# The Schwinn Dixie Dreamcycle: My Entry for the 16th Annual Rat Rod Bikes Build Off



## Bike from the Dead

Well, this is the third build thread I've created for this bike. Hopefully, _this time_ the thread will end with a completed bike.




If you haven't seen either the 2020/2021 MBBO thread or the second, separate build thread for this bike, here’s the backstory for this project: this is actually the very bike that got me into this hobby a little over 3 years ago. I won this bike at an auction for $65, and since then, I've been working on this bike on and off for over 3 years. I got this idea in my head early on that I would change this DX frame's appearance by swapping parts whenever I got bored with how it looked or rode. I was loosely inspired by the quick-change rear ends racers use on their cars to change how their cars drive, and by an old act of the same name I once saw on America's Got Talent where these people would quickly change their wardrobe and even their hair, hence the first half of this bike's name. _Schwinn Dixie_ was just a quirky play on Schwinn DX and Winn Dixie, because why not? I gradually accumulated a stash of various forks, fenders, chain guards, wheels, you name it, all for this bike. Though I've never gotten this bike in a finished, functional state, I eventually come back to it and mock up different parts to see what direction I want to take it.









Earlier today, I took the bike apart (_again_) and shot these photos of the frame, and most of the parts I plan to use to put it together.































Originally, this was going to be a bare metal bike with a satin clear coat. However, since I built my last Build Off bike as a bare metal bike, I decided I wanted to do something different. Instead, I want to have this bike sandblasted and powder coated/painted. I want the final look of this bike to say "fun." I don't necessarily want this bike to look too aggressive, and one of the ways to help keep it lighthearted is to do it up in some bright, vivid color or colors. Here's the challenge: I don't want to spend a ton of money on this project, especially after how much I've _already _spent on all the different parts I got for this bike, and the last two custom bikes I've worked on. I really want to keep as close to a $100 budget (on top of what I've already spent) as reasonably possible. I hope to achieve that by using mostly stuff I already have in my possession. That means using parts that may not look quite as nice as I'd like, as well as parts that require the least amount of tuning and modification needed to get this bike rolling. Most challenging of all, that means certain parts will determine the final paint scheme of the bike. The tires especially limit my options. If the whitewall tires shown above weren't reduced to flaky plastic, picking a color palette would be easy, but for the sake of the budget, I'm going to use the black tires that I had initially bought for a daily rider project.


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## Bike from the Dead

FULL DISCLOSURE: I actually started mocking up parts for this build a couple weeks before I started this thread. I didn't want to start the thread until I knew Dad and I could fix his sandblaster, as I wanted to be sure I stood a chance at finishing this bike by the Build Off deadline. I also didn't want to enter this year's Build Off until I had at least a good idea of what direction this bike was going to go. This was my initial idea:







I wanted to powder coat this bike a bright metallic orange, with metallic white accents and a chrome springer fork, and give it the nickname "Dreamcycle," in reference to one of my favorite summer treats. However, this design, as much as I love it, would be too expensive to build right now. The springer fork and seat are from another project, and it's the only one I have. I also don't have a good pair of whitewall tires (the tires pictured are dry-rotted, and are really only good for mockup purposes.) Those parts alone would set me back at least $120-$140, and that's not including the modifications to the rear fender! So, as much as wanted to build it this way, I needed to find a way to keep the extra costs down. That meant using mostly just what parts I already had laying around.






















This was about where I figured out the general attitude of this bike. Pretend that the rear fender is bobbed where the black line is, and this is almost how I'm thinking the final bike will look. One slight problem though: That fork is for a 24" middleweight bike. There's just enough room for a 26 inch balloon tire to fit, but there isn't any room for a front fender. I kind of want a front fender this time, so I need a different fork.











That's better... sort of. I like the balanced distance between the two tires and the frame, but the fenders are too long, and the fork, nice as it is, has a bad steerer tube, which is why I didn't mockup all the parts. The good news is my local welder can fix both of those problems. The bad news is I don't know how much that will cost off the top of my head, but I'm betting $40 to $60 is a safe bet. By the way, these mockups were from earlier this afternoon, after disassembling the bike for the "start" photos.
















So, what's next? Well, I need to revisit my digital mockup of _Schwinn Dixie_ so I can figure out the final color scheme for the bike. I also need to decide which parts I'm going to use, how much everything's going to cost, and whether or not I'm going to modify anything. I wouldn't be surprised if this project goes over $100, but I really want to keep the cost as low as possible this time while making use of what I've got. Still, I might be able to justify modifying existing parts, if the final look feels worth it to me (and if I can sell a few more bits and pieces I don't need.)


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## Bike from the Dead

Okay, I spent a LOT of time obsessing over the color scheme for this bike, no thanks to the limitations of using the blackwall tires I have, instead of the whitewalls I want. I finally based my new paint scheme on this little Hot Wheels VW I got a while back. It's got a sort of candy blue color, with white, gold and orange racing stripes, and a little race number on the roof.










I chose to color over one of the photos I shot yesterday, instead of using my usual Photoshop mockup, as it was easier to figure out the fork and front fender that way. The results are far from perfect, but here's the general idea I came up with based on that little VW. The number, 165, is a nod to the fact that this is my first vintage bike, and 65 is the price I paid for it at auction 3 years ago.




I like the design I came up with today, but I still like my earlier "Dreamcycle" design even more. I already have a blue bike I'm working on, and I already did a race-inspired build during last year's RRBO. I don't have an orange bike so far, and to have one colored after one of my favorite frozen treats would be even sweeter. Plus, it would be (hopefully) a little cheaper and easier to put that one together. This design, as nice as it is, says "fast" and "tough" to me. I'm not looking for "fast" or "tough" this time around. I want "fun" and "leisurely."

So, here's the plan: I just found the receipt for those 2 blackwall tires earlier today. I'll call the bike shop I bought them from, and see if I can return them and get a pair of whitewalls instead. If that doesn't pan out, I'll put these tires up for sale/trade so I can get a pair of whitewalls without being out any cash. In the meantime, I'll see if I can disassemble my parts donor Schwinn so I can possibly use the fenders and anything else off of that. I can get the fenders bobbed, replace the steerer tube for the fork, and get everything else necessary to put this bike together, minus paint & primer. Best case scenario, I get my whitewall tires and build this bike the way I want. Worst case scenario... well, the above design will still look nice.

Let me know what you guys think! I'm always open to critique and suggestions!


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## Bike from the Dead

I'll keep this post short and...




...because I'm now off to a...




Okay, puns aside, I was able to exchange those blackwall tires for a pair of whitewall tires. Now that that's out of the way, I'm going with my original "Dreamcycle" color scheme: orange and white. This will make finishing this bike much simpler and easier than if I went with the candy blue scheme I tinkered with yesterday.










I'm not sure which exact fork and front fender I'm using just yet, but I grabbed the white fork shown above, and the 2 forks below out of storage just in case I need to splice a steerer tube onto that red fork I mocked up earlier. Odds are the bent red fork pictured below will be the donor, as the rest of it's pretty mangled.




That's all for now. Stay tuned for more!


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## JoNy

Bike from the Dead said:


> Well, this is the third build thread I've created for this bike. Hopefully, _this time_ the thread will end with a completed bike.View attachment 1445154
> 
> If you haven't seen either the 2020/2021 MBBO thread or the second, separate build thread for this bike, here’s the backstory for this project: this is actually the very bike that got me into this hobby a little over 3 years ago. I won this bike at an auction for $65, and since then, I've been working on this bike on and off for over 3 years. I got this idea in my head early on that I would change this DX frame's appearance by swapping parts whenever I got bored with how it looked or rode. I was loosely inspired by the quick-change rear ends racers use on their cars to change how their cars drive, and by an old act of the same name I once saw on America's Got Talent where these people would quickly change their wardrobe and even their hair, hence the first half of this bike's name. _Schwinn Dixie_ was just a quirky play on Schwinn DX and Winn Dixie, because why not? I gradually accumulated a stash of various forks, fenders, chain guards, wheels, you name it, all for this bike. Though I've never gotten this bike in a finished, functional state, I eventually come back to it and mock up different parts to see what direction I want to take it.View attachment 1445155
> View attachment 1445156
> View attachment 1445157
> 
> Earlier today, I took the bike apart (_again_) and shot these photos of the frame, and most of the parts I plan to use to put it together.
> View attachment 1445158
> View attachment 1445159
> View attachment 1445160
> View attachment 1445161
> View attachment 1445162
> View attachment 1445163
> View attachment 1445164
> View attachment 1445165
> View attachment 1445166
> View attachment 1445167
> 
> Originally, this was going to be a bare metal bike with a satin clear coat. However, since I built my last Build Off bike as a bare metal bike, I decided I wanted to do something different. Instead, I want to have this bike sandblasted and powder coated/painted. I want the final look of this bike to say "fun." I don't necessarily want this bike to look too aggressive, and one of the ways to help keep it lighthearted is to do it up in some bright, vivid color or colors. Here's the challenge: I don't want to spend a ton of money on this project, especially after how much I've _already _spent on all the different parts I got for this bike, and the last two custom bikes I've worked on. I really want to keep as close to a $100 budget (on top of what I've already spent) as reasonably possible. I hope to achieve that by using mostly stuff I already have in my possession. That means using parts that may not look quite as nice as I'd like, as well as parts that require the least amount of tuning and modification needed to get this bike rolling. Most challenging of all, that means certain parts will determine the final paint scheme of the bike. The tires especially limit my options. If the whitewall tires shown above weren't reduced to flaky plastic, picking a color palette would be easy, but for the sake of the budget, I'm going to use the black tires that I had initially bought for a daily rider project.



Cool!


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## Bike from the Dead

JoNy said:


> Cool!



Thanks!


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## Bike from the Dead

Okay, finally gave myself some time to make some progress on _Schwinn Dixie_ today, though not as much as I would have hoped. 

