1954 Rollfast Budget Rat NOW MOSTLY DONE

[Blueboy5000]

So I recently scored a 1954 Rollfast for a mere 75 bucks. I had originally intended to grease and ride, but it's paint was less than half there, and closer examination revealed that many of it's parts were not stock. However, even though not stock, its parts were no newer than the late fifties. (With the exception of the 52 tooth Shelby crank).

So not stock= perfect to rat! I disassembled the bike and found many neato touches, such as New Departure Model D coaster hub and New Departure W five bearing front hub!

Rattle cans Ho! It's gonna be a fun build! Pics up soon!

 

[Blueboy5000]

Re: 1954 Rollfast Budget Rat

Here's some pictures. I apologize for the blurriness and poor lighting...

Here's what I'm beginning with:

Naturally, the first thing to do is strip it down to a frame/fork and make sure it's not warped and all the angles are good. She checks out fine.

Here's the decal from the seat tube. Don't worry, it's not getting removed...

Here's the headbadge:

This is the Shelby 52t chainring and crank that came on the bike. I will be cleaning and reusing these...

One of the best parts of this find was this awesome Troxel long nose springer seat (with front spring!). It's getting cleaned up and mink oiled:

This is the grimey New Departure Model D hubbed wheel. If it's anything like the front wheel, the grease has become solidified...

Blurry detail of interrupter arm:

Love these Rollfast bars! A fellow board member has expressed interest in the stem, but I can't bare to part with it.

Blurry detail of official Rollfast "R" on stem:

Cleaned up various chrome parts:

Fenders from who knows when which are not stock so I don't feel guilty drilling holes in them for cool lights:

My cat and my foot, 2-for-1:

Me getting ideas on the day I got the bike

 

[Blueboy5000]

Re: 1954 Rollfast Budget Rat

And so, it begins!

Cleaned up the front axle and bearings. Man was this grease old! It had become a solid, almost like coal! Diggin' these five-bearing New Departure hubs

Here's the painted wheel and cool tires I found on clearance at the local Walmart:

 

[deven_science]

1954 Rollfast Budget Rat

I'm watching this one.

 

[SCHWINNRAY69]

Re: 1954 Rollfast Budget Rat

Really wish you weren't painting it! :shock:

I'll still be watching...looks cool :mrgreen:

 

[Blueboy5000]

Re: 1954 Rollfast Budget Rat

Yeah. I didn't want to paint it, but the paint is in such awful shape that it's literally falling off the metal. It's become like a fine dusty powder. I will be painting it totally incorrect colors but I will be keeping the "arrows ".

 

[Blueboy5000]

Re: 1954 Rollfast Budget Rat

Here's the disassembled New Departure coaster hub. I don't know why there's so much griefing about these hubs, they're not difficult to disassemble, and what a cool hub design! This thing was built to take a severe pounding for eons! Surprisingly, the components were pretty clean, which makes me wonder if this hub had seen a rebuild or two before..

Large bearings, looking pretty sweet.

Whatever this thing is called, I've personally never seen one that is still metal colored, usually they're black as night

And this thing (I also don't know what this is called) also in sweet shape

And of course this whozywatits (stack of clutch washers?). The amount of detail of machining is impressive.

New Departure Model D is such a talked about hub, and I can see why, the level of quality is so far ahead of any current bicycle part. If maintained I have no doubt these hubs could last for a hundred or more years! And the coolest part is that they were made not ten miles from my house in Bristol Connecticut. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[Blueboy5000]

Re: 1954 Rollfast Budget Rat

The New Departure Model D coaster hub cleaning and reassembly went swimmingly, I even took some emery cloth to the clutch washers and she works like a dream. Here's a few pics of the rear rim all painted up with the tire.

Detail of sprocket

Interrupter Arm

Both wheels reassembled with tires. I'm impressed by how far a good cleaning, a few minutes with emory paper, and some fresh grease/oil goes with these hubs.

 

[ZbikerD]

Re: 1954 Rollfast Budget Rat

I have a ladies rollfast with very similar new departure hubs.. I took the rear apart and internals were identical, I didn't think it was all that difficult to deal with either.. Mine works very well also. Wheels look sweet. Will you be changing the frame color? Blue? White would be pretty cool with the blue wheels.

 

[Blueboy5000]

Re: 1954 Rollfast Budget Rat

The frame is going to be satin black two-toned with the same blue, and with custom stenciled "arrows ". Much thanks to Axespaul for documenting his stencil technique.

The paint I'm using is Rustoleum " full sail gloss blue" and Rustoleum " satin black". I tried Krylon, but it doesn't have the look of old enamel.

 

[axsepul]

Re: 1954 Rollfast Budget Rat

Here's some pictures. I apologize for the blurriness and poor lighting...

Me getting ideas on the day I got the bike

is that bike a 24" or are you a giant :shock:

just kidding! looking foward to see this build

 

[Blueboy5000]

Re: 1954 Rollfast Budget Rat

It's a 26". I'm 5'10", Lol, I guess I do look humungous in that pic

 

[Blueboy5000]

Re: 1954 Rollfast Budget Rat

Here is the cleaned up and mink oiled seat. I'm not gonna paint it because the patina looks pretty cool. I think it gives it a look of history.

Rear of seat. Love the chrome bumper!

Up-side-down view, the seat pan is great

I love this spring in the nose.

After studying the styles of paint, both on the bike, and for it's period, I came up with the idea to do the blue and black in my own version of the original design.

So after drawing a bunch of "arrows", I decided I'm gonna go with this for the main tubes, as it's a Rollfast after all, and I don't want to stray too far from the original designs, I call it a "snyder arrow", as similar designs appear in variations on Synder built bikes.

Then I made these with masking tape and parchment paper. Though next time, I'll probably use wax paper as a backing.

 

[SCHWINNRAY69]

Re: 1954 Rollfast Budget Rat

Can't wait to see the stencils in action :mrgreen:

 

[Blueboy5000]

Re: 1954 Rollfast Budget Rat

Not much got done today, aside from playing with my stencils and making this! If you can't find a 57 year old part, well then, you just gotta make your own. I made this with a 1 7/8" muffler clamp:

Here's the mocked-up front end. Don't mind the crappy paint, the fork is being resprayed, this painting was purely experimental:

So far, I'm super-happy with this build. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[Blueboy5000]

Re: 1954 Rollfast Budget Rat

The Rollfast is coming along nicely. Not much left to do except put the chain and chainguard on and wire the lights.

 

[Blueboy5000]

Re: 1954 Rollfast Budget Rat

Well here is the finished product, well almost, I got some new fender braces and a nicer seat post on the way. Turned out pretty nice. It's a really nice and comfy scoot :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Here's detail of my "arrows"

Chainline and crankset

Taillight

Genuine naugahide Battery case (custom built :lol: ) Lights run on 9.6v Black and Decker rechargeable drill battery:

Exhaust pipe clamp strut rod mount

Big cushy two-tone grips

Over all, it was a fun build (and cheap!) and resulted in a smooth, comfy bike!

 

[SCHWINNRAY69]

Sweet build! Cool and clean :mrgreen:

 

[MplsCoaster]

It came out cool! Nice Job!

 

[Blueboy5000]

Thanks guys. I had fun with this one. I'll post night shots later today to show off my super-bright incandescent lights.