Hiawatha build

[brentville]

While everyone else is off building spaceliners, I finally got a bit of a plan together for my 50's something Hiawatha made for Gambles department store.

Here is what I started out with.

As you can see, it's pretty rough and rusty. It was well use by it's owner a Washington University Professor who rode it quite a bit with his wife along on her 3 speed Hercules. Got them both at their estate sale.

Here is the assortment of parts I gathered from ebay and a local bike shop that helps kids build their own bikes and learn how to keep them up. Good group of people. The bell and tail light were original to the bike.

When I began tearing this apart I found a lot of rust and pitting. Not too bad pitting on the frame or fork but the chainguard is bad. May need another one or bondo or more sanding. The chrome on the chainring, handlebars and truss bars was flaking to the point where I'll need to replace them or try something. I've got some rustoleum metallic charcoal that looks pretty nice. Not chrome for sure but a metallic almost graphite look. I'll post more pics of these parts when I get a chance.

The wheels are painted and are too far gone to just clean up. I need to decide on colors for the wheels. I have the original black walls which look nice and also a set of whitewalls I could go with. I may go with a deep burgundy with cream or nickle scallops. Not sure any ideas?

 

[sensor]

looks like a good start :mrgreen:

 

[maddogrider]

Its pretty cool to know some history about the bike. Sometimes i wish my bikes could talk just so i could hear how there lives have been.

 

[jre0123]

Cool bike. I just sold my 1938 Colson I bought from the original owner tonight.

 

[elvis51]

looks like a nice start brent!! i used that same color on a bike i built a while back( no pics of it on forum yet) and it looks freakin amazing!!! its beyond my favorite color now! it sprays on kinda funny though, like the glittery effect will spray first then the graphite color will be next. just take your time painting and voila! cant wait to see what this bike looks like done!!!

Easy E

 

[brentville]

Got the truss rods, bars and sprocket painted with Rustoleum's Metallic charcoal. I really like this paint. It's metallic and slightly sparkly like a graphite pencil almost. It's about all I could do given the rust and pitting on these parts short of replacing them. Not sure you can really see the metally sparkle with this stupid phone camera but it's there.

I also did the same to the front wheel. The painted rims weren't going to go with the colors I want for the bike and the paint was pretty far gone anyway. Here is the painted wheel with a 26x2.25 white wall. I like the white wall a little better than the solid black tires the bike had on it.

I'll clean up the rear wheel and paint it with the metallic charcoal and then it's on to the body. It's already stripped and the fork is in primer. If I can get some good weather I can prime the body soon too.

 

[thatismytruck]

Very neat bike. I like the sound of your plans too.


nice box!!

 

[brentville]

It finally warmed up enough the last two days to do a little painting! I got the "trim" color on yesterday and taped on the scallops today. I definitely like first laying on the trim color or whatever you'd call it, taping over it and then painting the main color and revealing the second color rather than the reverse.

I went with a burgandy and a creamy almond color scheme and I think it's looking pretty fair. Still need to get the lines cut in a bit smoother and do the rest of the chain guard. Got the fork painted and am getting close to assembling everything if the weather holds.

Also need to detail that headbadge some way.

 

[brentville]

Re: Hiawatha build**almost done

I managed to get the painting done in the nice couple of days we had and now that it's in the teens again I am back indoors doing the final assembly.

Still need to get grips for the bars and I'm not sure about the color. Also the chain needs to be cleaned up and put back on then the chain guard. I think the fenders are just too far gone to beat out and put on the bike so I'll go without.

The seat is a "second" from an ebay seller who got a lot of these from India. I think they were a steal at $7 each.

Hard to tell with my stupid phone camera but I've got the original owner's bell on the right side and a mirror I picked up for 50 cents on the left. Not sure about the mirror. I think it will stay. I am also thinking about going with a stamped 4 slot rack on the back violating the unwritten rule about no fenders no rack.

 

[jre0123]

Looking good. I use 3m Swerl mark remover to clean up head badges.

