*TUMBLEWEED* Finished!

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Joined
Mar 14, 2011
Messages
186
Reaction score
4
Location
Napa, CA
The start for my build is a 52 Schwinn straight bar frame. The name is because i'm a cowboy at heart, you'll find me pedaling this thing in cowboy boots and wranglers. This my first build so give me input as i go along here. This is what she looked like as of the 4th of May>

IMG_4826 by sabbparrish, on Flickr
Here's the springer and lights i have. I have another headlight in the works so this one may end up on my wife's bike but the tail light is a marker light with a home made LED set up.

IMG_4825 by sabbparrish, on Flickr
My parts collection which i'm sure will change.

IMG_4828 by sabbparrish, on Flickr
Wheels i bought at the Vintage Bike Supply swap, a Perry B100 rear and New Departure up front with Duro cream bricks

IMG_4827 by sabbparrish, on Flickr
Other plans include raking the fork by flipping the headset bracket upside down and bending it nearly 90 degrees, i just need a shorter bolt and i may trim the spring a bit, i'll have some mock up pics later this week.
 
Re: Kowboy Kustom

this headlight needs to hurry up from my house! looking awesome.
 
Re: Tumbleweed (formerly Kowboy Kustom) Mock Up 5/16

First mock up here, rode it to work for a few days just because it's fun to ride. I just completed the springer mod tonight. It's a repop Schwinn style springer, i never really was quite happy with the way the spring lined up so i flipped the headset spring bracket upside down and bent it to about 70 degrees or so. In order to make it all fit together i had to get a 3" bolt and take out roughly an inch from the spring. It takes some finesse and a few choice words to line it all up but man does it look clean. Just a touch of rake and the headset doesn't look so cluttered.

IMG_4833 by sabbparrish, on Flickr

IMG_4834 by sabbparrish, on Flickr

I've got something in mind for the tail light mount so i can put it on the fender and i'm probably going to hunt down some clubman style bars. Also a new stem will be in order for those bars and some different cranks, i'm taking the 175mm off my wife's so she can have my 170's. Hopefully i won't be scraping but i don't think so. Let me know what you guys think, toss any ideas around too.
 
Re: Tumbleweed (formerly Kowboy Kustom) Mock Up 5/16

herr_rudolf said:
Nice mod on the springer!
Thanks! :D I haven't seen it done like that before but i'm sure it has been. I just got the idea from someone on the forum telling me how people would just take the springs out to give them rake. I am surprised that it looks that clean, i thought i would be buying a new spring and bracket after i tried to reassemble everything after bending and cutting :lol:
 
Re: Tumbleweed update 6/20, design changes.

So i'm finally back on this thing after vacation, during which i was supposed to be using my father in-law's painting equipment, but it didn't happen. That's ok though because i had a dream about my bike and saw a crazy color scheme which i later found where it came from. Here are my current progress pics. The wife is none too happy with me because i gave up on a fender which i was trying to hide holes on... so i borrowed the brand new set that was going to go on her Columbia. Hey, she still can have the other half! It's not like i took the whole fender :mrgreen:

IMG_1384 by sabbparrish, on Flickr
There it is in its prime...er. The chain guard has undergone a sex change as well.

IMG_1386 by sabbparrish, on Flickr
The biggest change is the wheels, they won't be the hottest things you have ever seen but it's a definite hot rod improvement. Low brow but done right, i removed the hubs and taped off the insides. That's a couple layers of rust reformer to be followed by flat black.

IMG_1385 by sabbparrish, on Flickr.

So the major design change is that i will be leaving behind my board tracker idea. Once i find the moon handle bars i want and put them on a hack saw diet i'm going to brush on some semi-gloss black with flat black wheels. I'll see if the cream tires will work but i'm thinking perhaps white walls. I will be having some striping done though and here's the color palate (only it's much more intense in person). Hopefully someone gets the picture of what i'm trying. More to come tomorrow.
dsc02223.jpg
.
 
Re: Tumbleweed 6/23 mini update.

The paint is mostly done. I opted not to go with the rattle cans. My weapons of choice (sorry, i forgot to flip the image before i uploaded it)

IMG_4907 by sabbparrish, on Flickr
I was a bit skeptical of how it would turn out but now that i have two coats laid down i think it looks pretty hot.

