(WBO) Thorn... OK, really now, it's done PICS!

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As always I probably don't have time to pull off a build at this time of year but I'm going to give it a shot. I bought this bike a while back and unfortunately it had undisclosed issues. Notably, many of the tubing junctions and the fork crown had been drilled and pinned and the fenders were wrong. In frustration, I just pushed it into a corner for about a year. I tried to sell it at a swap meet but nobody wanted to take on the project, so it went back to its corner. Needless to say, this thing has been a Thorn in my side... I just sold off the fork, wheels and Mead sprocket. The fenders went in the scrap pile. This past week I drilled out the pins and will be bringing the frame to my friend Nick's shop for professional repair.




I've been clearing out parts like crazy so the pickings are kind of slim. I have an ide for a tank panel and will probably run some 26" multi speed wheels. maybe the wheels off of the swayback cruiser?



Not really sure what the plan is yet.
 
Well, that Fuji frame is hideous, but the drive and chain look CLEAN, very cool, so yeah, that would be a good donor. Maybe use the front fork from it, as well, if you can. That matching hub is strange and retro-futuristic, and may go well with the Silver King frame.
 
thanks for the input. The front hub is a dynamo that generates power for the auto shifting thing under the bottom bracket. I haven't pulled it apart yet but it must run some kind of linear actuator to shift the hub.

I'm looking at a few different fork options. Those Mosso forks on ebay have a nice flat profile and aren't too expensive, or maybe put a vintage mtb suspension fork on it? Might even consider some kind of home made sprung fork (time permitting). I was wanting to go skiptooth but the chain is pretty cool.
 
Looks like you have a rare 30's Hawthorne Duralium Silver King That you have been parting out :eek: a restored one just sold for $1,850...
$_57.JPG

In the 1930’s, Montgomery Ward commissioned the Monark Battery Company (later Monark Silver King) to build a line of aluminum bicycles based on Monark’s own line of aluminum bikes. The Hawthorne versions, referred to as the Duralium, differed only slightly. These are very sought after by collectors today.
http://www.nostalgic.net/1935-hawthorne-duralium
The pins wouldn't bother me.Still want to sell it? Give ya a 20 for it...But I want the forks too.:grin:

 
Stripped down what was remaining on the frame, drilled the pins out and did a little test polishing. The lugs have some deep scratches on the chainstay so I may go scotchbright on them and just polish the tubes.





I test fitted a 26" wheel with a cool US Royal Masters centipede grip tire just to see how a balloon fender would fit. It's pretty close, especially at the chainstays. I would be using a bigger tire too.


Also brought in the swayback and did a little exploration into it's parts. Here is the shift knuckle. Rear hub is 3 speed.


Here is the control box, remove one screw and it slides back and comes off it's mounting bracket. cable is typical road bike shift cable but has a nub at both ends.



Front Dyno hub wires have a plug at both ends, I would like to relocate the box so may have to cut the plug off one end and make a new wire. Hub cap comes off with a 10mm allen which is also the axle nut. There is no battery so the bike wont shift unless the front wheel is spinning. I wonder if I could power a small led light with the hub also?
 
I love the idea of that wheelset going on the SK. Looks like it should work out okay.
Cant' wait to see the fork and tank.
 
Great futuristic rat!

I like that

I think I'll be drilling holes in the down tube for the wiring, seems crazy but it's just metal, someone can fix it next time around! Not sure how to run the shift cable cleanly yet, might have my buddy tack on something to hold the cable to the underside of the chainstay.

I had an idea today for the wheels to hide the machined brake surface, don't want to give too much away yet, in case it fails!
 
picked up a piece of aluminum rod today from my friend Jay at ACME Choppers. He's got a couple of sweet Triumph projects going on. Aluminum will get turned down into pins for the frame, going to make them just a hair shorter than the width of the junction and grind a point on the tips, then plug weld to make it all disappear. Super short on free time this week but I'm hoping to get the material dropped off tomorrow.
 
Dropped of the stuff at Acton Custom this afternoon, hoping he can knock it out while I am out of town. Not much of an update... Time permitting I might strip the swayback to get it out of my shop later on tonight. I'd post photos, but it's such an ugly thing..
 
Heading to Montreal with my crew of 12 friends for skiing and what ever first thing tomorrow morning. There are a couple of cool looking bike shops up there so maybe I'll be doing some international parts hunting. Hopefully these shops have treasures in the attic. Other than that, nothing to report.
 

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