 

[stretch]

hey, if you cant clean up that headbadge, ive got a way to make it look like new. id show you it, but i cant find the thread with the how to. i looked and i cant find it. but all you need is an x-acto knife, matching color paint markers(local craft store or hobby shop), and a nice clean polished headbadge. strip it with whatever method you prefer(oven cleaner soak, degreaser soak, paint stripper, whatever) and polish the headbadge. then use the markers and dab them all over where the color is. if you get it a little over, thats ok, dont worry. but dont go all crazy. do one color at a time. then use the x-acto to carefully scrape off the excess. then repeat for the next color. when your done, polish it. thne put it back on the bike. ta da! :mrgreen:

 

[slacker]

Looking good. I use 3m Swerl mark remover to clean up head badges.

Pictures of the process would be appreciated. And maybe a post in the "How To" section?

 

[user 135]

Looks good. That seat is a steal for the price. Do they have more?

 

[brentville]

So I guess I need to do something with that headbadge is that what you're saying? lol It's riveted on the steering tube so I am hesitant to take it off. I did clean it up with 000 steel wool and cleaner and it did sharpen it up some. The "how to" on painting the headbadge is in the "manual" in the How to forum. I plan on trying something like that to improve the headbadge some.

Cman, here is the url for the seller's ebay store: http://stores.ebay.com/The-Neil-O-Murph ... idZ2QQtZkm

It doesn't look like he has any more of the blems on sale but fair prices on hairpin saddles that a little better quality. I'd check back now and then to see if he has any more.

 

[jesusfreak86]

While everyone else is off building spaceliners, I finally got a bit of a plan together for my 50's something Hiawatha made for Gambles department store.

Here is what I started out with.

As you can see, it's pretty rough and rusty. It was well use by it's owner a Washington University Professor who rode it quite a bit with his wife along on her 3 speed Hercules. Got them both at their estate sale.

Here is the assortment of parts I gathered from ebay and a local bike shop that helps kids build their own bikes and learn how to keep them up. Good group of people. The bell and tail light were original to the bike.

When I began tearing this apart I found a lot of rust and pitting. Not too bad pitting on the frame or fork but the chainguard is bad. May need another one or bondo or more sanding. The chrome on the chainring, handlebars and truss bars was flaking to the point where I'll need to replace them or try something. I've got some rustoleum metallic charcoal that looks pretty nice. Not chrome for sure but a metallic almost graphite look. I'll post more pics of these parts when I get a chance.

The wheels are painted and are too far gone to just clean up. I need to decide on colors for the wheels. I have the original black walls which look nice and also a set of whitewalls I could go with. I may go with a deep burgundy with cream or nickle scallops. Not sure any ideas?

'
howdy what is that box thing on the back in the first photo

 

[brentville]

The wooden box was what the original owner had sitting on the rear rack for hauling groceries etc. It's a real sturdy box and pretty big too. It's not one of those lightweight fruit boxes, this one has real lumber. Meaning it's heavy as all get out and I'd rather not haul it around on a single speed bike so now I use it to store misc bike parts in my shed. I'll find a use for it on another bike project some time.

 

[olschbp]

look's good, what a differance, much better, I like the color scheme, similar to my boardtrack bike, enjoy

 

[stretch]

So I guess I need to do something with that headbadge is that what you're saying? lol It's riveted on the steering tube so I am hesitant to take it off. I did clean it up with 000 steel wool and cleaner and it did sharpen it up some. The "how to" on painting the headbadge is in the "manual" in the How to forum. I plan on trying something like that to improve the headbadge some.

Cman, here is the url for the seller's ebay store: http://stores.ebay.com/The-Neil-O-Murph ... idZ2QQtZkm

It doesn't look like he has any more of the blems on sale but fair prices on hairpin saddles that a little better quality. I'd check back now and then to see if he has any more.

oh yeahh! thats where i didnt look!! :mrgreen: lol. you could take a punch and poke a divot in the center of the rivet, and drill out the rivets reeeeeal careful-like, startin' real slow. ive done it, it works.

 

[stretch]

found it!! viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12021 here it is. i looked thru ALL 20 pages for it and it was at the TOP of the FIRST page. ARGH! :x :lol: sounds like something i would do tho.