I tried disassembling my parts bike today, with the hopes that a propane torch would be all I'd need to loosen up any stubborn nuts and bolts. While that worked for some pieces, and was even unnecessary for others, it turns out that... this bike my be a little too far gone to salvage everything. I snapped the bolt that kept the handlebar stem in place, and no amount of smacking the stem with a rubber mallet seemed to jar it loose. The bolt that held the front fender wouldn't budge even after being grilled by the torch, and ended up snapping inside the fork when I used a vice grip to turn it loose. I couldn't even get the rear wheel off because the nut and bolt holding the coaster brake arm are both so stubborn!




I did, however, successfully remove the three parts I wanted to salvage most, though! I got the two fenders and the kickstand removed. The fenders bow out a little near some of the fender brace rivets (typical,) but for the most part, they are nice and straight! They're in even better shape than the fenders that came with my Build Off bike! But now I'm stuck second-guessing my plan to bob the fenders. I may end up just leaving the fenders their full length instead of shortening both of them. I have an idea of how I'll do that, but that will have to wait until I can take the fork to my welder and have him replace the steerer tube.







Stay tuned! More to come, hopefully soon!


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## Bike from the Dead

Okay, I changed my mind about the colors, the quality of the finish, and the overall direction of this build. This will no longer be a clean, fun looking "Dreamcycle;" instead, this will now be a hideous, paint-over-rust, matte purple people eater!



(I swear there's a perfectly logical explanation for this; I'll just have to wait until the paint finishes drying before I can explain.)


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## Bike from the Dead

Okay, so here's what's up with the purple/pink paint: I was originally planning on bobbing/trimming the fenders, but after mocking the bike up with uncut fenders so many times, and with the whole "mellow, good-feels" vibe I'm going for, I wan't sure I wanted to do that anymore. Problem is, since the parts I'm using to build this bike aren't the same color, it's tough to gauge just how full-length fenders would look on the finished bike. So, I decided to conduct a little experimental mockup... with some leftover "Cadillac Ranch" spray paint. I took everything over to my dad's shop, hung up the soon-to-be-painted parts on a powder coating rack, and then proceeded to spray bomb everything in this ugly matte purple paint, because I honestly doubt it would have ever been used for anything else.













The fork I want to use hasn't been fixed yet, so I just used this one for this test. I felt a little bad that I was about to paint over what might have been the original paint, but that didn't stop me from doing it anyway.




I'll admit, I wasn't really trying to do a good job painting over everything, but that was never the point. This is all just a temporary paint mockup. I'm still going to sandblast everything later anyway, so this doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be one relatively solid color.













And here's the whole reason for this hideous paint job: I can now see what the bike would look like in one solid color, with uncut fenders. Now that I can see what it looks like in one uniform color, I like the full fenders better than bobbed fenders. I might tinker with the idea of making the back of the front fender level with the front of the rear fender, but for the most part, I think this is the direction I'm going, sans purple paint. I still want to explore using other handlebars, and I still feel like there need to be a headlight or something ahead of the head badge, but that's a problem for tomorrow.













I know it may look like a step backward, but I feel like this is a big step forward. It helped me figure out a few things I wasn't sure of, and that'll make the next step even easier to tackle.

That's all for tonight! Stay tuned for more!


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## Superman1984

Bike from the Dead said:


> Okay, so here's what's up with the purple/pink paint: I was originally planning on bobbing/trimming the fenders, but after mocking the bike up with uncut fenders so many times, and with the whole "mellow, good-feels" vibe I'm going for, I wan't sure I wanted to do that anymore. Problem is, since the parts I'm using to build this bike aren't the same color, it's tough to gauge just how full-length fenders would look on the finished bike. So, I decided to conduct a little experimental mockup... with some leftover "Cadillac Ranch" spray paint. I took everything over to my dad's shop, hung up the soon-to-be-painted parts on a powder coating rack, and then proceeded to spray bomb everything in this ugly matte purple paint, because I honestly doubt it would have ever been used for anything else.
> View attachment 1451038
> View attachment 1451039
> View attachment 1451040
> View attachment 1451041
> 
> The fork I want to use hasn't been fixed yet, so I just used this one for this test. I felt a little bad that I was about to paint over what might have been the original paint, but that didn't stop me from doing it anyway.
> View attachment 1451042
> 
> I'll admit, I wasn't really trying to do a good job painting over everything, but that was never the point. This is all just a temporary paint mockup. I'm still going to sandblast everything later anyway, so this doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be one relatively solid color.
> View attachment 1451043
> View attachment 1451044
> View attachment 1451045
> View attachment 1451046
> 
> And here's the whole reason for this hideous paint job: I can now see what the bike would look like in one solid color, with uncut fenders. Now that I can see what it looks like in one uniform color, I like the full fenders better than bobbed fenders. I might tinker with the idea of making the back of the front fender level with the front of the rear fender, but for the most part, I think this is the direction I'm going, sans purple paint. I still want to explore using other handlebars, and I still feel like there need to be a headlight or something ahead of the head badge, but that's a problem for tomorrow.
> View attachment 1451047
> View attachment 1451048
> View attachment 1451049
> View attachment 1451050
> 
> I know it may look like a step backward, but I feel like this is a big step forward. It helped me figure out a few things I wasn't sure of, and that'll make the next step even easier to tackle.
> 
> That's all for tonight! Stay tuned for more!



I would level the fenders as you mentioned & I am glad you are shying away from bobbed fenders. I think they have their bikes etc but not a fan of them as much. I am naming that Putrid Pink 🤮


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## Bike from the Dead

Superman1984 said:


> I would level the fenders as you mentioned & I am glad you are shying away from bobbed fenders. I think they have their bikes etc but not a fan of them as much. I am naming that Putrid Pink 🤮



I'll try mocking up that idea in Photoshop either later this evening or tomorrow. I've got a few other parts to mock up first. I still want to try bobbing the fenders on this bike at some point, but not for this build. That's for more race-inspired or chopper-inspired builds, and this one's not going that direction. The paint color's actually called "Matte Violet," but I like your version better!


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## Bike from the Dead

I didn't get a whole lot done yesterday, but I did spend some time last night mocking up some handlebars last night. I grabbed all these handlebars out of my parts stash, plus a few different stems. I didn't take pictures of each mockup, just the ones I liked best.





First noteworthy handlebar was this flipped option. I like the idea, but it comes down a bit too low for my taste.







Option 2 looks much better, especially upright. I tried flipping it too, but at this point, I decided that I really didn't want flipped bars on this bike.










For my 3rd choice, I went with the original style of bars that came with this bike. If I was restoring this bike, this is what I'd use, albeit with a different stem, but that's not what I'm doing here. On to the next!




Option 4 was kind of my top pick of the pile last night, but looking back at the photos, I think I might like option 2 batter. At this point, I think it'll come down to which one feels more comfortable.







One last idea I wanted to try before the summer heat really got to me: flipping the front fender. I figured that instead of trimming the back of the front fender to match the front of the rear fender, I could just flip the front fender instead. It didn't yield the result I was looking for, but it does give me an idea I want to test on another bike...




I would have loved to do more on this bike yesterday, but between getting to bed late the previous night, being worn out for most of yesterday, and the insane heat and humidity giving me a headache after only 2 hours mocking up parts, in the evening/night no less, this is as far as I got yesterday. It's only going to get hotter this week, and I am _not_ looking forward to it. I'm either going to have to try getting up earlier, or just work on the bike a little at a time to avoid a potential heat stroke. 

There's another problem I need to sort out too. I can't fit a seat post into the bike more than 2 inches into the seat tube, and in fact, the original seat post was clearly cut because of this problem. It was brought to my attention just how bad of a situation that could be, and that I'd want to fix it so I can move a seat post as far down as I'd want. Thankfully, there doesn't seem to be a broken seat post stuck down inside the seat tube, but there are some bumps and imperfections that are in the way. I've got a rat tail filer that I could try using to remove the imperfections, but even then, I'm not sure that will be enough to fix the problem. Anyone have any ideas on how to fix this issue?


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## Superman1984

I'd go with the last bar option or those apes, flipping the fender is pointless for water if you intend to ride in & or through water puddles etc. 

Either rat rail file or sandpaper on drum that will fit the seat post.
I've always used a dowel or something make shift with adhesive backed sandpaper to get in there, sand it, brake or carb cleaner & then a smear of grease. Bein' 5'8" & liking the flat foot stopped comfort ability I either have to be able to sink the post or cut off some inches. 
Curved tube seat post suck 'cause the way my Nirve is It Has to be cut to get what I like.


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## Bike from the Dead

Superman1984 said:


> I'd go with the last bar option or those apes, flipping the fender is pointless for water if you intend to ride in & or through water puddles etc.
> 
> Either rat rail file or sandpaper on drum that will fit the seat post.
> I've always used a dowel or something make shift with adhesive backed sandpaper to get in there, sand it, brake or carb cleaner & then a smear of grease. Bein' 5'8" & liking the flat foot stopped comfort ability I either have to be able to sink the post or cut off some inches.
> Curved tube seat post suck 'cause the way my Nirve is It Has to be cut to get what I like.



I honestly didn't even bother mocking up the apes this time around. Not the right look for this bike, honestly. I do like the other bars, though. Don't worry, the fender is not going to be flipped like that, though I have no desire to ride through puddles anyway.

I'll try to sandblast the frame later this week so I can get a better look at the inside of the seat tube. That should make assessing and fixing the problem easier.


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## Bike from the Dead

One more minor physical mockup. I have these matching chrome wheels with a Bendix red band 2-speed kick back coaster brake hub that I wanted to test fit to the bike. They're cool, and they wouldn't take much work to shine up again, but between rebuilding the complex rear hub, the limited time left to finish the bike, and the narrower-than-expected whitewalls, I'm just not sure these are the wheels I want to use right now. It would be nice to have some more chrome on the bike, but I think I just need to keep it simple for now. I might just powder the other aluminum wheels either a matte or gloss white, so the whitewalls appear bigger than they are.













