Heald VT-3, OldMiniBikes Build Off, Vintage Class
Well surprise, surprise. 10 days with the chromer and the stuff is back. Custom Chrome in Cleveland :drinkup:. The handlebars are stainless and they polished them to a chrome like finish. They were just amazing. Not only did they do it in 10 days but the owner's wife met me with in a couple of miles of the house for pick up and delivery. The charge wasn't to bad either. Hopefully I'll have the frame painted in the next day or two and I can start moving on some of this stuff. I also got my seat from Kenny. That was about 5 days and the beauty is Kenny lives about 15 minutes away. A quick pick up.:thumbsup::thumbsup:
Doc
Doc
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Thanks for the good words.
Papa, I have to hang my head in shame. I settled from what I said I was going to do. The chromer wanted the stuff so fast that I ended up drilling a stop at the end of the cracks and welding them. Then I took a large heavy washer and braised them in. I don't feel too bad about it in that I looked at Peekster's VT-3/5 and saw he used large washers attaching the fenders to the frame. Thinking about the amount I am actually going to ride this bike, I figured that would spread the load out over a much larger area (both the braised washers and large mounting washers) and with using rubber washers probably would be enough to stop the cracking. This thing will spend most of it's life on concrete and it won't have the usual rough ground vibrations. So, worst case, I run a piece of flat stock on the underside and rechrome the one fender. I don't know if it will hold up over many years but it should hold up for my use quite nicely.
Ultimately I'd like this bike to be as good as Peekster's and his is just about perfect.
Doc
Papa, I have to hang my head in shame. I settled from what I said I was going to do. The chromer wanted the stuff so fast that I ended up drilling a stop at the end of the cracks and welding them. Then I took a large heavy washer and braised them in. I don't feel too bad about it in that I looked at Peekster's VT-3/5 and saw he used large washers attaching the fenders to the frame. Thinking about the amount I am actually going to ride this bike, I figured that would spread the load out over a much larger area (both the braised washers and large mounting washers) and with using rubber washers probably would be enough to stop the cracking. This thing will spend most of it's life on concrete and it won't have the usual rough ground vibrations. So, worst case, I run a piece of flat stock on the underside and rechrome the one fender. I don't know if it will hold up over many years but it should hold up for my use quite nicely.
Ultimately I'd like this bike to be as good as Peekster's and his is just about perfect.
Doc
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Well surprise, surprise. 10 days with the chromer and the stuff is back. Custom Chrome in Cleveland :drinkup:. The handlebars are stainless and they polished them to a chrome like finish. They were just amazing. Not only did they do it in 10 days but the owner's wife met me with in a couple of miles of the house for pick up and delivery. The charge wasn't to bad either. Hopefully I'll have the frame painted in the next day or two and I can start moving on some of this stuff. I also got my seat from Kenny. That was about 5 days and the beauty is Kenny lives about 15 minutes away. A quick pick up.:thumbsup::thumbsup:
..............................:drool::drool::drool::drool::drool::drool::drool:.....Very Nice Doc !
Doc
..............................:drool::drool::drool::drool::drool::drool::drool:.....Very Nice Doc !
Doc
Stop drilling. :wink: LOL. Maybe I was just too obvious. I need a gorilla cookie.
Nice chrome. :drinkup:
Nice chrome. :drinkup:
OK. Got the paint done on the frame and little parts. It's a urethane base/clear and I'll need to let it set for a while and let the VOCs escape a bit. Today I want to turn the head bearings down and press them in and that's probably all I can do. I need to borrow from a friend his cadmium plating system and begin plating the wee little parts. Lots and lots of work left but at least I have all of the big stuff ready to go. Fortunately I bought the build sheet from Ron Kimble and I will probably inventory the stainless hardware maybe tonight or tomorrow. Usually I buy it as I need it and that causes hundreds of trips to the hardware store. I'm getting too old to travel so much :laugh::laugh:.
Doc
Doc
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OK. Got the paint done on the frame and little parts. It's a urethane base/clear and I'll need to let it set for a while and let the VOCs escape a bit. Today I want to turn the head bearings down and press them in and that's probably all I can do. I need to borrow from a friend his cadmium plating system and begin plating the wee little parts. Lots and lots of work left but at least I have all of the big stuff ready to go. Fortunately I bought the build sheet from Ron Kimble and I will probably inventory the stainless hardware maybe tonight or tomorrow. Usually I buy it as I need it and that causes hundreds of trips to the hardware store. I'm getting too old to travel so much :laugh::laugh:.
Doc
DANG DOC...You Sir are in it to win it !!!!! :drool::drool::drool::drool::drool::drool::drool: NICE...
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Doc
DANG DOC...You Sir are in it to win it !!!!! :drool::drool::drool::drool::drool::drool::drool: NICE...
Hi Rick. No matter what we did, it still came out that light Oldsmobile blue wanting to put flake and pearl in it. I got frustrated and didn't want to waste my neighbor's time anymore so I decided we would mix up the dark Ford Tractor Blue like Ron said. We have no idea whatsoever why the color wouldn't mix correctly. We even called a different paint supplier and they had no answer either. I would have had you send the paint but i felt like I was taking advantage of them and the paint booth. I am not sure the differences in color but looking at this I am good with it. It doesn't look perfect but really not too bad. It is a base/clear urethane so it will be good with gas and my biggest goal was not to have to deal with something that would be affected over time. I think you will like it when it's all together.
Doc.
Doc.