Schwinn American Boardtracker

[OctopusHook]

A little while ago I started a thread about this bike in the gallery section asking for help with ideas for this bike. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=37713&p=372189#p372189 I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it at the time but I have a plan now. I'm going for a boardtracker look but with out permanently altering the bike or it's parts. Even though it's not in the best condition I would still fell a little bad if I did something to degrade its originality. I'll keep all the parts that I take off it so if at some point I want to put it back to stock, I can.
So far I have made a seat post to locate the seat further back, it still needs some work but it's functional. I picked up some BMX handlebars that I am going to paint white and mount upside down. I'm not completely sure I want to use these bars but they were only a buck so if I end up not liking them, oh well. I got rims too but they ended up being some oddball size that's a little bigger than 26" so I'm still on the look out for rims. When I do get the rims they will be painted white as well and wrapped with the largest black tires I can fit (something like fat franks). I also got the hubs I'll be using the rear is a 3 speed SA. I plan to mount the shifter some where on the top tube or seat tube. For a headlight I'll be using an old tractor light converted to LED. I don't know what I'll do for a back light yet though. The last think I have planed is a tank plate. Oh I'm also considering a springer fork too but I'm not sure.
I'm open to suggestions too so let me know what you guys think.
Thanks,
Nate

 

[Strings_and_steam]

It looks like you've got Schwinn rims there, they are a different size than 'standard', I remember running into that same problem when looking for tires. Your local bike shop might be able to set you up. I don't know this for sure, but if you're doing to use different non-Schwinn rims/tires you might have fender clearance issues if you decide to keep them? I'm sure someone else here who's done more with this will chime in.

Sounds like a great build man, I did up a Schwinn like that last summer for the RRBO5. If you need any help with things, let me know. Also, if you're interested, I'd be happy to make you a wooden tank plate, I still have my template from making my last one as well as some board left over, it's a nice thickness that fills the space between the canti's almost perfectly. Let me know, and best of luck!

 

[OctopusHook]

Yeah the rims I got were Schwinn S-7's. I'm not sure what the designation is for the rims I have on the bike now, but they are also Schwinn's and they are definitely 26" as that's whats printed on the tires. If anyone wants the S-7 rims I took them back to the bike shop I got them from (A Better Cycle, in SE Portland). As for the tank plate I was thinking I'd make it out of aluminum. But thanks for the offer!

 

[OctopusHook]

OK I have been looking all over the internet trying to find some 26" rims for this bike and have come up with nothing. I can find built wheels left and right but no rims. I don't care if they are Schwinn rims but I do want them to be around the same width as an S-2 or 7. A modern rim is fine too as long as it doesn't have a machined side wall. Thanks.

 

[OctopusHook]

Did some work tonight, I started buy mounting the bars that I painted last night, then moved on to the seat post. To finish off the set post I ground down the outside of the joint and then welded over it and ground that down to an even bevel. Then I added welds to the inside of the joint and smoothed those out. I also shortened the horizontal tube. I'm pretty pleased with the results so far! 8)

 

[FOUND OBJECTS]

good job on the post!

 

[Strings_and_steam]

Yeah man digging the post! I'm no metalsmith, so maybe this is a dumb question, but why is the weld purple in that one pic? :shock: Was it just cooling down from weld?

 

[OctopusHook]

I took the picture when it was still glowing hot. :wink:

I got my light today! I think its going to look pretty sweet! Now I just have to convert it to LED.

 

[OctopusHook]

The light is mounted although I have not converted it yet.

I made a template for the tank plate and cut the plate out of a sheet of scrap aluminum. If you haven't had Widmer Brothers W'11 KGB, get some!

The mounting brackets are made from stainless strapping that I formed around a bar that was the same diameter as the frame tubing. I haven't decided what hardware I'll be using to fasten it all together so I haven't drilled the holes yet. Deschutes Jubelale, another tasty beer.

Just taped the tank plate on to see how it looks. It's going to get painted but I haven't decided on a design, I'm think some form of race number though.

 

[FOUND OBJECTS]

NICE! Paint the insert white to tie in the bars... :idea: :?:

 

[scott brownsey]

hi what is the light and what diamanter is it thank you

 

[OctopusHook]

So last night I had my headlight apart and was trying to think of how I was going to do the LED conversion. I happened to compare the bike light on my girlfriends bike to my headlight, and buy a stroke of luck the LEDs on her light were spaced perfectly with the posts of the bulb. This morning I went to the bike shop and got the same light, a Blackburn, Voyager 2. Them it was just a matter of gutting the light and making the holes in the bulb.
The two posts broke off fairly cleanly just buy twisting them with pliers.

For the center hole there was a small tube of glass that stuck out between the posts on the bulb that I just broke off and expanded the hole with a stone dremel bit.

I then removed all the excess plastic from around the battery tray on the bike light.

The stock wires weren't long enough so i replaced those. To secured it all to the bulb I used some silicone caulking.

It's alive!

So for now I'm just going to use the stock switch on the circuit board. Witch means I'll have to open the case up every time I want to turn the light on or off. But I'm going to get a screw with a knob head so I don't need to carry around a screw driver. Next I'll have to clean it all up and paint it.

Scott, the light is one i got off ebay. It was listed as a tractor light it doesn't have any markings on it so I don't know who made it. But on the back of the bulb there is righten tung-sol 12v 4411. It measures 4.75" across the bulb it's self is 4.25 across. Hope that helps.

 

[scott brownsey]

thank you it helps sum i have a yellow car bulb looks like the same size i think im going to mount it in a car bucket and wrap it with thin sheet metal it should work i just dont know yet how im going to make the light work yet

 

[scott brownsey]

just wondering how the headlight is working for you

 

[OctopusHook]

The light is working good although it's on another bike right now.
Just thought I'd post an update as to how the bike looks now. Got new wheels and tires on it and it's roll'n soo smooth.