I think I need to solve this seat post/tube problem before I spend any more cash on this bike. So far, I haven't spent much on it (aside from what I had spent on it before the Build Off,) but I need to find out if I can actually fix this issue before I fix or buy any more parts. I'll work on my digital mockup again to figure out some other details, but for now, the seat tube is my main concern.


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## Superman1984

Use a thinned out oil base paint & make the white walls wide as you want'em🤔

Ohhh boy jus' go at the seat post & build it. Mocking up sh🤬it 100 times doesn't make it happen.  Gotta do physical hands on work to get results.  I say this 'cause I am bad about doing the same thing. Hence why I have frames I haven't cut nor built 🙄😒


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## Bike from the Dead

Big news: I can start sandblasting again! Dad and I got the new sandblasting parts installed into his sandblaster, and after testing it out on my Schwinn frame, it proves to be fully-functional!

For comparison, here's the old sandblasting tip and nozzle on the left, and the new tip and nozzle on the right.




Here's the sandblaster in question. 1950 26" Schwinn DX bike frame for scale, because there are no bananas at my dad's shop.




I didn't completely sandblast the frame, as this was just a test for now. I'll sandblast everything when I've fixed a few parts, and when Dad is ready to powder coat everything. I did however make a point to sandblast the inside of the seat tube, though.







Okay, I need some help from the more experienced bike builders here. The layback seat post on the left is what I plan to use to mount my seat. It will need some shims in order to sit properly inside the frame, as it's narrower than the original seat post, pictured in the middle. The gold line on the middle seat pole marks the top of the seat tube, after inserting the seat post as far down as the frame would allow, which is about 3 or 4 inches (I didn't measure, but the other pictures will show how far down inside the frame that is. It actually bottoms out right at the... is it called a "mid tube?") The seat post on the right is a stock seat post, shown because the original seat post that came with this bike was trimmed, no doubt because of whatever blockage is inside the seat tube.




Here's what I need help with: I want to put my layback seat post as low as it can go, which isn't a problem with it being narrower than the original seat post. I remember the shims that I used to put an identical seat post in last year's RRBBO bike were even shorter than the distance the original seat post can go into the frame, and I feel like I should be able to make everything work despite whatever blockage is in the seat tube. However, I am concerned about the frame bending under my weight pushing down at a point just behind the seat tube, and I want to be sure that this will all work. So, will this all work, or do I have a serious problem on my hands?







One other detail that I took care of today: I freed the pedals I want to use from the crank that the Monark sprocket I'm using on the bike came from. They're not perfect, but they're usable. The side plates have some peeling chrome, so my plan is to sandblast those pieces and powder coat them.







Oh yeah! I almost forgot; I revisited my digital mockup of _Schwinn Dixie_ yesterday, and I think I've decided on a near final design. There are a few variables left to figure out, like what color the fender braces and pedal parts will be, and whether the tank will be metallic white or gloss white, but the rest has pretty much been figured out. This is pretty much what the final bike will look like. I've also decided to rename this build _"The Schwinn Dixie Dreamcycle,"_ because the whole "_Project Quick Change" _moniker hasn't really worked out like I thought it would.




So what's next? Well, depending on what everybody says about the seat tube/post issue mentioned earlier, I'll either try fixing the seat tube, or I'll reach out to my local welder to see about fixing the fork, fenders, and a bad spot at the back of the seat tube. I still believe I should be able to have everything finished by September 6th, but I'm going to try getting as much done as possible before August 11th, as I have another pet/house-sitting job coming up that will go until the 22nd. I should still be able to work on the bike during that time, but knocking out as much as I can right now will just make everything easier to manage.

That's all for now! Stay tuned for more!


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## Superman1984

Bike from the Dead said:


> Big news: I can start sandblasting again! Dad and I got the new sandblasting parts installed into his sandblaster, and after testing it out on my Schwinn frame, it proves to be fully-functional!
> 
> For comparison, here's the old sandblasting tip and nozzle on the left, and the new tip and nozzle on the right.
> View attachment 1454876
> 
> Here's the sandblaster in question. 1950 26" Schwinn DX bike frame for scale, because there are no bananas at my dad's shop.
> View attachment 1454877
> 
> I didn't completely sandblast the frame, as this was just a test for now. I'll sandblast everything when I've fixed a few parts, and when Dad is ready to powder coat everything. I did however make a point to sandblast the inside of the seat tube, though.
> View attachment 1454878
> View attachment 1454879
> 
> Okay, I need some help from the more experienced bike builders here. The layback seat post on the left is what I plan to use to mount my seat. It will need some shims in order to sit properly inside the frame, as it's narrower than the original seat post, pictured in the middle. The gold line on the middle seat pole marks the top of the seat tube, after inserting the seat post as far down as the frame would allow, which is about 3 or 4 inches (I didn't measure, but the other pictures will show how far down inside the frame that is. It actually bottoms out right at the... is it called a "mid tube?") The seat post on the right is a stock seat post, shown because the original seat post that came with this bike was trimmed, no doubt because of whatever blockage is inside the seat tube.
> View attachment 1454880
> 
> Here's what I need help with: I want to put my layback seat post as low as it can go, which isn't a problem with it being narrower than the original seat post. I remember the shims that I used to put an identical seat post in last year's RRBBO bike were even shorter than the distance the original seat post can go into the frame, and I feel like I should be able to make everything work despite whatever blockage is in the seat tube. However, I am concerned about the frame bending under my weight pushing down at a point just behind the seat tube, and I want to be sure that this will all work. So, will this all work, or do I have a serious problem on my hands?
> View attachment 1454881
> View attachment 1454882
> 
> One other detail that I took care of today: I freed the pedals I want to use from the crank that the Monark sprocket I'm using on the bike came from. They're not perfect, but they're usable. The side plates have some peeling chrome, so my plan is to sandblast those pieces and powder coat them.
> View attachment 1454883
> View attachment 1454884
> 
> Oh yeah! I almost forgot; I revisited my digital mockup of _Schwinn Dixie_ yesterday, and I think I've decided on a near final design. There are a few variables left to figure out, like what color the fender braces and pedal parts will be, and whether the tank will be metallic white or gloss white, but the rest has pretty much been figured out. This is pretty much what the final bike will look like. I've also decided to rename this build _"The Schwinn Dixie Dreamcycle,"_ because the whole "_Project Quick Change" _moniker hasn't really worked out like I thought it would.
> View attachment 1454885
> 
> So what's next? Well, depending on what everybody says about the seat tube/post issue mentioned earlier, I'll either try fixing the seat tube, or I'll reach out to my local welder to see about fixing the fork, fenders, and a bad spot at the back of the seat tube. I still believe I should be able to have everything finished by September 6th, but I'm going to try getting as much done as possible before August 11th, as I have another pet/house-sitting job coming up that will go until the 22nd. I should still be able to work on the bike during that time, but knocking out as much as I can right now will just make everything easier to manage.
> 
> That's all for now! Stay tuned for more!



Have you tried taking any kinda flash cellphone pics or borescope to see inside the seat tube?

I wouldn't trust that depth with a lay back or lucky 7 / L post at 160+ lbs. Can you flat foot the bike comfortably? I ask 'cause if you can't then should somethin' bust loose; the better your chances might be to avoid bustin' your A & Bs


----------



## Bike from the Dead

Superman1984 said:


> Have you tried taking any kinda flash cellphone pics or borescope to see inside the seat tube?
> 
> I wouldn't trust that depth with a lay back or lucky 7 / L post at 160+ lbs. Can you flat foot the bike comfortably? I ask 'cause if you can't then should somethin' bust loose; the better your chances might be to avoid bustin' your A & Bs



I have a telescopic magnet on a stick with a built-in light that's made it relatively easy to look inside the seat tube.

I haven't had any issues riding _Dumpster Diamond _with a similar setup, and I weigh 240 lbs. Then again, I haven't rode it that much since I initially built it. If by "flat foot" you mean sit on the seat or stand over the bike with my feet planted on the ground, then yes, I can, at least when I mocked up the seat with the layback post.


----------



## Superman1984

Bike from the Dead said:


> I have a telescopic magnet on a stick with a built-in light that's made it relatively easy to look inside the seat tube.
> 
> I haven't had any issues riding _Dumpster Diamond _with a similar setup, and I weigh 240 lbs. Then again, I haven't rode it that much since I initially built it. If by "flat foot" you mean sit on the seat or stand over the bike with my feet planted on the ground, then yes, I can, at least when I mocked up the seat with the layback post.



Yeah flat foot = seated & stand over with clearance. You might not have to worry about it as much; just make Sure your shim tightens down so it doesn't spin (don't wanna mess up powdercoat) nor unexpectedly come off the seat. Worse case give it go ....


----------



## Bike from the Dead

Superman1984 said:


> Yeah flat foot = seated & stand over with clearance. You might not have to worry about it as much; just make Sure your shim tightens down so it doesn't spin (don't wanna mess up powdercoat) nor unexpectedly come off the seat. Worse case give it go ....



Ok cool. I'll wait and see everyone else says here and on ratrodbikes.com, just in case. If there's any reason that this might not work, then I'll want to fix the problem as quickly as possible.


----------



## Bike from the Dead

Made a little more progress on the bike today. I decided to try using Evaporust on some of the parts I want to use, namely the chainring, crank arms and seat post. I've let them all set for a few hours now, and I'm already seeing results! I want to let them soak overnight though, as there are a few spots with deeper rust I want to tackle.











Also, fun fact: in the few days that have past since I tested out the sandblaster, the bike frame has developed some incredible flash rust. Oklahoma humidity doing what it does best.













I'll let the few chrome bits soak in Evaporust overnight, but I still haven't figured out the seat post issue. I really need help solving the problem mentioned in my last post, and I can't really go any further until that issue is solved. So, if anyone here can give me some advice or input on what I should do, I would greatly appreciate it. Until then, that's all for now!


