(MBBO#05 Class 2) the UNVEGA- sneak peek & ride vid. all done.

Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum

Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Back to the build. Let's smooth out some of those weld joints
Not my favorite task, I must say. I've done my share of filler work, When I lived up in Charleston, I used to fix up cars and flip them. On cars, you're usually spreading bondo over.larger areas so it's not too bad. On a bike it's all of the nooks and crannies to fill, and then sand down...and with an open time of approx 3 minutes, you gotta keep mixin' and moving fast
So, I sanded down all of the areas where tubes join each other, and spread some bondo in using my fingers, rough sand with 60 grit, and let it sit over night. Today, i did a little finer sanding...and hit it with 1st coat of high build primer.

Bottom Bracket area:
bbbefaft.jpg

Rear upright seat stay...before / after primer
seatstaybefaft.jpg


Seat Tube Area:
seattubebefaft.jpg


And, here's a shot of the rear end of the bike:
reardropuotsseatstays.jpg


Now that looks much better...chances are that successive paint layers will smooth it just fine...but looking closely there are still some pits in the bondo. Some guys will go with a spot putty for final fairing...I don't use that method. I'll rub down this first primer coat with a Scotch Brite pad...smooths out the overspray, and blends it in a little. still leaving some tooth for the next primer coat.
You don't really have to sand it too meticulously in between coats at this early stage unless there's a nib or a booger on there.
I mix up some Two Part Epoxy and 'paint' around the joints , that fills little pits...and, to my way of thinking anyway... it creates a hard layer over the bondo, which itself really is kindof soft and porous.

OK folks...tomorrow, i'll lay in the epoxy filler and shoot a second primer coat.
:happy:
franco
 
Frame is looking good Franco. I like your finish work, and thanks for explaining the process. The term 'high build primer' is a new one for me. How does that differ from regular primer?
 
Hey guys.
first time I've touched that bike in about a month Luke, and it's still just the frame. You're way ahead of me....:)

I just left Pa. and it's starting to get a bit nippy at nights up there...sure Ohio is same. Key answer...Florida
I'll probably work on it tomorrow, since it's rainy here in Florida today...but then again, I can paint anything year round...so that's a plus. Because you know it's coming...:(


High build primer is an automotive prime in rattle can..also called filler primer, made to fill in little scratches and imperfections better.. it's sandable. I bought it at harbor freight...but any auto supply store has it..at Walmart, or prob. Zellers O.J.
two coats of that floats over sanding scratches or slight imperfections and they indeed do disappear more than using your average primer...a comparison in strong sunlight convinced me...
and...it's not that it's thicker than any other spray paint..must be molecular something or other, you know......science.
primer.jpg
 
Last edited:
+1 for filler primer ^^ some are even good enought to fill tiny holes and smooth flat grinder marks on round tubing
A must !

Good job with the smooting , the frame looks great !:113:
 
Started a first assembly today to check how it's progressing..after working on a bunch of 'parts' for a while now, it's time to see how things are fitting.

Put some alternate wheels on so I don't grime up the painted ones I have ready. Frame is in Primer. Seat is just a wood base...for now...I'm sure I'll build the seat too.

I can see now that my builds are mostly 'found art' found parts...and whatever works. Partly, because I don't have extra money to send out for a seat, sissy bar tires, stuff like that...the other part, is that it really opens my eyes to how you can create almost anything if you're resourceful enough. Man, I love that part the best :happy:

Taking the time to line up all of those damm pieces of tube and metal are paying off...so far it's lining up great . Uh oh...I better not jinx it...because I still have a lot to do. ;0) .got to fab up the spring cups for the the sissy bar suspension. get the BB spindle and crank set on, fab up a chainguard..etc..lotsa stuff.

