# Cleveland Welding Company Roadmaster



## browngw80 (Apr 9, 2021)

Hello everyone, new on this forum. Most of my cherished bikes are from the 60s and 70s but yesterday I was gifted a what I believe is a 1946 CWC Roadmaster step through bicycle. It has been "yard art" for a while but I think I can make it rideable once again. With it came a 20" children's solid tired bike likely made by Snyder around 1941. Both are rough examples, but they were headed for the scrap heap. Both were acquired decades ago in Buffalo NY by a friend here in our small town




















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## Balloonoob (Apr 9, 2021)

Free is always nice. There's some good parts on the ladies CWC bike. Sure you can get it rolling. Any clean up or service done to the parts will be helpful if they end up on a different bike down the road. Personally I wouldn't spend time on either frame because I would put the compatible parts on a boys bike. Have fun with them any direction you go.


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## Superman1984 (Apr 9, 2021)

Clean, Grease & buy a TRM tank If you wanna keep the girly bikes. I eventually will get 1 of the bug eye tanks as they can fit quite a few "step through" frames Pretty Nicely to dress'em to look like a guys bike


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## browngw80 (Apr 9, 2021)

I can see that this is not likely to be a forum that I would like to participate in from the first two comments. It's a "girls" bike, break it for parts and try to make it look like a "guys" bike by adding sheet metal. To start with why are you telling me what to do with it in the first place? I don't remember asking. I was hoping someone might offer encouragement, show some of their finished projects or offer a little history. Forums have a very annoying habit of assuming new members are dummies in the hobby. I likely have restored, bought and sold, own and ridden more bikes than many on these pages.


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## Superman1984 (Apr 9, 2021)

browngw80 said:


> I can see that this is not likely to be a forum that I would like to participate in from the first two comments. It's a "girls" bike, break it for parts and try to make it look like a "guys" bike by adding sheet metal. To start with why are you telling me what to do with it in the first place? I don't remember asking. I was hoping someone might offer encouragement, show some of their finished projects or offer a little history. Forums have a very annoying habit of assuming new members are dummies in the hobby. I likely have restored, bought and sold, own and ridden more bikes than many on these pages.



With what You just said I don't care to talk to you or explain any further. What we were saying wasn't disrespectful but YOU Know it all already. Good Luck Maryann


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## Balloonoob (Apr 9, 2021)

Enjoy the bikes. Hopefully they turn out just how you want them. Anything is better than the junk pile. This forum is a fantastic resource with some of the best folks on the internet. Welcome and good luck.


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## Freqman1 (Apr 9, 2021)

A lot of knowledge here but it seems you already have preconceived notions of what forums are. That said, while I may not have your depth of experience, I've been around a few balloon tire bikes myself. The girls CWC is largely complete and correct except for the seat and it will obviously need grips. Neither of these are difficult or what I call expensive-grips $35, rider quality seat $75. I would not go for a full restoration the plating bill alone would exceed the cost of the finished bike by double. I'd strip the paint and do a nice aerosol job if you don't have a compressor and gun. Most of the components e.g. hubs, bearings, etc... can probably be cleaned and reused. If not it is common stuff. 

These bikes are not rare or expensive--a _really_ nice original would top out at about $250 if it ha a desirable color scheme. A quality restoration of this bike would hit at least $1500 and likely more. In the end it might get $300. The juvenile bike I'd likely keep as yard art unless you have a child/grand child that may enjoy it. Of course you may have already known all this and I just wasted some time/bandwidth but that's just my 2c. V/r Shawn


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## tacochris (Apr 14, 2021)

The guys here, you know what they respect?  Results......action......success in the face of adversity.
If you would have continued this thread with a break down, parts cleaned, maintenance, work....you would have seen that this thread is for what it is and thats a group of guys who love vintage bikes even girls bikes from time to time.  If you were looking for motivation and encouragement you would have found it if you would have waited and let people see that knowledge in motion.  
Girls bikes, 4-door impalas, long bed trucks....they will never be as popular as their more popular counterparts and that's a fact of collecting you cant change nor can you change folks feelings about it.  
We all see rusty girls bikes every single day, multiple times a day.....what we dont see enough is hard work, perseverance and results.