IMG_4909 by sabbparrish, on Flickr

That's all for now, i'm hoping to have the fender and chain guard done by the end of the week so i can get them to karfer67 for striping in the colors on that package in my last post.
 
Re: Tumbleweed (formerly Kowboy Kustom) Mock Up 5/16

Brentley said:
First mock up here, rode it to work for a few days just because it's fun to ride. I just completed the springer mod tonight. It's a repop Schwinn style springer, i never really was quite happy with the way the spring lined up so i flipped the headset spring bracket upside down and bent it to about 70 degrees or so. In order to make it all fit together i had to get a 3" bolt and take out roughly an inch from the spring. It takes some finesse and a few choice words to line it all up but man does it look clean. Just a touch of rake and the headset doesn't look so cluttered.

IMG_4833 by sabbparrish, on Flickr

IMG_4834 by sabbparrish, on Flickr

I've got something in mind for the tail light mount so i can put it on the fender and i'm probably going to hunt down some clubman style bars. Also a new stem will be in order for those bars and some different cranks, i'm taking the 175mm off my wife's so she can have my 170's. Hopefully i won't be scraping but i don't think so. Let me know what you guys think, toss any ideas around too.
hahah, i did that with the springer on KRUSH but put a very short bolt and no spring. it looked sick, but i was scraping pedals everywhere. and it got annoying. keep it up!
 
Re: Tumbleweed 6/23 mini update.

I like the way you painted it, I had given thought to trying some POR-15. Works great supposedly. Bike looks great!
 
Re: Tumbleweed 6/23 mini update.

finally found it looks good i see where you are going with the colors. keep it going bro
 
Re: Tumbleweed 6/23 mini update.

I'm diggin it! That is one of my favorite frames & that springer is really C 8) 8) L!
 
Text update 6/28

Thanks for the positive comments guys, my wife and family have no idea what i'm doing when i tell them my plans for the bike.

So i wasn't entirely happy with how the paint was laying on the fender and guard so before i sent them off to Karfer for striping (which i am stoked to see what happens!) i shot them with some Krylon glossy black. Which brings me to something else, why did i ever use Rustoleum? The Krylon has a rotatable flat spray nozzle and applies so much more evenly. Don't tell the wife but i want a set of tear drop pedals, i think that would finish things off nicely. Next update will likely be Sunday, stay tuned for pictures.
 
Re: "Tumbleweed" 6/28 text only update.

not sure why it just is. i use rustolium only because the two times i have used krylon i had issues with it and had to sand and respray. if it works for you go for it
 
Pin striped parts pics tomorrow

Got the moon bars in the other day, and my repop kick stand fits *whew*, and tomorrow... i'm getting my fender and guard back from Karfer! I will definitely post pics when i get them back.
 
Re: Tumbleweed: 7/3 Pin striping by Karfer67

I just picked them up today, my chain guard and fender have been striped by none other than karfer67. I'm just thankful he lives a reasonable distance from me because no way would i trust anyone to ship works of art like these. It seemed as though i may have been the first to ask karfer for something in a western style but he delivered. Thanks again Adam, it's even better than i could've imagined myself and the more i look at it the more i like it! 'Nough said, photos>

IMG_4911 by sabbparrish, on Flickr

IMG_4912 by sabbparrish, on Flickr

IMG_4913 by sabbparrish, on Flickr

IMG_4914 by sabbparrish, on Flickr

This is the boot that i asked to have some of the design elements incorporated into the striping, i love how the teal and red and yellow work together and really pop off of the black. I originally wanted more of and electric blue but karfer wisely guided me to this teal which gives everything a definite southwest flair.

IMG_4916 by sabbparrish, on Flickr

IMG_4917 by sabbparrish, on Flickr
 
Re: Tumbleweed: 7/3 Pin striping by Karfer67

Sweet striping! Makes me wanna listen to some ZZ Top Fandango.
 
Re: Tumbleweed: 7/3 Pin striping by Karfer67

kingfish254 said:
Sweet striping! Makes me wanna listen to some ZZ Top Fandango.
:lol: :lol: This will sound fruity but when i had the dream that inspired me for this build i was hearing "Sharp Dressed Man". Not the same album but kind cool that it's throwing off a similar vibe!
 
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