Mo' Pics..here we go...too late to turn back now
Franco
mockup1B.jpg


mockup1D.jpg


mockup1C.jpg
 
Last edited:
The Sissy Bar
You say you don't have the xtra cash to send out for a bright shiny new sissy bar , Bunky? Well, no worries. Pick up an old luggage cart at Thrift.....you can get a nice chrome sissy bar out of that old thing...:happy:
Break out your smallest conduit bender and badda bing...
sissybar.jpg


mockup1A.jpg


Ok...more to come...stay tuned.
franco
 
Thrifty building,, soo..
Ratified ! :41::thumbsup::thumbsup:
Digg'n it, man. :cool2:


Ahhh...thanks KJV...thrifty..I like that..sounds better n' 'cheap. :bigsmile:
To be sure it's a way back thing with me..I'm a repurposer for most of my life..used to work in wood.now I like welding metal stuff together..used to be...I would drag wood off the beach and make chairs..an old fence out for trash...no problem..right on the racks of my old station wagon and dragged it home...wrecked boats, anything, you name it..I gathered it...and then turned it into furniture and wood objects de' franco.....benches from wooden bed frames...that desk and chairs..(kid size) I made from the neighbors old fence that came down.
Now, I'm gathering wood and metal and all kinds of junk out on the curbs from the blowdown of recent hurricane in Florida here...so who knows...next...a wood and metal bike.. LOL...:13:

furncollage.jpg
 
Loving the sissy bar. I have to admit, I've been eyeballing shopping carts as a parts donor, 1 of the stores I go to still has metal/chrome carts.
Happy to see you're building again and settled from the storm.

I shoot most paint from a gun. For rattle can, I really like UPOL products, may have to order them, fill primer, etch primer, weld thru primers are very good. I stick with these because I know they are compatible with auto paint.

I used rustoleum etch primer and fill primers from their auto repair line, recently on one of the wife's projects. Easy get get, decent product, sanded OK. May have to go to autozone to find them.
 
Loving the sissy bar. I have to admit, I've been eyeballing shopping carts as a parts donor, 1 of the stores I go to still has metal/chrome carts.
Happy to see you're building again and settled from the storm.

I shoot most paint from a gun. For rattle can, I really like UPOL products, may have to order them, fill primer, etch primer, weld thru primers are very good. I stick with these because I know they are compatible with auto paint.

I used rustoleum etch primer and fill primers from their auto repair line, recently on one of the wife's projects. Easy get get, decent product, sanded OK. May have to go to autozone to find them.

shopping carts....:thumbsup: no joke. loads of good steel some chrome and a lot of the bends are already made.....I eyed them up too Indy...:21: apparently, this guy likes them too.....
cartbikefrontside.jpg

I think most primers are touchy to sand on a bike, don't you?
so many edges and angles that it's easy to sand right through the primer...that's why I just rub it smooth with some scotch brite green...pads...or the back of an old sponge..smooths it without really removing any primer..

I know where I can get several carts right now, the homeless guys take them out by the woods and park them. I don't want to take some poor dudes wheels tho.....ya know?

I used to spray furniture all the time when I had my spray booth up in S.C. I think about setting up a booth here here in Florida. I have the compressor and all. for now spray cans work just fine....I can get a good layer down and I don't miss that clean up of the paint gun.
f.
 
Ahhh...thanks KJV...thrifty..I like that..sounds better n' 'cheap. :bigsmile:
To be sure it's a way back thing with me..I'm a repurposer for most of my life..used to work in wood.now I like welding metal stuff together..used to be...I would drag wood off the beach and make chairs..an old fence out for trash...no problem..right on the racks of my old station wagon and dragged it home...wrecked boats, anything, you name it..I gathered it...and then turned it into furniture and wood objects de' franco.....benches from wooden bed frames...that desk and chairs..(kid size) I made from the neighbors old fence that came down.
Now, I'm gathering wood and metal and all kinds of junk out on the curbs from the blowdown of recent hurricane in Florida here...so who knows...next...a wood and metal bike.. LOL...:13:

View attachment 36317
Cool projects. Even cooler that you reclaimed all that stuff and turned it into functional art! RaT oN!
 
Fabricated a top plate for the springer Sissy Bar today
Next I make up some hold down clamps which will attach to the sissy bar...while the bar ends will 'float' in those tubes. the ends extend down in approx. 6" [152mm.]
Plan to allow about an 3/4 - 1" inch of play...so the seat should absorb bumps nicely while riding on those fat springs.
:happy:

sissbarclamp.jpg
 
Awesome transformation!
I really like this build!
 
Back
Top