You wanna do something awesome?  Blow that girls bike apart, make it amazing and post pics along the way.....we love watching that, girls bike or not.


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## Superman1984 (Apr 14, 2021)

tacochris said:


> The guys here, you know what they respect?  Results......action......success in the face of adversity.
> If you would have continued this thread with a break down, parts cleaned, maintenance, work....you would have seen that this thread is for what it is and thats a group of guys who love vintage bikes even girls bikes from time to time.  If you were looking for motivation and encouragement you would have found it if you would have waited and let people see that knowledge in motion.
> Girls bikes, 4-door impalas, long bed trucks....they will never be as popular as their more popular counterparts and that's a fact of collecting you cant change nor can you change folks feelings about it.
> We all see rusty girls bikes every single day, multiple times a day.....what we dont see enough is hard work, perseverance and results.
> ...



Well said. Exactly how I felt. With his attitude I gave him some back. Don't know why he's here if he's already a bike master.  I came to learn, hear opinions both good or bad & figure out what's worth putting much effort into. I have cheap enough projects or klunkers but I don't feel so attached to them anymore. Some still have sentimental value = 1st vintage bike, 1st skip tooth etc.  The moment you Know Everything You might as well kick the bucket. Life can offer you no more knowledge


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## tacochris (Apr 14, 2021)

Superman1984 said:


> Well said. Exactly how I felt. With his attitude I gave him some back. Don't know why he's here if he's already a bike master.  I came to learn, hear opinions both good or bad & figure out what's worth putting much effort into. I have cheap enough projects or klunkers but I don't feel so attached to them anymore. Some still have sentimental value = 1st vintage bike, 1st skip tooth etc.  The moment you Know Everything You might as well kick the bucket. Life can offer you no more knowledge




The reason I came to this site in the first place way back in 2016 was to learn about a bike I had just dug out of a barn and learn I did....but I took that knowledge and i ran with it.  I dug and read and laid in bed at night and researched and learned and grew and changed and understood.  I was already into the bike hobby when I joined this site by many many years and I knew alot already but I came here understanding that even as much as I knew, there was still SO much I didnt know.  I am learning from this site every single day....I read posts about bikes I dont even like because I just want to learn and grow and be as well-rounded as I can.  
This has allowed me to teach other folks and boy that is a good feeling and I love helping.


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## Superman1984 (Apr 14, 2021)

tacochris said:


> The reason I came to this site in the first place way back in 2016 was to learn about a bike I had just dug out of a barn and learn I did....but I took that knowledge and i ran with it.  I dug and read and laid in bed at night and researched and learned and grew and changed and understood.  I was already into the bike hobby when I joined this site by many many years and I knew alot already but I came here understanding that even as much as I knew, there was still SO much I didnt know.  I am learning from this site every single day....I read posts about bikes I dont even like because I just want to learn and grow and be as well-rounded as I can.
> This has allowed me to teach other folks and boy that is a good feeling and I love helping.



I'm the same way as much as I can be. I wasn't into this hobby the way I'd like to have been. With that said though I see so many people who come; ask value, age, and then you never see them contribute anything else. Not even Thanks Guys/Girls I sold it! If not to a member here. Then what seems like a Holier Than Thou attitude crawls under my skin. At least the bike & parts flippers here add info etc & not just take.


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## browngw80 (Apr 14, 2021)

I have been reading the replies, both the good and the bad. Please understand that I do not mean to be a troll but was simply looking for some history and perhaps a photo of a similar model someone had refurbished. I knew from the start it has little monetary value but it was nice of my old friend (retired marine salvage) to pass it along to me. The reality was his wife (who I worked with for years) wanted it off the darn fence! The idea of Forums is to bring together people with like passions and I am a member of many others in the bicycle, sports car and RV world. Every once in a while we all have to step back and see if we are pushing our positions on others. I do apologize that some of you were offended by my statement. I have started a plan to revive the Roadmaster and have already acquired some w/w tires. Rusty chains and cogs look like they may be serviceable. Work will continue in the fall when the Canadian summer is over and it is less busy. Currently my oldest bike is a 1956 Royal Nord President 3speed made in Belgium and using Brampton (England) hubs and gearing. It was restored over a period of two years.


