of the tubing 3/8" up from the bottom of the bar . . . both sides. I used an angle finder on the sissy bar to determine the fasteners will need enter the bar at an 85 degree angle to avoid binding. Hard to see, but the head of the mill is set to 5 degrees for drilling. I used this for the rest of the parts I made.

[Fireproof]

Here’s that grounding rod I told you about. I turned down the end so that it would fit into the end of the tube, then into the mill it went. Drilled the hole, then tapped the threads . . . at a 5 degree angle.

[Fireproof]

The rod went back into the lathe to get rid of the stuff that didn’t look like sissy bar. (Btw, this photo amazed me when I first saw it. That lathe is spinning at close to a thousand rpm and my new Kodak makes it completely stop!)

[Fireproof]

Finished with the lathe . . . for now.

[Tater]

Great job you and your girl are dong on this build. Have a round of high fives. Every kid ought to have a Papa like you.

[scrumblero]

The pressure is on . . . I now see this check list she made every time I go to the refrigerator!

I'm going to address that last item all by myself!

Ohh man,, that brings back memories..

I see you have a real drill pres there...

[Fireproof]

Thanks guys . . . and Tater, every Papa ought to have great kids like mine!


I put these in the cordless drill and took them to the belt sander to knock off the ruff edges and then rubbed them with 100 grit, and 220 grit sand paper to smooth them out.


They look like this when installed in the sissy bar. Now, the bottoms of the sissy bar kinda match the top.
BTW, that is one of the V-brake bolts that she removed from her bike. Remember, she’ll be running a coaster brake. Waste not, want not! Especially when yer talking about nice chromed button-head Allen bolts!

[BrunneCustoms]

Ugh I'm jealous... It is just amazing how you two are doing on this build. It's going to look fantastic once it's all finished. It's the small details like sissy bar ends that are going to make this bike truly amazing. Everywhere you look on this bike there will be something to catch your eye and make you think "Holy cow!" Great job guys I look forward to seeing this one finished.

[greg66]

VERY NICE MARK I LIKE THE LIST SHE MADE ON THE FRIGE SHE KNOWS HOW TO KEEP OLD DAD ON TRACK .EVERY BUILD NEEDS A CHECK LIST.THE MOUNT IS SO COOL I WILL OVER LOOK THE SEEM THING.I SHOULD HAVE GOT YOU SOME D.O.M. TUBING YOU KNOW I HAVE IT IN 1'' 7/8'' 3/4'' BUT NOW IN HIND SIGHT I SHOULD HAVE GOT SOME 1/2'' FOR YOU BUT AT THE TIME THAT WAS WHAT I HAD LEFT OVER FROM A HAND RAIL.YOU ARE VERY CRAFTY AT TURNING UNWANTED STUFF INTO GOLD.YOU HAVE THE RAT ROD SPIRT OF WORKING WITH WHAT EVER IS JUST LAYING AROUND.THIS BIKE WILL LOOK LIKE YOU SPENT A LOT OF MONEY BUT I KNOW YOU DIDN'T. IT'S ALL TIME AND SKILL. BIKE DADS ARE WAY COOLER THAN SOCCER MOMS

[Dr. Tankenstein]

BIKE DADS ARE WAY COOLER THAN SOCCER MOMS

Is it OK, if I steal this quote!

[greg66]

BIKE DADS ARE WAY COOLER THAN SOCCER MOMS

Is it OK, if I steal this quote!

ALL BIKE DADS CAN STEAL THIS ONE IT SHOULD BE ON A STICKER.

[Gold Street Customs]

HOW DID I MISS THIS !!!!!!!! you guys are rocking this build, I need to send my daughter over to hang out and learn some things, keep up the good work hope to see it real soon....

[zoso]

I can't get over how nice that top tube looks, amazing. The longer fender looks a lot better too. Can't wait to see this one finished and on a ride.