Ratty 8

[Lowjack'r]

you have setup that bike nicely. This is one of my favorite Electra bicycles and you have improved it. Nice work.

If I may ask, where did you get the handlebars?

I've found it between some old steel.
But i know it has come from a moped like the one below.



The link down here shows a similar handlebar.
http://www.easyparts.nl/showarticles_in ... zwart.html

It was 81 cm wide,because it was to wide for me i've cut off 5 cm at each side.

[Lowjack'r]

Got started again today




Took the bike apart.


Took the spokes and the hubs out off the wheels.


The rear rim has some heavy oxidized spots on it.
It will need a lot of sanding before i can polish it.

[gcrank1]

Wonder if there is something to put on that Oxid. that will kind of 'bubble' it neutral like baking soda/water does on battery terminals?

[ED-PV]

When I removed the stickers from my Straight 8 wheel they were in pretty good shape, so I just washed and waxed them and they were good. Looks like since you have the wheel broken down, you may as well sand, paint and clear. Or you can just take both hoops to a powder coater and have them powder coat them whatever color you like Just my opinion

[Lowjack'r]

Today in a nice spring sun started to sand the rear rim.


Started with sandpaper P80 to take off the paint and the oxidation.


After that sanded it again with sandpaper P120.


After the 3th round,it's now sanded with P320.

I have to go a couple of more rounds to go up to P600,before i can start to polish the rim.
Keep you posted.

[Lowjack'r]

After i have not done much the last weeks.
Last saturday started again.
I want the front end off the bike as low as possible.
So i needed to cut 45 mm out off the front legs.


First placed the leg into the saw.


Cut the leg in three parts.


As i forgot to make a pic before cutting.
The three parts off one leg on top, and two parts of the other leg next to it.
Yust to show the difference in length.


Made a pair off pipes to put into the fork legs.



To give the legs some more strength after they are welded together again.



Here the leg is put together again, just need some welding to do.

[Ace]

Can't wait to see the endresult Jack, this is turning out great, nice work

[Lowjack'r]

A quick mock-up to see how the shortened fork Will look.


Used 26"wheels for the mock-up because the 24's aren't ready yet.


The fork as low as possible.

Almost all the paint is sanded off the frame.
Tried to strip the paint off with paint-remover first,but that didn't work out.
So a little more sanding to do before painting.

[primestyle]

Nice!

[MplsCoaster]

Wow, I really like what you're doing with this build, especially the bare metal
Nice machine work on the fork drop!

[Onewheelsqueel]

Love it. I say all brushed aluminum finish.

[Firewalker]

lookin great! I look forward to the next set of pics!

FW

[Houndog]

Love what you did with the shifter..

[Gdcast]

OOOHHHH.... bare metal looks good!!!

[Lowjack'r]

As i bought me a Felt Classic Stretch viewtopic.php?f=6&t=615010 last July,and i wanted to do some changes to it,
this one came first.
So the Ratty 8 project was gone in the fridge for a while.
To protect parts from getting lost,i've put the 8 together again.


Now it's a raw 26" single speed.
I've got to think twice,do i leave it this way or do i put the 24's back in.


The shortened fork i've put in my Rockabilly Boogy,now this one is a scraper.
viewtopic.php?f=70&t=15563&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=rockabilly+boogy&start=675 1/2 way down page 36 and 3/4 down page 46.