----------



## Superman1984

Bike from the Dead said:


> Made a little more progress on the bike today. I decided to try using Evaporust on some of the parts I want to use, namely the chainring, crank arms and seat post. I've let them all set for a few hours now, and I'm already seeing results! I want to let them soak overnight though, as there are a few spots with deeper rust I want to tackle.
> View attachment 1456832
> View attachment 1456833
> View attachment 1456834
> 
> Also, fun fact: in the few days that have past since I tested out the sandblaster, the bike frame has developed some incredible flash rust. Oklahoma humidity doing what it does best.
> View attachment 1456835
> View attachment 1456836
> View attachment 1456837
> View attachment 1456838
> 
> I'll let the few chrome bits soak in Evaporust overnight, but I still haven't figured out the seat post issue. I really need help solving the problem mentioned in my last post, and I can't really go any further until that issue is solved. So, if anyone here can give me some advice or input on what I should do, I would greatly appreciate it. Until then, that's all for now!



Cut the post out & weld a new 1 in. Problem Solved. I say this because last post you sound like you don't have much faith in what I said. Measure down the length of your post, add 1/2" and always remember when welding steel to bevel your joints ......


----------



## Bike from the Dead

Sorry for the delay, but here are the results of using Evaporust on some of the chrome parts I may or may not use on _The Schwinn Dixie Dreamcycle._ Got to say, I'm genuinely pleased with how everything turned out so far!







With that out of the way, I finally took the bearings apart and stuck them in some Simple Green to soak for a bit.




Next, I took apart the pedals that I'd like to use. They came apart easily enough, but I ran into yet another problem...




...How am I supposed to disassemble this middle piece so I can clean the bearings and soak the rusty bits in Evaporust? I see no way to take these apart, and I don't even know how I'm supposed to regrease the bearings either. One pedal spins okay, but the other needs some t.l.c. So... now what do I do?







While I figure out the next step of this build, I put the other pedal parts in the Evaporust to soak, along with a fender from another bike I've been occasionally working on. 




So, I know this seems like I'm dodging the whole seat post issue right now, but part of that is because I can't get ahold of my welder right now. The other part is that I'm getting ready for another week-and-a-half-long house/pet-sitting gig, so I'm trying to do whatever I can to make some amount of progress on this bike before then. I'm not sure how things are going to play out at this time, but I'm still hopeful I'll get this bike done in the next month. 

That's all for now. Stay tuned for more!


----------



## Bike from the Dead

Bike from the Dead said:


> Sorry for the delay, but here are the results of using Evaporust on some of the chrome parts I may or may not use on _The Schwinn Dixie Dreamcycle._ Got to say, I'm genuinely pleased with how everything turned out so far!
> View attachment 1458240
> View attachment 1458241
> 
> With that out of the way, I finally took the bearings apart and stuck them in some Simple Green to soak for a bit.
> View attachment 1458242
> 
> Next, I took apart the pedals that I'd like to use. They came apart easily enough, but I ran into yet another problem...
> View attachment 1458243
> 
> ...How am I supposed to disassemble this middle piece so I can clean the bearings and soak the rusty bits in Evaporust? I see no way to take these apart, and I don't even know how I'm supposed to regrease the bearings either. One pedal spins okay, but the other needs some t.l.c. So... now what do I do?
> View attachment 1458244
> View attachment 1458245
> 
> While I figure out the next step of this build, I put the other pedal parts in the Evaporust to soak, along with a fender from another bike I've been occasionally working on.
> View attachment 1458246
> 
> So, I know this seems like I'm dodging the whole seat post issue right now, but part of that is because I can't get ahold of my welder right now. The other part is that I'm getting ready for another week-and-a-half-long house/pet-sitting gig, so I'm trying to do whatever I can to make some amount of progress on this bike before then. I'm not sure how things are going to play out at this time, but I'm still hopeful I'll get this bike done in the next month.
> 
> That's all for now. Stay tuned for more!



Dangit, I just realized that I didn't shoot a picture of the backside of the chainring. Whoops!


----------



## Porkchop & Applesauce

I run the lucky 7 backwards on all my builds with no issues


----------



## Bike from the Dead

Story time: So last Wednesday, I got an email response to my Craigslist ad for these 2 Schwinn frames.




Called the guy, arranged a meeting, the usual. We meet, and the guy, Allan, brings his custom-built board track-inspired motor bike that he fabricated himself to show me what he hopes to do with my frames.




He's looking to use the 2 frames I have to build his next motorbike. Unfortunately, they aren't what he's looking for, as he needs something with bigger tubing than what I have. No worries, I understand. We get talking about his bike and the others he built, and I ask him if he does custom fabrication for clients, figuring he might be able to help me with some of my bike projects, like _Schwinn Dixie_. He does, and he was all on board for helping me with my projects!

Fast forward to Sunday, yesterday. I make the hour-long drive over to the small airport where Allan's equipment is, and he gives me tour, which includes two of his other motorbikes. He pulls out this bike out and lets me take it for a spin. He hops on the board track racer, and we cruise around the compound together for a bit.




Then Allan busts out his award-winning _Outlaw_, with a whopping *50+ mph 8 horsepower!* And to my genuine fear, he shows me how to operate it. I should mention, up until this Sunday, I had never really rode a motorcycle before. So, I was pretty nervous. Nevertheless, I get on it and cruise around for a few minutes. I mostly babied it, but I could tell this bike wanted to _go!_ This thing is a riot!







After riding the motorbikes around for a bit, we went over the Schwinn. I needed Allan's help to replace the steerer tube on the fork I want to use, smooth out the fenders, and touch up a spot on the frame. So he starts cutting up the fork and the steerer tube donor.










Unfortunately, I forgot to take into consideration that the handlebar stem needs to be able to fit inside a certain depth, which the sleeves inside the forks prevented. So, we accidentally measured once and cut twice. Allan's like "no problem, I got another fork we could use." So he pulls a fork out from under his work bench, and after checking out measurements twice, he cut the steerer tube off and welded it up to the fork I wanted to use.










I didn't get a lot of photos of the other progress we made, partly because I couldn't get a good angle for a shot, mostly because I was just enjoying the whole experience. Still, I did shoot a few photos of the end results. Thanks to Allen, I can now use the fork that was mangled in the last Build Off, the fenders are nice and straight, and the couple of holes on the back of the seat tube were filled and filed smoothish. Best of all, Allan offered to do it all free of charge! (Not that stopped me from offering to pay him. He politely turned down payment, but I'll be keeping an eye out for any parts he needs for his projects.)













We still had some time to kill, and what we did next was probably the highlight of highlights from yesterday's adventure: Allan taught me how to weld! I think what we did was TIG welding, since I fed the welding rod by hand, but I don't know for sure. We started with some scrap thin sheet metal he had laying around. He placed the spot welds to get me started, and explained the process in a way that just clicked. Basically, I heat the two metal pieces I want to join until they glow "cherry red," then I melt my welding rod until it "flows" into the spot I want it to. I also want my weld to "flow" or blend into the previous weld. After I did my first weld, Allan bent the metal back to test how solid my weld was. The metal bent, but not the weld!







We tried welding something a little thicker next. Once again, Allan got it started for me. Took a little more heat, but I was able to get it fairly easily.




How that weld looks cleaned up.




I was genuinely grinning from ear to ear, especially after Allan told me I did a great job for my first welds. Even cooler, Allan's offered to teach me some more whenever I want to come over again! 

We ended up cooling off in his office and shooting the breeze for a while after working on the bike and welding, but I had a blast the whole time I was there. I not only have a new resource to help me with my bike projects, but a new teacher and friend as well! And thanks to Allan's help, all the hard parts of this build are now out of the way! All that's left to do now is strip the paint off the fenders and fork, order the few parts I don't have, get everything else sandblasted and powder coated, and get everything assembled! I still have most of the week left before I start my house/pet-sitting gig, so I should be able to make a decent amount of progress before then!


----------



## Porkchop & Applesauce

I did a Schwinn sting ray with a motor. It’s a Honda xr80 crossed with a Schwinn. Does 50+ and super stable! Show your new found friend! He’ll dig it! Lol!


----------



## Bike from the Dead

Porkchop & Applesauce said:


> I did a Schwinn sting ray with a motor. It’s a Honda xr80 crossed with a Schwinn. Does 50+ and super stable! Show your new found friend! He’ll dig it! Lol!
> 
> View attachment 1461836



That thing is cool! It's practically a mini chopper!


----------



## Porkchop & Applesauce

Bike from the Dead said:


> That thing is cool! It's practically a mini chopper!



Most definitely is a mini chopper! It’s fast,stable, and super reliable! Definitely a fun machine!


----------



## Bike from the Dead

Can't say I've made a ton of progress this week since Sunday. I've mostly just been getting ready for this house/pet-sitting that I started just yesterday, so aside from ordering a few parts, all I've done is just mockup _Schwinn Dixie_ with all the parts Allan fixed for me. It looks like a mess right now, but I love how the fork and fenders look on the bike! There's an even amount of space between the frame and front fender, which I couldn't get with a Schwinn-style fork. The fenders are nice and round, with the tires filling them in nicely enough. This bike is getting so close to completion I can hardly believe it! Odds are this will be the last mockup before I strip the fenders and forks of lead paint and disassemble the wheels in preparation for sandblasting and powder coating.























I already got a few of the finishing pieces for the bike this week. I got the handlebar grips from my local bike shop.




The most critical piece however is this white seat. It's got bigger springs than I expected, but it should be plenty comfortable for my purposes. There's just one small problem...







