'38 Special ------ Update July 2nd

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Re: '38 Special ------ Update May 27th

Road Master said:
Xcruiser said:
Now your cookin',looks super man.Dont ya just hate it when something frustrates you for hours then happens in seconds after simply walking away for a bit.lol
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Frustrating is putting it a little mildly, but that will work. Another one that gets me is when I'm looking for something and I know it's right in front of my face but I still can't see it - I go get someone else and of course they point to it immediately. It's amazing what another set of eyes can do. Robert
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Funny- that happened last night.I wouldnt run my wife to the store until i found my 9/16 ratcheting wrench,wich I had looked for twice already,,i finally found it on the hook for my 11/16 wich is about an inch from where the 9/16 hangs.
 
Re: '38 Special ------ Update May 30th

Man am I ever glad I traded you this frame! Never thought anything this cool would happen to it! Just in case you are keeping the paint as is, i know you got a springer on there right not but I do have the original 38 truss rod fork if it iterests you at all. Keep it up, your giving me ideas for the frame you traded me!
 
Re: '38 Special ------ Update May 30th

Hi! Thanks to everyone that has postive comments for my build. When I speak of the buildoffs to someone that has never been in one before that's one thing I always emphasize - everybody is rooting for you the whole way through. It's what makes this extreme fun! Thanks alot everybody. Robert
 
Re: '38 Special ------ Update May 30th

That oil tank is awesome, and with the coke cap on it, you could drill a hole straight down into it and drop a wire and spring down into it and use it as a AA battery box.
 
Re: '38 Special ------ Update June 5th

Hi! Everybody have a great weekend? The little lady and I went up to Broad Ripple so she could cruise all the shops they have and I rode 20 miles on the Monon Trail.

Today was exhaust pipe day for the build. The largest pipe I can fit in between everything is a 3/4" metal EMT electrical conduit. I picked up some 2 hole electrical straps to reshape into hangers. I used some 3/4" Rigid Straps for the chain stay hangers and 1" Rigid straps for the conduit. After I got all the hangers made up I decided to solidify the exhaust system by joining the two pipes together behind and up underneath the BB. I put 45 degree bends on the ends of the 2 side pipes and brought them together in a Pull 90. They don't have regular 90s for electrical - you're supposed to bend the pipe for that but a pull 90 has a cover on it so you can pull your wiring to that point and then pull it down the other direction. Even after getting everything fitted and installed there wasn't much clearance so I filed some off the back edge of each crank arm for more clearance.

I took a couple plastic lids from old coffee cans, drilled a hole in the center and squashed them between washers on each end of the front axel - these will be my number boards. I still have to make a grill for my headlight and install the shifter and cable for the 2 speed Manual Bendix rear hub. Should be about ready for paint by then. Guess that's all I got for today. TBC! Robert


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Re: '38 Special ------ Update June 5th

EHH..HOW MANY VOTES DO WE GET!! DANG THIS BIKE IS BADD!!
 
Re: '38 Special ------ Update June 5th

That's the best way to come up with stuff. Especially if you're sippin' a nice adult beverage. :p
 
Re: '38 Special ------ Update June 6th

Hi! I started on my Headlight Grill today. I originally saw one on another build which got me to thinking I want one for my Boardtracker and then I saw another that consisted of three rings progressively larger all attached together which popped an idea into my head so I quickly sketched it on paper.

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For the layout I picked a nice easy number to work worth for the grid squares - 1" apart. I layed it out on a block of wood and measured the diameter of the light on the board to see how it would work out. Seemed about right so I went with it. Then I labeled each piece and finally came up with a parts list.

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I didn't have any fancy material laying around so I decided to try coathanger wire. I cut all the pieces and layed out all but the pieces that attach to the very center square of the under row on the board. Then layed the top row cross ways and held them in place with pan head screws.

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Here's the tricky part. I had planned on soldering all the pieces together but there is a coating on the coathanger wire. I threw a Hail Mary at it with a torch to see if I could easily burn the coating off - no dice. So I removed all the pieces, sanded each down with a palm sander w/ 100 gritt and replaced everything on the board. First layer of soldering went good. Then I built up the center square and soldered it and all remaining pieces together - piece of cake.

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Except that cake fried me - all the measuring and cutting and sanding and soldering - I was done for the day but the hard part is done. I'll trim all the long ends with a dremel tool and cutting attachment, sand/file/grind or whatever I have to do to smooth out all the edges, bend it to fit the contour of the glass and finally prepare and prime the surface. A lot of work for a silly grill but I had a vision in my head so that made it a custom grill. TBC! Robert
 
Re: '38 Special ------ Update June 6th

Man, when I first saw your light guard rig I was thinkin'
How the heck is he gonna make a light guard out of a 2x6!!!!!!
 
Re: '38 Special ------ Update June 5th

Road Master said:
Oneuglybike said:
This just gets better and better!! 8) I love your creativity!
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Thanks alot - I don't consider myself a creative person. I sit and stare at the bike alot - that's where I get my ideas and solutions. Thanks again. Robert
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Sounds like me-stare,stare,stare until my wife and daughter think Im nuts for staring at a bicycle pic on a computer screen.
Bike is looking great!
 
Re: '38 Special ------ Update June 6th

Thanks for all the great comments! I don't know if I'll do any more w/ the exhaust but the way I have it set up I can drill the cover on the Pull L with a hole saw and connect some type of exhaust pipe from a make believe engine to it. Sometimes that staring at the bike thing gets a little out there. Thanks again. Robert
 
Re: '38 Special ------ Update June 6th

Peatbog said:
There is a lot of cool stuff going on here, but I especially like the oil tank. That is really well made.
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Hi! Glad you like the oil tank - that simply came from not being able to think of any other way to build it with the materials, tools and skill level that I possess. Thanks alot. Robert
 
Re: '38 Special ------ Update June 23rd

Hi! Here it is finally - my first day of retirement!!! This past 2 months I had a smile on my face that would not go away. This is the start of a new chapter in my life and what better way to celebrate it than by doing something Fun Fun Fun! Yes, building bikes!

I haven't finished the crash grill for my head light yet - I'm looking for a bottle of goo that I know I have stashed somewhere. In the meantime I went ahead and made a spout & cap for the Gas Tank. From my collection of bottles I saved for this buildoff I selected a pill bottle that I thought would look about the right size for this tank. I whittled the bottle down with a utility knife until it fit about like I wanted and glued it on with rubber base cament and then applied an additional bead of cement on the inside of the spout to hold it good. One of the reasons I like rubber base cement is that it holds things in place really well but you can also pull it back off. The down side is you can't paint it like silicone so you have to be careful. The cap was one of those you have to push down and turn to open - both child proof AND adult proof at times. I glued that solid also otherwise it would rattle. I'm going to do a little bondo work on the joint and sand all the lettering off the cap before I paint it. Now it's time to start painting. TBC! Robert


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