# Trailblazer, let's see how this develops.



## piercer_99 (Feb 27, 2020)

It is starting with this.  (more to come)
circa 1927 Hawthorne Trailblazer.










needs serious cleaning, a bit of metal fill on the chain stays, see how it looks after cleaning it, may just shoot a clear matte over what is left of the paint.

I have a set of mud guards to use on it, probably use a Westfield chain wheel that I have.   It will be a franken bike, time will tell.


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## piercer_99 (Feb 27, 2020)

these will be what it rolls on, although I will remove the modern hubs and lace a set of New Departure hubs in them.
When they get broken down, I will sand them and lacquer them a solid color.


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## piercer_99 (Mar 3, 2020)

So I started cleaning the lichens and crud off the frame, still have to do some repairs on the chain stays. 

The Hawthorne has a 1927 Westfield serial number on it.  Surprisingly,  the bottom bracket,  stays, rear fork, heck the entire frame except the top and mid tube are identical to my 1929 Westfield. 

So that all leads me to believe, that Westfield manufactured the machine for Wards.





































It's going to take some work.
I do have a junk 1930 Westfield that I will use for donor parts. Crank set, chainring, headset bearings and cups.  Seat tube binder. 

The fun has begun.


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## piercer_99 (Mar 3, 2020)

I do have the proper stem for it, and a nice motobike handlebar.


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## Balloonoob (Mar 3, 2020)

Niiice! - Can't wait to see how this one turns out.


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## JLF (Mar 3, 2020)

Great start to a cool project!


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## piercer_99 (Mar 14, 2020)

Going slowly. 

Really need to build some wheels,  so I dug this old thing out.

It's from 1927, so it should work.


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## piercer_99 (Mar 14, 2020)

Got the frame cleaned up some, still need to fill the right stay.  That will be contingent on the seemingly never ending rain presently.

This will probably get painted someday, time will tell.


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## SKPC (Mar 14, 2020)

Great frame  Pierce. It will ride nice when you get it all greased up and rolling!
Below is info regarding the Hermes guy on your badge..
*Hermes* (/ˈhɜːrmiːz/; Greek: Ἑρμῆς) is a deity in Ancient Greek religion and mythology.   Son of Zeus.  Hermes is cunning and clever, agile and tricky, resourceful and wily, dreamer, thief and flatterer, energetic and restless are some of his key features.    He is the god of financial gain, commerce, eloquence, messages, communication (including divination), travelers, boundaries, luck, trickery and thieves; he also serves as the guide of souls to the underworld....His name is probably derived from _herma_ (_see_ herm), the Greek word for a heap of stones, such as was used in the country to indicate boundaries or as a landmark.
     He is often depicted holding the caduceus in his left hand. Similar to his Greek equivalent Hermes, he was awarded the caduceus by Apollo who handed him a magic wand, which later turned into the caduceus. In Roman iconography, it was often depicted being carried in the left hand of Mercury, the messenger of the gods, guide of the dead, and protector of merchants, shepherds, gamblers, liars, and thieves.  Some accounts suggest that the oldest known imagery of the caduceus has its roots in a Mesopotamian origin with the Sumerian god Ningishzida; whose symbol, a staff with two snakes intertwined around it, dates back to 4000 BC to 3000 BC.








Its similarity to the staff of Asclepius the healer (a staff branched at the top and entwined by a single serpent) resulted in modern times in the adoption of the caduceus as a symbol of the physician and as the emblem of the U.S. Army Medical Corps.
The caduceus is often incorrectly used as a symbol of healthcare organizations and medical practice.


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## piercer_99 (Mar 29, 2020)

Well then, wheels are built.



































In 1927, Babe Ruth was the King of baseball.   New Departure was the king of hubs.


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## Balloonoob (Mar 29, 2020)

piercer_99 said:


> Well then, wheels are built.
> View attachment 1164181
> 
> View attachment 1164183
> ...



Very nice Pierce! Had to paint it black like The Stones huh? Good choice.


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## piercer_99 (Mar 31, 2020)

Built the rear hub.

Nos cog, discs, axle, driver, clutch assembly, transfer spring and bearings.








Had to clean the original packing oil off of the discs, for some reason over the last 70 years +/-, the discs were solidly stuck together, which would not lead to a good riding experience.































Did a repair on the chain stay also, did my best to make that look old








Need to get the wheels trued soon also.


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## piercer_99 (Mar 31, 2020)

Balloonoob said:


> Very nice Pierce! Had to paint it black like The Stones huh? Good choice.



if you were wondering.   

I used the same spokes I took off of the wheels when I broke them down.  11-5/8"  front and rear.


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## Balloonoob (Mar 31, 2020)

piercer_99 said:


> if you were wondering.
> 
> I used the same spokes I took off of the wheels when I broke them down.  11-5/8"  front and rear.



Nice. I'm glad they worked for you. I think the 286mm (11.26 inches) are gonna work for the model d / 28 inch wheels setup that i have. Nice repair on the chain stay.


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## Miq (Mar 31, 2020)

Nice use of the hypoid gear oil for the ND discs @piercer_99 !  It’s looking good so far.  Keeping busy as usual I see.