I don't have an easy way to mount the seat to my 5/8" layback seat post. The mounting hardware is meant for one of those modern seat posts. I have these 2 adapter pieces that I thought would work with what I have, but they don't fit on the mount that came with the seat (it's the shiny one on the left.) If that wasn't bad enough, none of the other seat mounts will work, not without some modification. I did find that I have a seat post that fits the frame and can accommodate the seat's original hardware, but I can't get it to go down inside the frame more than 4 inches. So, I'm stuck with two options: modify the seat mount to fit the layback seat post I have, and buy a seat post shim that will hopefully work, or take this other seat post I have that already fits the frame and the seat, and just modify that to fit better. I know Allan can modify the seat post, as he did so on his own bikes, and although it won't look as "vintage" as I'd like, it would be functional and arguably cheaper...

So, I'm not sure which way to go on the seat/seat post. One sounds good because it'll look vintage, but the other option sounds simpler, easier, and less costly.




That's it for now. More updates soon to come!


----------



## Bike from the Dead

Okay, so I failed to mention it a week ago, but Allan and I were unable to take those old pedals apart to get to the bearings. Kind of a bummer, but that just gave me an excuse to order these bad boys online. I just got these in the mail this past weekend, but I only just opened them up earlier today.







I'm not sure if it's a manufacturing error, or one of those "do it yourself" kind of deals, but only the left pedal seems to have any grease in the bearings. The left pedal moves well enough, but the right pedal is pretty stiff. You can see the bearings inside the right pedals, but not the left. So... do I just try to squeeze some Park Tool grease into the pedal myself, or do I just try to exchange them out?




Still, I mocked them up on the bike to see how they fit, and they fit perfectly! 




Also, since I didn't show it last time, here's that seat post that fits the seat's stock hardware and the bike itself. As you can see though, I can't get the seat post to go any lower. 










Part of me just wants to cut off just enough to get the seat down as low as it can possibly go, and forget trying to make a layback seat post out of this one seat post. Another part of me wants to sit this seat down as close to the frame and rear fender as possible. I'm just worried that if I try to use a layback seat post that only goes so far down the seat tube, I'll mess up the frame over a short span of time. It may not be the most stylish option, but I think just shortening the seat post until I can get the seat about where it is in this mockup is the safest option. I can sit comfortably with it at this height, and I can always come back and try to solve the layback seat post option later. Right now, I just want to get this bike done so I can finally ride it and enjoy it.




I might drive over to Dad's shop later today and shorten up that seat post today. After that's done, I might also start stripping the fenders and fork of the old lead paint later either this evening or tomorrow morning.


----------



## Bike from the Dead

Took the seat post over to my Dad's shop, where he helped me shorten it to the right length. I'll admit, the seat doesn't sit as low as I'd like from an aesthetic point of view, but it's good enough for riding, and that's what really matters.




I flipped the mounting hardware upside-down and used a mount that had no stopper to help get the seat as low as I could. Far from perfect, but It's plenty functional.



















By the way, here's one of the two pets I'm looking after for this week. This is Lola, a 6-year-old lab who absolutely _craves_ attention. I let her out while I shot these photos. As you can see, she's very photogenic, when I can get her to stay still for more than 5 seconds.










That's all for now. Stay tuned for more!


----------



## Bike from the Dead

Okay, so the pedal problem persists. I went to my favorite local bike shop today to drop my wheels for a truing (decided I'm just going to leave them as they are; no white powder coat for now,) and I took the pedals with me to see what could be done with them. According to the bike mechanic I talked to, not only was the one pedal missing grease, it was _missing the piece that covers the bearings!_ So yeah, big manufacturer error. I'm going to have to return these pedals. I contacted the seller, so hopefully I'll hear back from them soon.


----------



## Superman1984

Bike from the Dead said:


> Okay, so the pedal problem persists. I went to my favorite local bike shop today to drop my wheels for a truing (decided I'm just going to leave them as they are; no white powder coat for now,) and I took the pedals with me to see what could be done with them. According to the bike mechanic I talked to, not only was the one pedal missing grease, it was _missing the piece that covers the bearings!_ So yeah, big manufacturer error. I'm going to have to return these pedals. I contacted the seller, so hopefully I'll hear back from them soon.







You can see there on the left the pedal is missing the bearing "cap" & as far as greasing them goes you have to unbend the tabs on the rear of the pedals & I'm assuming there is a nut on the front end; whether welded or able to be loosened. Otherwise buy a $5 something needle adapter for a grease gun .... I would tell you some info concerning experience but I hijack threads & offend people🤷‍♂️


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## Bike from the Dead

Finally took the time to try and strip the paint off the fork and fenders. Here's what they looked like just before the process started:




















This was about... 15, maybe 30 minutes after I started adding CitriStrip paint stripper to everything. The spray paint on the fork was already peeling off, but the fenders... weren't as dramatic.










This is about when I remembered how much I hate using paint stripper. The spray paint came off the fork easily enough, but the original paint hiding underneath is a lot more stubborn. And, not only did most of the paint not want to come off the fenders, but the stripper was already drying before 30 minutes even passed! 







I need to remove the paint from these parts, as they tested positive for lead, but I can't help but think there's a better way to do this; a way that is still environmentally friendly, isn't quite as messy, and can yield better results than this. Part of me just wants to wipe the gunk off with some mineral spirits and just use a drill and wire brush wheel to get rid of everything, but that wouldn't be the smartest idea, especially in a residential area. Anyone here got any ideas?


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## Bike from the Dead

Well, after consulting with Dad on the paint stripping issue, I've come to learn that he's probably already blasted lead paint with his blasting cabinet. He doesn't care if I blast the parts with his equipment or not, but that does little to quell my concerns. As much as I hate to say it though, I'm probably going to have to resort to the sandblaster for these bike parts. I'll just want to wear a mask while I blast all the parts. Maybe I could test other paint strippers like LEAD OUT and Goof Off on some other parts once the Build Off is over, so I can figure out what works best for removing lead paint in the future.


----------



## Freqman1

You're over thinking it. Look at Keith Richards and all the harsh chemicals he's smoked, snorted, and injected! Seriously I've been a little careless in my time with some of this stuff but unless you do it fairly regularly I think you'll be ok. V/r Shawn


----------



## Superman1984

Freqman1 said:


> You're over thinking it. Look at Keith Richards and all the harsh chemicals he's smoked, snorted, and injected! Seriously I've been a little careless in my time with some of this stuff but unless you do it fairly regularly I think you'll be ok. V/r Shawn



Maybe he'll listen to you. I've repeated it God Only knows how many times; Goof Off Professional Graffiti Remover from Lowes or Walmart for Chemical stripper that should be damn near any where which Will remove paint. Wire wheel or sand blaster if you have it available. Now Shawn I know you don't have PM open but there's a Reason I said this. Somebody hold this boy's hand and walk him through it or build the bike for him 🤣


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## Bike from the Dead

I'm about to start sandblasting parts. I can't get the lights inside the blasting cabinet to turn on though, so I'm shooting almost blind. Plus, the blasting cabinet uses up air faster than the air compressor can generate it. That said, I got my mask on, my goggles on, and my music jamming, so I'm ready to start blasting!


----------



## Bike from the Dead

Good grief. Took nearly an hour and a half of work to sandblast the fork and part of the frame! But hey, progress!








Speaking of progress, I failed to mention (and photograph) some other work I did. The fenders still needed a little tweaking, and the fender braces even more so. I used my dad's vice, anvil, some scrap pipes and a hammer to gradually bend all them back into shape. I did all that before I started sandblasting, but I skipped the photography because I just wanted to get stuff done.

I'm taking a break for now to check on the dog I'm looking after, and to grab some lunch. After that's done, I aim to return to the shop and continue blasting parts. I hope to have everything ready for powder coating on Monday, so I need to get the sandblasting done this weekend.


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## Bike from the Dead

Ok, my plan just changed for the rest of today. Turns out the folks I've been house/pet-sitting for are going to be home sometime tonight, so instead of sandblasting more this evening, I'm packing up and cleaning up before I go home tonight. Good news about that (aside from sleeping in my own bed,) is that means I can spend most of if not all day tomorrow sandblasting. So that's the new plan.


----------



## Bike from the Dead

Ok, today went a lot differently than originally planned. I didn't get home until late last night, and I stayed up even later than that. I ended up sleeping in until about 11am, not that I didn't enjoy it. After thinking it over more, I realized that I needed to figure out the tank for my bike before I could powder coat everything. I need to have all the parts I plan to powder coat ready to powder coat at the same time. Dad's not going to just powder some parts one day and some parts the next. So, I need to figure out the tank so any tank mounts can also be fabricated, sandblasted, and powder coated. Aside from some mental figuring, I didn't do much on the bike aside from getting the paint and primer for the tank, as well as a few nuts and bolts. 

I have an idea of how I'll do the tank this time, but I won't know for sure until I test it. See, last time I built a wood tank for my bike, I used some wood screws to put all 3 boards together. That meant one side of the tank had screw heads showing, while the other side looked clean. This time, I want to try to keep both sides clean, with no screw heads showing from the sides. My idea is to hot glue 2 or 3 boards together, so the sides look nice and smooth. There will be some wood screws on the top and bottom of the tank where the brackets mount the tank to the frame, but they won't interrupt the side profile. My big concern with this idea though is figuring out how to keep the glue from squeezing out between the boards, and joining the boards together correctly before the glue quickly dries.

I intend to test my idea tomorrow with some small wood scraps I have, but that all depends on what else happens tomorrow.


----------



## Bike from the Dead

....And having typed that part about hot gluing the wood boards together, I just remembered that wood glue exists. So, I think I'll go that route instead.


----------



## Bike from the Dead

Okay, I've got quite of bit of progress to report today.

1st, I picked up my wheels from my local bike shop, trued to perfection!

2nd, I pulled my Craigslist freebie waterbed boards out of storage, and brought them over to my dad's shop to start work on the tank. I clamped the board down to my table to keep it from sliding away from me, with my toolbox serving as a counterweight to help keep things balanced.







I think the blade on the jigsaw was bent, because my first tank piece didn't come out that great.







