Chuffstah, Done! Page 4

[jackdaw]

So, this is my first build off, and my first rat also.

I'm starting with a couple of winners from the dump,



and



There will be stripping of paint, there will be bending and drilling and all sorts of stuff and I've no idea where I'll
end up. Well I have a sort of an idea, we'll see.

I'm excited to be in a build-off and I look forward to seeing what we all come up with.

Cheers

[OUTLAW]

is there a build off? haven't seen it yet. this is where we just build bikes an talk about our build. guess I am missing something. oh well, I am just old and ma mine don't work to good sometimes.lol. but nice start on your build.

Outlaw

[jackdaw]

Well Outlaw, there's another topic about this build-off further down in the Builds section and a topic about it also in the Challenges section. From what Wildcat was saying we would post our progress here. Is this right? This is the first time I've done this so...

Also, how do you link to other sections in the forum, like a link from here to the challenges topic?

Thanks

[Wildcat]

"These mini build offs are not organized by the forum admins and are totally in the hands of the builders who agree to the challenge."

That's from the build off challenge thread by Rat Rod, site admin. The owner/admins put a lot of time anD trouble in on the annual build offs, so the build threads won't be organized like the big build offs. If there are a bunch of bare metal builds in association with this, I'll set up a poll at the end.

I need to get some oven cleaner and get going on my bike.

[OUTLAW]

aw, ok, don't really go to that forum. so your right you can put it where ever you all agree on. no problem here. just thought I was missing something.lol. keep on a buildin. I like it.

Outlaw

[jackdaw]

Thanks guys, please do keep me posted on what is supposed to go where in the forums etc, as I have not posted here much.

Outlaw, you gonna join us or....?

Here is a little progress,



and some stuff, sorry about the out of focus



Gotta keep goin' now, gotta take care.

[JohThomas Sorrels]

I like where this is going, what size is that last rim/tire you posted?

[OUTLAW]

I would luv too but I got to much goin on now I won't finnish anything till after Jan. I be a watching all of you. great builds. I hope this buildoff stays together till they are done. I see alot of em just go away. oh well thats how it goes. keep up the good work.

Outlaw

[jackdaw]

Thanks, I've got a 20" rim there, and some galvanized steel brackets of some sort. They are about 1/8" thick. All this so far is from the town dump. I've got that fork from another Huffy and I'm going to try and bend it. I mean, it'll get bent. Make no mistake! I just hope it'll be OK afterwards. I just went to the dump again on my lunch break and got another Huffy, what I always called a dirtbike. I had one similar when I was a kid. It's got the motorcycle type seat (like a blunt, flat banana seat) and high rise bars with a cross bar, it has a top tube pad. Anyhow, pics later, I'm going to use the seat off that. I could go on and on.

Thanks guys, for the positive comments.

Thanks Outlaw, I think I'll stick it out. I really like the vision in my head. If I can let go of my attachment to results, I think it will turn out to be satisfying.

[jackdaw]

How can I be so lucky? I had a bike "just like that" when I was a kid. Mine was bigger and was a three speed.
I found it a the dump on my lunch break.



Don't take pictures at night.

This is a mockup, got some fork bending to do..



Really shouldn't take pictures at night, though this one isn't too bad.

Now comes the hard part. Details!! Having fun though.

[jackdaw]

So here is an update detailing my struggle with fork bending. I am too light too hold down a fork enough to bend it with my conduit bender. So I put a cheater on the steerer tube and it just flopped around. I had my wife stand on the cheater while I ran the bender and we bent the red uni-crown fork. It's hard to see but it folded right below the bend at the top of the legs.



The purple one was maybe a little rusty inside and snapped right off!
So I made a jig to hold the fork firmly in place. The bottom board is about six feet long and I stand on it while running the bender. It gave me really good control.



Hooray!! Results, good ones. Still have a little ways to go but its going smoothly. Before I started bending I put marks on the legs, about an inch apart, to guide where to put the hook of the bender. I ended up moving the bender up and down the leg in very small increments, sort of massaging it into shape, tiny adjustments. The jig helped tremendously because I didn't have to jerk the handle to get a bend before I levered myself off the floor!



Thanks to everybody who has posted about fork bending before. I found the thread in the How-to index.
http://ratrodbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9254
It was very helpful. You guys rule!

Now I work on the stance, where to put the back wheel, and what length crank will clear. I like how it's coming along and now that I've had success with the fork things should move right along.

Thanks for looking.

[jaysmo]

wow tha jig and fork look dope... i need to fab one up.. ilike the roll in the fork looks real good ...

[OUTLAW]

nice job on the fork. thats tight.

Outlaw

[badmuller]

clever thinking!!

[jackdaw]

So I've been working on these truss rods, trying to come up with something to match the angle of the sissy bar.
I think they might be too heavy looking.



I do like them with the sissy bar but I also have some 5/16" rod that I might use. If I used the lighter rods I could curve them
and they would go to the spacer/clamp on the stem. If I bent them they would not mirror the sissy bar anymore. I'm thinking semi-gloss black for the rods and sissy bar.



With the wheel disc the back of the bike really sort of overpowers the front, hence the truss rods.



So help me out here guys, what do you think? Maybe.... I dunno