Progress!

[greywuuf]

Score! I gathered two 20" kids bikes from the dump and not only does that give me enough spokes one of them was even a 28 spoke wheel! Now I have a pattern to mark and drill my wheels from. Very excited, but I have a question......
do you guys line up your wheels (spokes I mean) side to side or do you offset them? same with the hub washers? I suppose they should match whatever you do with the wheel, but I was wondering what the general consensus was.

This is a big deal and breakthrough for this project.


Thanks
Dan

[greywuuf]

Drilled my wheels! Yay! Another couple pokes with the stinger and another round of grinding and I will be ready fro sande and paint. getting to the good stuff now!

[greywuuf]

test lacing of the wheel

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3503/3750101142_1f7cd278e6.jpg?v=0

[jimFPU]

It begins!!!

[Radical Brad]

Lacing those car rims is super easy, don't you think?

Brad

[greywuuf]

It would have been a LOT easier if I had drilled 28 holes the first time instead of skipping one.

[Radical Brad]

Oh ya. major bummer dude!

Brad


It would have been a LOT easier if I had drilled 28 holes the first time instead of skipping one.

[greywuuf]

Actually it was no big deal once I figured out why i had two spokes together after putting one in every other hole!...

i marked and drilled one side then used the square and transferred the marks to the other side... and when I was drilling i just skipped one of the holes... couple seconds and it was all fixed.

I drilled the other wheel tonight. i work late tomorrow but hopefully i will find time to clean up the welding this weekend and install the pillow blocks on the frame, and start making some decisions on the rest of it.

I wish i could justify buying the tires i located... Wide whitewall narrow trailer tires. i really think with the colors i have in mind it would be Very classic looking.

Dan

[greywuuf]

well,
I got both rims drilled and am happy with that, cleaned up the garf marks in the rims and actually welded one of my washers to the axle. Boy does my helmet suck. I really need an auto darkening. trying to decide whether to continue welding and being unhappy with the results or if i should just wait till i get paid again or can borrow my Bro in laws helmet.

[greywuuf]

Decided to press on this is the first one after all,
my welding will get better and the NEXT one will be prettier i am sure.

pictures of my hubs welded with my home built alternator arc welder.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2563/3763066485_762f406722.jpg
Sorry the camera don't focus very close also I am sure will notice I had one hole 'wander" like i said this one is to get it done the NEXT one will be "perfect" ( lol )

[greywuuf]

well i am continuing to make little steps, just tacked the bearing mount plates to the frame with a stub axle in place so the alignment is good.

I have a bunch of finish welding and grinding to do and then sand and paint my wheels and i will be ready to do the frame ! yay I cant wait.

Dan

[h._simpson]

Lookin awsome Bro.

What colour you going to paint the wheels or is that a secret?

[greywuuf]

Actually it depends on how the frame turns out shape wise.

Two plans one will be a gloss black bike Chromish spokes and black rims with hand painted flames around the Air valves

The other way is i have a picture of a post war Indian.. I would do the hubs black ( would love black spokes but doubtful) and the frame and wheels will be a dark green
almost a glossy version of olive drab the front fork would be black and it would be set off with whitewall's not really an appealing color to me but I am intrigued by it i really like the look of an OLD full dress bike. if i go this way I will be building a springer for the front. I am toying with the idea of using very large tube ... but tapering them .. got a pump and some instruction for making hydro formed parts .. might give it a try. then again this one is just coming together and I know where all my errors are,and they bother me so probably will save that for my next
and more refined attempt

Dan

[h._simpson]

That sounds really cool either way.

I didn't realise there are home hydroforming kits around. Might have to do some searching...

Looking forward to more photos.

Bye.

[greywuuf]

re: hydro forming,
There are no "kits" that I am aware of. I did find a rather obscure link on a retro road race motorcycle page with pictures of the process of forming an expansion chamber for an old bike. the basic steps are picturing the part you intend to make smashed flat, cut two flat shapes edge weld them together and insert your pressure washer into the sealed chamber. you need a bleed valve at the far end to evacuate all of the air. the page i first found actually used a hand pump designed for pressure testing plumbing systems. since then I have seen examples on you tube using pressure a washer and found a reference to using an old power steering pump. I happen to have a log splitter pump that I am going to try. Safety is most peoples concern but by using water you do not store and energy in the compression of the fluid so in the extreme case of a 'burst" the pressure drops extremely rapidly and you just get wet... no shrapnel.

good luck in your search.

Dan [URL="http://www.eurospares.com/frame8.htm"/URL]

[greywuuf]

Sorry,
I exceeded my edit time limit

this link is a good primer on hydro forming.

"http://www.eurospares.com/frame8.htm"

[h._simpson]

Thanks for that info on hydroforming. I'll check it out.

Bye.
Andrew