As you can see, there are diagonal cuts where there are supposed to be vertical cuts.







I had barely started cutting again when the blade finally broke. So yeah, the blade was already on its way out during the first try.




I replaced the blade, and sure enough, my 2nd attempt at cutting out a tank side turned out alright. There's more excess wood to sand off than I'd like, but I can worry about that later.







For comparison, here's the first and second tank parts stacked on top of one another.







One last tank piece cut, and I'm ready to glue the two halves together.







I used a few clamps to tighten the two tank halves together. Now I just need to give it 24 hours to fully cure before I can start sanding and shaping the tank.







While that's curing, I also took the front wheel axle apart and stuck all the parts in Simple Green to loosen up the old grease on everything.




I also took a quick moment to shine up the handlebars. I used some 4 ott steel wool and PB Blaster to clean them up. They're not perfect, but they look way better than before.













That's all the progress to report for now. I'm hoping to get the tank sanded and shaped tomorrow afternoon, but we'll see how that goes.


----------



## Bike from the Dead

Okay, well I didn't make any progress on _The Schwinn Dixie Dreamcycle_ on Tuesday like I had thought, but I did spend roughly 7 hours getting the tank sculpted to shape yesterday afternoon/evening. I've got a lot of photos to share this time, so I'm going to need to make 2 posts to show everything.

The wood glue had more than enough to cure, so it was time to start sculpting.







The first thing I did was use the belt sander to shave the tank down to the right size to fit inside the frame.



















Next, I needed to figure out the mounts for the tank. I started by marking where the top tube would be over the tank.







Dad had these 4" x 4" barn tin squares that were ideal for making the mounting hardware. They're thin enough to bend to shape, but stiff enough to hold their shape. I cut a thin strip to make a rough template for the tank mounts.




I bent the strip into shape by bending it over the smaller tank tube, as the tin has just enough spring to it to expand to a 1 inch diameter. I added the 90 degree bends by wedging the metal between a couple boards and folding it by hand.







I then used the belt sander to round out the ends. It's not 100% symmetrical, but it's good enough for me.










Now that I knew how much space the mounts would take up, I marked where I'd cut and sand the tank again.




I tried using the belt sander to shape the front, but getting that diagonal line right wasn't easy. Turns out, holding the tank so the line was completely vertical while using the radial sander was the way to go. (By the way, I tend to say "belt sander" when referring to both the belt sander and radial sander, as they're both part of the same unit, and I use both when shaping the tank.)




Here you can see a bit of my blunder with the belt sander, but that would all be covered up by the time I finished shaping the tank.


----------



## Bike from the Dead

Next, I cut the tail end of the tank with the jigsaw. I got to say, I do not like this blade. It gets the job done, but it doesn't cut that smooth. But hey, that's what sandpaper's for!




I used the belt sander to smooth out the rough cuts. So far so good, but I wasn't done yet!













I decided to try something crazy to make the next step in shaping the tank easier. I rotated the radial sander platform to 45 degrees to help angle the edges of the tank. I'm sure others have done this before, but this is only the 2nd bike tank I've ever sculpted, so I was a bit nervous.




It was a little tricky to do, especially with the gap between the platform and the sanding disc, but I did a decent job sanding the edges of the tank. 







Once that was done, I grabbed some 60 grit sandpaper, and smoothed out the edges completely. There's still some refinement left to do, and the tank isn't as rounded as I'd like, but overall, I'm happy with how this tank turned out. I think I'm getting better at this.





































I didn't shoot any pictures of it yesterday, but I cleaned up the axle parts I stuck in Simple Green earlier this week. Once the parts were degreased, I stuck the rustier bits into some Evaporust for an hour or so, and wiped them off. 

I'm not sure what the next step for this project will be, but I intend to work on it again today. I don't don't know if I'll have everything ready for powder coating by this weekend, but I still feel that I'll get this project done before September 6th. I don't know if I'll be able to _ride_ it before September 6th, as I still haven't heard back from the seller on the pedals, but I could return the pedals after the Build Off is over, and just use the ones I have for final photos in the meantime.


----------



## Bike from the Dead

Not a ton of progress to report tonight, so I'll just list it with the photos.

1. Filled small spot on tank with wood glue.







2. Sanded spot and rest of tank with some 60 grit sandpaper, followed by 220/330ish grit sandpaper to smooth everything out.










3. Finished the barn tin tank mounts.


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## Bike from the Dead

Okay, after a number of false starts the past few days, I'm finally, FINALLY working on sandblasting everything today. I don't know if I'll get everything done today, but I'm going to do as much as I can.


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## Bike from the Dead

And almost as quickly as I started, I had to stop, because the right-side right hand glove tore at the base of my thumb. No wonder my hand always stung when I pointed the nozzle towards whatever parts I held in my hand.









The good news is there's another pair of intact gloves on the other side of the cabinet. The bad news is the grating is too open for small parts. I can do big stuff like the fork and frame, but small bits like the seat post clamp and nuts/bolts will fall down inside the cabinet.

So, I need to figure out how to get around this...


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## Bike from the Dead

Ok, sandblasting continues...


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## Bike from the Dead

Progress so far:




Most of what's left:


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## Bike from the Dead

Ok, although I have managed to sandblasted most of my parts today, I'm completely worn out and ready to head home for the night. It's 8:30pm where I live, and I've been sandblasting since almost noon today. I don't know if powder coating will happen tomorrow, or later. I still haven't finished blasting the chain guard and fender braces, and I might've warped the tin tank mounts while blasting them. Plus, there are a few small dents in the chain guard I'd like to try and fix before I get everything powdered.

I made a great deal of progress today, but I'm not done yet. I should still be able to get this bike done in time, but I know time is running out.


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## Bike from the Dead

Okay, I'm just now picking up where I left off yesterday (I was _really_ worn out) and already there's another big last-minute problem: my dad tried to powder coat some stuff earlier today, and there's a blockage in his air lines! So, unless he can get it fixed this week, I might not be able to get this bike powder coated and finished in time. Granted, it's not the end of the world if that's the case, but I still want to get this bike done by the 6th.

Still, I'm going to keep on working like the powder coating problem will be solved soon. So that means fixing the tank mounts and the chain guard, soaking the kickstand in some Evaporust, and whatever else I can get done tonight.


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## Bike from the Dead

Here's the kickstand before I start removing rust:


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## Bike from the Dead

Chain guard dents before.


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## Bike from the Dead

A few light taps with the hammer and anvil, and it's fixed!


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## Bike from the Dead

Okay, I managed to fix the tank mounts, chain guard, and even touch up the front fender, but unfortunately, I'm kind of stuck as far as progress goes. I'm going to see what happens with the powder coating issue, then I'll go from there. There are a few things I can work on in the meantime, but I'm kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place at the moment.

Plus, it makes no sense to sandblast anything right now when I don't know how soon Dad will be able to powder coat everything. Everything I sandblasted yesterday is already starting to rust over again. So yeah, not quite sure how this is going to go...


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## Bike from the Dead

Okay, Dad fixed the air lines running to the powder coating booth, so I'm going to try to get this bike done within the next 3 days. Wish me luck!


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## Bike from the Dead

Got the top screw holes made for the tank. Now to get the bottom sorted out...


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## Bike from the Dead

Bottom tank mount holes are done. Sandblasting has begun once more. And this time, parts are getting powder coated immediately afterwards.


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## Bike from the Dead

While I'm waiting for the sandblaster to build up air pressure again, I'm wondering about how I'm going to paint the tank. I've got some universal bonding primer, which I plan to apply first, followed by some filler primer, then metallic white, topped with a high gloss clear coat. The issue I'm trying to figure out is sanding between coats, or sanding any imperfections in the gloss clear coat without messing up the glossy finish.

Anyone got a solid method for painting wood tanks without the grain?


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## Bike from the Dead

It's happening! Dad and I are in the doghouse with Mom, but it's happening!


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## Bike from the Dead

Thought this shot looked cool.


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## Bike from the Dead

And as if tonight couldn't get any crazier, I bought this bad boy from one of Dad's friends in between sandblasting passes. Spur of the moment thing, but the price was right, and I figure I could trade it for something I'd really like down the road.


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## Bike from the Dead

Here are a few more shots of last night's progress. First are all the parts besides the frame after being powdered with clear coat.




Same parts after curing.







And here are all the orange parts, frame included, after curing.



My phone doesn't have the best camera, and the lighting wasn't ideal, but hopefully I'll have some better photos of the bike later today.


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## Bike from the Dead

Finally got to see how the orange looks out in the sun. I'm loving it!


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## Bike from the Dead

Time to start priming and painting this tank and its mounts!


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## Bike from the Dead

First coat of primer is on.


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## Bike from the Dead

2nd coat of primer, specifically filler primer, is on. There's a problem though. I'm getting a ton of these tiny chunks as I'm spraying, and I don't know what's causing it.


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## Bike from the Dead

Added a second coat of filler primer. This time, I laid it on a little thicker in most spots, and _stupid_ thick where the knot was, as it wasn't filling up to my liking. I've got the snail fan blowing on it to help it dry faster, so I can sand out all the rough spots.


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## Bike from the Dead

Okay, I severely underestimate just how long this filler primer needs to dry before I can sand it. It tends to peel off like clay if I have a lot of filler in a spot. I was genuinely hoping that I'd have this tank fully painted, and this bike mostly assembled by now, but now it looks like this tank will take all of tonight and tomorrow to get done. So... yeah. That's not good.

Also realized that Dad and I forgot to plug a few threaded holes on the frame and fork last night before we powder coated everything. Probably means I'm going to have to... _persuade_... some bolts and screws to go into their respective places. Once again, it seems the worst problems like to show up at the last minute.


