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But it followed me home from work, what is it?

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gkeep

I live for the CABE
Hi All,
Never thought this would happen but I rescued another TOC frame today from a scrap metal box. I walked by about 8:30 and the box had a few items in it, came back by about 10:30 and this frame was in the bottom. The metal in this box comes from about 40 tons a day of debris/trash/crap collected by DPW trucks all over San Francisco. About 15 years ago I pulled my 58 Schwinn American from this area.
scrapbox.jpg



Once I get it home maybe my wife will let it stay on my side of the bedroom, (really, it won't hog the covers).
Westfield Frame.jpg



The repaint was done way back when, no rims, seatpost or bars. The inside of the head tube is rusty like there has not been a stem in there for decades. I was "giddy as a school boy" when I pulled it out. If it had been Cristmas morning I'd have sent a turkey to the Cratchits. The Elgin chain ring made me think 20s Hawthorne Flyer but the the attached truss rods with internal htreads on top threw me. During some lunch research I ID'd the frame as Westfield, maybe late teens. (Thanks to FordSnakes info in the Hendee Indian/Westfield thread). In that thread he mentions that they had a factory in San Francisco that opened in 1910 and in 1916 Westfield was contracted to make motobikes for Indian.

Maybe it's just someone really old Parts Bike from the depression years??

Don't know if there will be much original paint under the repaint but there are traces of red here and there.
westfieldseattube.jpg


Westfield Dropouts.jpg

Traces of red but maybe nickel plating too under that.
westfieldforks.jpg


westfieldheadtube.jpg

Anyone recognize this headbadge shadow?? It looks familiar but I can't place it.
westfieldheadtubeghost.jpg

I think Serial # is 31718 but that may also be the remains of a letter.
westfileldserial#.jpg

Top of one truss is smashed. Note internal threads at top of rods.
westfieldtrussforks.jpg


Thanks for looking and any information or suggestions on origins. Quips, bad puns and repair suggestions also happily accepted.
Gary
 
"One man's trash is another man's treasure" - literally. The ghost badge image is a giant S, which shouldn't be too hard to figure out. Superman, Schwinn, Shelby, Shimano, Sears, Spalding, Supercycle, Singer, Solex, Sunbeam, Stearns, Sammy's Hardware.... ok I'm done.
 
@gkeep

Westfield-Built STORMER.

There are many, many badge variations ....
from the earlier days, previous to the
purchase and re-establishment of the
marque, by Westfield ... of which this
machine is an example.

There are a few variations of the STORMER
badge out there -- from Westfield ... and some
of those Westfield variations may OR may not
say Westfield. Some random STORMER
badges below ... from the Ethernet.

..... patric


1_f0ed8dde7c0824f41531de069be8ca54   stormer.jpg

stormer-and-sole-mio.jpg


75-02  stormer.jpg

image  stormer.jpg


14714594_1771892146405173_7938108631214456832_n  stormer.jpg
 
This is great! Thanks for the replies and excellent suggestions. It looks like the Stormer with side screws is a good match and very risque with those wiggly embossed pollywogs chasing the egg. Or is that a stylized Haley's comet? What was that guy drinking or thinking about when he designed that badge? :smiley: Maybe the design is from 1910 and it is a comet to honor Mark Twain who said, "I came in with Halley's comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it. It will be the greatest disappointment of my life if I don't go out with Halley's comet. The Almighty has said, no doubt: 'Now here are these two unaccountable freaks; they came in together, they must go out together."[

"These two unacountable freaks" could describe the frame and I just a well.

Patric, any measurements on the headbadge holes or width of wreath and S? The frame is still at work leaning against my desk and I haven't measured the badge holes yet.
1549124614305.png
1549124638901.png
 
Patric, any measurements on the headbadge holes or width of wreath and S? The frame is still at work leaning against my desk and I haven't measured the badge holes yet.


Oh .. @gkeep ............ when I began collecting unusual badges
in the mid - 80's ... a wide variety of the STORMER badges found
their way to my lair.

As an aside ... during a year or three of the production of the
STORMER bicycle ... there was even a design mod done to the
badge. The boy's badge was different than a girl's badge.

Don't mean to say the pollywogs were all pimped-out on the
boy's version ... or the ''egg'' wore the crown of a queen on the
girl's version ... but there was a major design difference.

Must have acquired at least eight different versions of the
STORMER badge ... including Westfield variations,

When my collecting tastes entered the ''exotic'' arena ... my
STORMER badges were sold or given away (along with many
other badges) to other collectors.

Sorry, but am not able to shed any light on any dimensions.

One of the things that really grabbed me about that badge, tho' .....
the very name -- STORMER.

Maybe I heard this ... maybe I'm just makin' it up .... but I swear
the term ''stormer'' ... when applicable to a turn o' the century
bicycle ... was a machine that was ''rebuilt to move quickly''.

Maybe extra weight was shaved by the removal of not so neces-
sary parts ------ plus .. the addition of low, racing bars ... changes
to the gear ratio .... maybe the addition of straight-legged forks ...
to shorten the wheelbase, thereby giving rise to quicker steering.

Whatever could be done to enable the rider to achieve higher speed on city streets.

Like A Bat Out of Hell.

..... patric
 
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The Elgin chain ring made me think 20s Hawthorne Flyer
What was that guy drinking or thinking about
So, Elgin was Sears & Roebuck, and Hawthorne was Montgomery Ward, (different concerns, both of Chicago IL).

The 8-point snowflake was also used by Great Western Manufacturing, after they acquired Reading Standard.
So, just another connection to Reading PA. [Maybe an odd Westfield double-D crankset was replaced].

We have seen Westfield lists showing an "L" prefix may indicate 1920, (looks just about right), or 1933.
Shapleigh S badge.jpg
Shapleigh also sold Westfield-built bikes at one time.
https://thecabe.com/forum/media/1927-Stutz-hall-Supply-co-minneapoliS-minn-head-badge-made-by-pope-weStfield.5328/
 
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Archie Sturmer, you may have also pegged it.
"The 8-point snowflake was also used by Great Western Manufacturing, after they acquired Reading Standard.
So, just another connection to Reading PA. [Maybe an odd Westfield double-D crankset was replaced].

We have seen Westfield lists showing an "L" prefix may indicate 1920, (looks just about right), or 1933."



Back in the office and had a chance to look closer at the serial number. I cleaned off some tar and the first letter is without doubt an 'I' So if an L Westfield was 1920 would an I be for 1917 counting back 4 years in the alphabet? (wish I could figure out how to use the quote function correctly, I need to ask one of the coworkers under 35, sheesh.)
westfileldserial-jpg.jpg
 
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