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## tacochris (Apr 14, 2021)

browngw80 said:


> I have been reading the replies, both the good and the bad. Please understand that I do not mean to be a troll but was simply looking for some history and perhaps a photo of a similar model someone had refurbished. I knew from the start it has little monetary value but it was nice of my old friend (retired marine salvage) to pass it along to me. The reality was his wife (who I worked with for years) wanted it off the darn fence! The idea of Forums is to bring together people with like passions and I am a member of many others in the bicycle, sports car and RV world. Every once in a while we all have to step back and see if we are pushing our positions on others. I do apologize that some of you were offended by my statement. I have started a plan to revive the Roadmaster and have already acquired some w/w tires. Rusty chains and cogs look like they may be serviceable. Work will continue in the fall when the Canadian summer is over and it is less busy. Currently my oldest bike is a 1956 Royal Nord President 3speed made in Belgium and using Brampton (England) hubs and gearing. It was restored over a period of two years.View attachment 1391279



Thats awesome that you came back and I very much look forward to seeing that poor ol girl live again!  
Post all the pictures you can as the process is the best part!  Every old bike deserves to live again and not die on a fence passed off as "art".


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## 1motime (Apr 14, 2021)

browngw80 said:


> I have been reading the replies, both the good and the bad. Please understand that I do not mean to be a troll but was simply looking for some history and perhaps a photo of a similar model someone had refurbished. I knew from the start it has little monetary value but it was nice of my old friend (retired marine salvage) to pass it along to me. The reality was his wife (who I worked with for years) wanted it off the darn fence! The idea of Forums is to bring together people with like passions and I am a member of many others in the bicycle, sports car and RV world. Every once in a while we all have to step back and see if we are pushing our positions on others. I do apologize that some of you were offended by my statement. I have started a plan to revive the Roadmaster and have already acquired some w/w tires. Rusty chains and cogs look like they may be serviceable. Work will continue in the fall when the Canadian summer is over and it is less busy. Currently my oldest bike is a 1956 Royal Nord President 3speed made in Belgium and using Brampton (England) hubs and gearing. It was restored over a period of two years.View attachment 1391279



Very nice bike!  Well done.  Those marbleized paint jobs are fantastic!


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## browngw80 (May 10, 2021)

Inclement weather has kept me in the shop for a few days and a couple of bikes were sold to make more space so I just had to assess the 46 CWC. Some of the fasteners have loosened, all are getting weekly squirts of penetrating oil. The rust scraping has revealed a dark blue original paint with white? striping under the "garden bike red". The chain has loosened up nicely and the wheels turn freely. Right now I'm busy carving the caulking compound grips off the bars. Preliminary plans are to dismantle it and clean, repair and paint the wheels, chainguard and bars. For stage 1 the frame and mudguards will be left oiled or clear coated.  There are still remnants of a BF Goodrich Safe Drivers League sticker on the rear mudguard. Finding a saddle here in Canada may take a while.


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## nightrider (May 10, 2021)

It's looking better already! Here's a pic of my daughter's '54.
Johnny


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## browngw80 (May 29, 2021)

Disassembly went well and the bike is apart with little damage. Amazing what time and a little WD40 will do. I 



have tried all the recommended brands over the years but still find the best results with plain old WD40. Bearing surfaces on the headset and bottom bracket are acceptable. The wheels were a pleasant surprise with no rust inside the rims. The CST City 26x 2.125 whitewalls I found at the local hardware store fit great. I was surprised to find the wheels laced with double butted spokes.
Will a modern chain tool break the skip tooth chains?


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## Freqman1 (May 29, 2021)

The majority of balloon tire bikes used double butted spokes. As for the chain is depends if the tool you have will accommodate the spacing of the links. I go old school a lot of times with a drift punch. As long as that first strike is dead on its gravy from there. V/r Shawn


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