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## Bike from the Dead

Ok, yesterday was a disaster, but I might still be able to submit a "finished" thread before time is up. Here's the plan: I'm going to first run around town to find all my finished photo locations, since I kind of forgot where they all are, and because today is the _only day of the week_ when it's "free to park" anywhere in downtown Tulsa. After that, I'll grab a few parts at Lowe's or whatever, and just try to have the bike fully assembled, tank or no tank, in time to shoot photos on Monday. There is NO WAY this bike will be rideable, but at least it'll look good enough on camera. (I don't know if I'll be disqualified from voting due to my bike being inoperable, though. If that's against the rules, please let me know.) If, however, I can't get this bike put together in time, then I'm just going to let it be. Yeah, it'll kill my mood, but it won't be like I can't fix it and do it right later.


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## Freqman1

Well after eight pages did it happen?


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## 1motime

What are you using for primer?  Check your mixing amounts.  Always strain.  If there are chunks in the strainer primer might be dead.  Looks like it is drying before it hits the surface.  Use a lower pressure and get a bit closer.  What is temperature?  If hot maybe thing a bit with Acetone.  Always try a sprayout before aiming at your parts.  Adjust your gun and primer first.  It can be frustrating but easier than not having the primer go on correctly where it counts.
Worst problems can show up at the end.  After all the other worst problems during the entire process!


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## Bike from the Dead

Freqman1 said:


> Well after eight pages did it happen?



No. I ended up making a few mistakes and ran into a ton of problems trying to get the bike built by the September 6th deadline. I'm going to have to sandblast and powder coat some parts all over again. I'm still working on the bike, but I'm going to slow down and take my time with it.


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## Bike from the Dead

1motime said:


> What are you using for primer?  Check your mixing amounts.  Always strain.  If there are chunks in the strainer primer might be dead.  Looks like it is drying before it hits the surface.  Use a lower pressure and get a bit closer.  What is temperature?  If hot maybe thing a bit with Acetone.  Always try a sprayout before aiming at your parts.  Adjust your gun and primer first.  It can be frustrating but easier than not having the primer go on correctly where it counts.
> Worst problems can show up at the end.  After all the other worst problems during the entire process!



I just used some rattle can filler primer, maybe rustoleum? I don't have a paint gun or anything fancy like that.


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## 1motime

Bike from the Dead said:


> I just used some rattle can filler primer, maybe rustoleum? I don't have a paint gun or anything fancy like that.



I guess that might be the problem. That stuff doesn't have much of a life. Used spray guns are dirt cheap. You might be surprised


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## Bike from the Dead

1motime said:


> I guess that might be the problem. That a stuff doesn't have much of a life. Used spray guns are dirt cheap. You might be surprised



I can look into it.


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## 1motime

Bike from the Dead said:


> I can look into it.



Just offering friendly advice.  Enough battles in just doing the job itself.  Tools can be helpful


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## Bike from the Dead

It's happening! Powder coating: take 2!


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## 1motime

Bike from the Dead said:


> It's happening! Powder coating: take 2!
> View attachment 1507284



Good luck!


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## Bike from the Dead

I'll try posting pictures of the powder coating revamp sometime tomorrow if I can. I've got some house-cleaning I need to take care of first, so I haven't had as much time to edit and post stuff as I'd like.


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## Bike from the Dead

Sorry for the delay, but here's a highlight reel of Thursday's powder coating revamp on the frame, chain guard, and seat clamp. First, some before pictures. This time, Dad and I made sure to plug all threaded holes and bearing cup attachment points.
































Here, Dad applies the first coat of powder to the parts.


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## Bike from the Dead

The first coat doesn't look all that great after curing in the oven, in fact some parts look more silver than orange, but that's where the second layer of powder comes in...



















Once the first layer of powder fully cools, he applies the second layer of powder: clear coat.










This is the result after the clear coat cures. That's when that orange _really _pops!






















So now the parts are all powder coated. There's not much left to do at this stage, but I plan to make some more progress these next 2 days. I want to finish priming and painting the tank and tank mounts tomorrow and Tuesday while the weather is in the 60s and 70s. If I can get that done before it gets cold again, then all that's left is reassembly. I want to see if my fabricator friend can help me this time, since the last time I tried to put this bike together, the bearings weren't acting right. If he's able to help me, we might finish this bike before we start on my MBBO entry for this year.


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## Bike from the Dead

Spent some time yesterday working on the tank. I had to sand down all the imperfections that happened when I tried to rush the process of painting this tank. Here are the befores:







And here are the results of all that sanding:







I didn't want to drive all the way to my Dad's shop to paint my tank again, so I set up everything inside the garage. It's nothing fancy, but it gets the job done.







I applied 2 coats of primer, and let it dry.




I also got the new pedals in the mail yesterday, and this time, they work just fine!




I was going to sand the primer again and start painting today, but I wanted to test fit the tank inside the frame to see if all the layers of primer made an impact on the fitment of the tank. The tank just barely squeezed inside the frame, which means I need to sand a portion of the top and bottom of the tank to allow more room for the layers of paint I plan to apply. I don't know if I'm going to work on that today or sometime later, but I at least know what I need to do.


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## Bike from the Dead

Yesterday was a roller coaster of progress and setbacks. I met with my friend Allan yesterday, and we worked together on the final assembly of _The Schwinn Dixie Dreamcycle. _It took a few hours, but we actually got the bike fully assembled and even riding! All that was missing was the tank, because it's not finished being painted, and the pedals, because I accidentally left them at home. Even though it was missing the tank and pedals, I was still happy to see this bike that got me into this hobby more than 3 years ago fully assembled and ready to ride! Allan was pretty excited too, especially with that beautiful orange powder it was wearing. I was thrilled to ride this bike for the first time, (even though it may not show in the video, as I was currently in assessment mode.)

















Unfortunately, what started out as the sweet taste of victory instantly turned into the painful agony of defeat. After that first test ride, I took it for another spin around the airport... and in less than a minute, all heck literally broke loose. The fork steerer tube _snapped_ right around where we had repaired it months ago, causing the front wheel to jump ahead of the frame, and causing me to scrape my hands, knees and elbow against the tarmac.







The crash didn't damage the bike too bad. Aside from the fork, most of the damage was cosmetic. I'll want to get a new fork, sandblast and powder coat most of the parts _again, _and maybe replace the seat and handlebar grips. I, on the other hand, got banged up worse than I've experienced in a long while. I didn't break anything thankfully, but I'm really sore, especially in the entire length of my right arm.




Left hand got a blister and some road rash, and I'm a bit sore at the wrist too. Thankfully, it's not too bad.




On the other hand, my right hand got scraped really bad on 3 of my fingers, and my wrist, elbow, and even shoulder are all sore and stiff. This is particularly bad, as I write, draw, turn wrenches, and do pretty much everything with that arm/hand. I hate to say it, but because of what happened today, I'm going to need to take a break from working on bikes while I let this heal up.




While it's painful enough to have been injured like this, it's even more painful knowing that my bike was _this close _>< to being done, only for it to break before I could really enjoy it. And I wasn't the only one who was seriously bummed out about it. My friend Allan, who helped me fix this bike and helped me put it together was so stoked to see this bike come together, and equally disheartened to see it break in two. Mom and Dad were pretty shocked to hear what happened too. Despite the emotional crush this crash dumped on us, none of us want to give up on this bike. My family wants to see this bike completed, my friend Allan wants to see this bike completed, and I want to see this bike completed. So, whenever I'm in better shape, I'm going to fix up this bike again, probably after I finish my MBBO entry, if I can get back to work on that bike soon. I might even slap my repop chrome Schwinn springer fork on this bike, since the bearings are still greased, and ride it around like that while the bike waits its turn for repairs.

Until then, my plan from this point on is to let my body heal, and to see how everyone else is coming along on their bikes.


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## 1motime

WOW  I was getting ready to congratulate you for getting it done and how great it looked.  Then I kept reading!  You are lucky.  Probably doesn't feel that way or at least for a while.  You could have gotten REALLY hurt.  Kick back and heal.  That unrepaired springer or a new fork is a good idea.!  Give Thanks!


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## Bike from the Dead

1motime said:


> WOW  I was getting ready to congratulate you for getting it done and how great it looked.  Then I kept reading!  You are lucky.  Probably doesn't feel that way or at least for a while.  You could have gotten REALLY hurt.  Kick back and heal.  That unrepaired springer or a new fork is a good idea.!  Give Thanks!



Yeah, I'm glad I was going straight when the fork broke, otherwise it could've been way worse. I'm definitely going to want to get a helmet and maybe even some pads now. "Prepare for the slide, not the ride," and all that. I'm still bummed about what happened and how much pain I'm in, but at least the bike isn't a total loss. I'm definitely going to take it easy for a while. Thanks dude.


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## 1motime

You might want to have a chat with the person who welded that fork.  Clean break.  No penetration of new weld


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## Bike from the Dead

1motime said:


> You might want to have a chat with the person who welded that fork.  Clean break.  No penetration of new weld



Well, I could mention that to him next time we meet, but given how upset he was when the fork failed and I got hurt (he also helped me assemble the bike and fine-tune it,) I'm honestly not mad at him. He builds bikes like these motorized ones on a fairly regular basis, and he rides them fairly hard at 30-55mph. So, while it may have been a bad weld, I also feel that it was a freak accident, given that I rode these bikes and nothing broke. Though, to be fair, I don't think he usually repairs forks, and like someone else told me, the fork is one of the most stressed parts of the bike. Either way, I think I'll just stick with intact forks from now on, or at least take the forks to my other welder.


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## Porkchop & Applesauce

Good morning! 
 After all the months of hard work and finally getting it together it can be a ruff thing to go through! On the upside it happened right away and ya have a springer for it! That old saying “poop happens!” Is legit! Lmao! I had an injury a few years back with a chevelle I was working on. The driver’s side window wasn’t working properly and it was the last repair I needed to do. When I removed the spring from the regulator it cut my hand and required 18 stitches! The reason I am telling you this is because the next day I got back out there a fixed this car! Emotionally for me it was the best medicine! So I say….limp back out there and put that springer on and take her for a spin! You’ll be glad you did!