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## Hammerhead (Apr 4, 2020)

Coming along nicely. Great job.
Hammerhead


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## Archie Sturmer (Apr 4, 2020)

Nice; Franken-bike looks like it has a Snyder frame and fork; does not look much like my 1927-E or 1930-H Westfield motorbikes; nor does the serial number which may just happen to have a letter “E”.  Not all “E-bikes” are Westfields.

The odd *straight* (rod) seat stay bridge looks early or a MW Hawthorne feature; maybe similar to the exclusive 1932 (non-super) 26” balloon tire model(?).  Maybe from the then newly acquired Excelsior plant nearer to MW Chicago.

Not sure if the M. Wards building in Chicago also had a statue or relief of a Greek/Roman-like diety (god/goddess) for “Progress” or “Commerce” or if that was just the slogan or buzzword of the day.


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## piercer_99 (Apr 22, 2020)

Haven't had time to even look at this for a few weeks.

I had the wheels trued,  they will work well.

Did a repair on the fork this afternoon,  set a stud in it for the truss brace to bolt to (and maybe the fender), the original was sheared off. 

While the fork repair is cooling,  I did a mockup,  with a different fork, to see what it might look like.   Not really fond of the tires, I think I will use a different set.  Anyway,  it has potential. 

All the bearings and cups are soaking in cleaner, maybe I will get time this weekend to assemble it.


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## piercer_99 (Apr 23, 2020)

Had a little more time tonight.

Swapped out the tires for some 28x1-5/8×1-1/2, donated by a china schwinn.

The headset cups that were in it are too narrow,  I had a wider diameter pair, but no bearings for them.  I am just going to use free bearings like in my Pierce Racer,  just need some more time to assemble it all.  This is the original fork, when I get the headset in, I will install the trusses and tie it all together.

Here's a better idea where it's going.

I am not going to use mudguards on it at this time, the set I have doesn't look right. Honestly,  I kinda like it without them.

Really enjoying this tire color, they originally were a tan/beige, but look mostly gray now.


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## piercer_99 (May 1, 2020)

Got the new headset bearings in the mail today.  Also got a late 20's Troxel for it, need to recover it before it goes on.

Slapped the front end together,  it looks okay as far as this will go.  Just a crusty old rat motorbike.

Did the strider ride on it, coasted down the driveway,  about 75 feet  up the street turned a circle and rolled back to the driveway.  It coasts very well, I think that it will roll sweetly when I decide which crank to use.  Probably the one on the racer, as I have a Pierce crankset for it now.


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## piercer_99 (May 1, 2020)

Forget this


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## SKPC (May 2, 2020)

@Archie Sturmer could be right about this possibly early Snyder-made frame post Excelsior-made era.  Moto bike style, straight seat stay tops and maybe super 26" stay and fork spacing?   Hmmmmmm....  Interesting serial number also for snyder.  Looking like it will be quite fast when done.


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## Archie Sturmer (May 2, 2020)

I have since found a 1929 hardware store catalog that shows a Rollfast with the same forged fork crown.  (My 1933 Colson motorbike might have one of those Snyder forged crown forks). 
A similar frame was on eBay recently, with metal fill at the joints type issues, in addition to a globular braze or weld repair on the down tube to head tube joint.


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## piercer_99 (May 2, 2020)

Yes, there are a few things on it that make it definitely not a Westfield frame.

Most notably is the headtube, which I should have taken photos of before reassembly.   The headtube is a double wall tube setup, it has second tube inside, about 7/16" recessed where the bearing cups insert.  Also, similar to how some of the Pierce frames were built, the top and bottom tubes flare inside the head.  While it doesn't leave a lot of clearance for the steer tube, it does make for a very solid construction.


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## piercer_99 (May 14, 2020)

Got the saddle ready.  Originally I was going to use the vintage Olympia saddle, shown in previous photos,  this came up for sale, so it will be on the Trail Blazer.

I brought it to work with me,  because I have more time to work on it than at home right now.  













































Definitely not perfect,  neither is the bike.

No reason to put lipstick on a pig.


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## Balloonoob (May 14, 2020)

piercer_99 said:


> Got the saddle ready.  Originally I was going to use the vintage Olympia saddle, shown in previous photos,  this came up for sale, so it will be on the Trail Blazer.
> 
> I brought it to work with me,  because I have more time to work on it than at home right now.
> 
> ...



Nice! Hopefully it's comfy.


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## piercer_99 (May 26, 2020)

Sometimes quickly,  sometimes slowly,  it will always materialize if we work for it.

The saddle is rather comfortable.  Now to get the time to install the crank and chain and ride it.  Work has been very busy, and will be for the next few months.


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## piercer_99 (May 26, 2020)

Just couldn't leave well enough alone. 

Pulled the crankset out of the Pierce Racer and put it in here.  The set is from a 28/29 Cleveland,  and it looks good on the bike, plus, I don't have to use it as a strider bike anymore. 

Here it is, 1927 Hawthorne Trail Blazer. 

Now I will probably sell it as I need cash for some projects. 

Need to dial it in a bit first. Not bad for the first ride.


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## piercer_99 (May 26, 2020)

so to recount what it was like, what happened and what it is like now.

.


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## piercer_99 (May 27, 2020)

Daylight photos. 

It's a ratty old man.


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