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## Bike from the Dead

Porkchop & Applesauce said:


> Good morning!
> After all the months of hard work and finally getting it together it can be a ruff thing to go through! On the upside it happened right away and ya have a springer for it! That old saying “poop happens!” Is legit! Lmao! I had an injury a few years back with a chevelle I was working on. The driver’s side window wasn’t working properly and it was the last repair I needed to do. When I removed the spring from the regulator it cut my hand and required 18 stitches! The reason I am telling you this is because the next day I got back out there a fixed this car! Emotionally for me it was the best medicine! So I say….limp back out there and put that springer on and take her for a spin! You’ll be glad you did!



Thanks Porkchop! Yeah, I guess it's better that it happened during the 2nd shakedown run than anytime later. OUCH! Sorry to hear you got hurt like that, but I'm glad it didn't hurt your motivation to get that Chevelle done. I might try tinkering with my bikes tomorrow, depending on how my wrists feel. I still need to get all my bike parts out of the car, so I can get some better photos of the carnage, and so I can figure out where to go from here. I haven't given up on this bike yet, but I wouldn't mind taking a short break to let the soreness wear off.


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## DRCA

Oh no , you didn't.........


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## razinhellcustomz

Bike from the Dead said:


> I'll keep this post short and...
> View attachment 1445391
> 
> ...because I'm now off to a...
> View attachment 1445392
> 
> Okay, puns aside, I was able to exchange those blackwall tires for a pair of whitewall tires. Now that that's out of the way, I'm going with my original "Dreamcycle" color scheme: orange and white. This will make finishing this bike much simpler and easier than if I went with the candy blue scheme I tinkered with yesterday.
> View attachment 1445393
> View attachment 1445394
> View attachment 1445395
> 
> I'm not sure which exact fork and front fender I'm using just yet, but I grabbed the white fork shown above, and the 2 forks below out of storage just in case I need to splice a steerer tube onto that red fork I mocked up earlier. Odds are the bent red fork pictured below will be the donor, as the rest of it's pretty mangled.
> View attachment 1445396
> 
> That's all for now. Stay tuned for more!



Hey Austin, Where you find those white wall tires? Their really COOOL!!!


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## Bike from the Dead

razinhellcustomz said:


> Hey Austin, Where you find those white wall tires? Their really COOOL!!!



Thanks! I got them at my local bike shop.


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## razinhellcustomz

Bike from the Dead said:


> The first coat doesn't look all that great after curing in the oven, in fact some parts look more silver than orange, but that's where the second layer of powder comes in...
> View attachment 1509202
> View attachment 1509203
> View attachment 1509204
> View attachment 1509205
> View attachment 1509206
> View attachment 1509207
> 
> Once the first layer of powder fully cools, he applies the second layer of powder: clear coat.
> View attachment 1509208
> View attachment 1509209
> View attachment 1509210
> 
> This is the result after the clear coat cures. That's when that orange _really _pops!
> View attachment 1509211
> View attachment 1509212
> View attachment 1509213
> View attachment 1509214
> View attachment 1509215
> View attachment 1509216
> View attachment 1509217
> 
> So now the parts are all powder coated. There's not much left to do at this stage, but I plan to make some more progress these next 2 days. I want to finish priming and painting the tank and tank mounts tomorrow and Tuesday while the weather is in the 60s and 70s. If I can get that done before it gets cold again, then all that's left is reassembly. I want to see if my fabricator friend can help me this time, since the last time I tried to put this bike together, the bearings weren't acting right. If he's able to help me, we might finish this bike before we start on my MBBO entry for this year.



All that orange powder coat reminds me of all the Ariens snow throwers that i built back in he early 2000's.. Love the color, but can't get the Ariens out of my head.. RideOn... Razin..


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## Bike from the Dead

razinhellcustomz said:


> All that orange powder coat reminds me of all the Ariens snow throwers that i built back in he early 2000's.. Love the color, but can't get the Ariens out of my head.. RideOn... Razin..



Thanks! I would have never have thought of snow throwers with that orange, but that's probably because I live further south, where it doesn't snow as much.


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## Tuna

That fork break had to hurt in many ways!  Unfortunately, the splice should have been done with a sleeve.  Since the break was clean, it may be able to be repaired if you didn't already find a replacement fork.  Here is a link to Paul Brodie who has a video on a similar repair/modification.  

Paul Brodie - Steerer tube lengthening


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## Bike from the Dead

Tuna said:


> That fork break had to hurt in many ways!  Unfortunately, the splice should have been done with a sleeve.  Since the break was clean, it may be able to be repaired if you didn't already find a replacement fork.  Here is a link to Paul Brodie who has a video on a similar repair/modification.
> 
> Paul Brodie - Steerer tube lengthening



I'm still pretty sore from it. The physical wounds have healed up for the most part, but emotionally, I'm still pretty bummed about what happened. 

Sad thing was, I could've sworn we did put a sleeve in it. Guess not. I don't know about saving that fork, but thanks for sharing that video! That could be really useful down the road.


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## razinhellcustomz

Bike from the Dead said:


> I'm still pretty sore from it. The physical wounds have healed up for the most part, but emotionally, I'm still pretty bummed about what happened.
> 
> Sad thing was, I could've sworn we did put a sleeve in it. Guess not. I don't know about saving that fork, but thanks for sharing that video! That could be really useful down the road.



Yeah sorry about the crash and burn.. Glad to hear your all but healed up and get back on your bikes and ride.. This can't be good for your OCD either.. Be well and RideOn.. Razin..


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## Bike from the Dead

razinhellcustomz said:


> Yeah sorry about the crash and burn.. Glad to hear your all but healed up and get back on your bikes and ride.. This can't be good for your OCD either.. Be well and RideOn.. Razin..



Thanks. My wrists are still not happy, as even turning a door handle the wrong way aggravates them, but the pain's mild and infrequent enough that I can work on my bikes again. Good thing too, as I've been OCDing about some other bikes in my collection that I bought back in September.

This is my (according to the C.A.B.E.,) 1962 Murray-built OTASCO bike I bought off a friend for $35. It's been on the back burner since then, mostly because I don't know how I want to build it. I have a few ideas, but I want to do some physical and digital mockups before I commit to anything.





I also bought this Murray bike not long after, mostly for the springer fork. It's in rougher shape than I'd like, but these girls' Murray bikes have such a good look to them, especially with a TRM conversion tank! I want to mockup both of these Murrays tomorrow to help decide what direction I want to take them.




I really want to mockup these 2 bikes tomorrow for 2 reasons:

1. If there's anything my fabricator friend can do to help me with these bikes, I'd like to figure that out now before I make the relatively long trip down to his place again, so I can make the most use my time there. I've got another Murray I'm currently building for the Rat Rod Bikes Muscle Bike Build Off this winter, and my friend's helping me with any fabrication that bike needs, including frame repairs. If we can knock out a few issues on these other bikes while I'm there, that would be a great use of my time.

2. I'm trying to get back into working on my art again, but I've been OCDing on these bikes so much over the past 2 years that I'm having a really hard time switching gears and illustrating my cartoon characters, concept art, and storyboards. Heck, even sketching fan art of my favorite cartoons is a challenge! I'm hoping that if I mock up these 2 bikes and figure out what I want to do with them, I can get that all out of my system and clear my mind enough to start working on my art again.


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## razinhellcustomz

Bike from the Dead said:


> Thanks. My wrists are still not happy, as even turning a door handle the wrong way aggravates them, but the pain's mild and infrequent enough that I can work on my bikes again. Good thing too, as I've been OCDing about some other bikes in my collection that I bought back in September.
> 
> This is my (according to the C.A.B.E.,) 1962 Murray-built OTASCO bike I bought off a friend for $35. It's been on the back burner since then, mostly because I don't know how I want to build it. I have a few ideas, but I want to do some physical and digital mockups before I commit to anything.
> View attachment 1522331
> 
> I also bought this Murray bike not long after, mostly for the springer fork. It's in rougher shape than I'd like, but these girls' Murray bikes have such a good look to them, especially with a TRM conversion tank! I want to mockup both of these Murrays tomorrow to help decide what direction I want to tank them.
> View attachment 1522332
> 
> I really want to mockup these 2 bikes tomorrow for 2 reasons:
> 
> 1. If there's anything my fabricator friend can do to help me with these bikes, I'd like to figure that out now before I make the relatively long trip down to his place again, so I can make the most use my time there. I've got another Murray I'm currently building for the Rat Rod Bikes Muscle Bike Build Off this winter, and my friend's helping me with any fabrication that bike needs, including frame repairs. If we can knock out a few issues on these other bikes while I'm there, that would be a great use of my time.
> 
> 2. I'm trying to get back into working on my art again, but I've been OCDing on these bikes so much over the past 2 years that I'm having a really hard time switching gears and illustrating my cartoon characters, concept art, and storyboards. Heck, even sketching fan art of my favorite cartoons is a challenge! I'm hoping that if I mock up these 2 bikes and figure out what I want to do with them, I can get that all out of my system and clear my mind enough to start working on my art again.



Yeah, i like these Murray built bikes as i have several of these bikes and i just picked up a rat trap springer for a Flightliner build that i'll be working on in the next couple of weeks.. Good luck Austin and keep up the good fight, you will surly come out on top in the end... RideOn.. Razin..


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## Bike from the Dead

razinhellcustomz said:


> Yeah, i like these Murray built bikes as i have several of these bikes and i just picked up a rat trap springer for a Flightliner build that i'll be working on in the next couple of weeks.. Good luck Austin and keep up the good fight, you will surly come out on top in the end... RideOn.. Razin..



Sweet! Send me some pics of those Murrays whenever you got time! Thanks Mark! I may still be a little sore, but that's not going to stop me from working on these bikes! Take care dude!


----------

