Vintage tracker Frankenbike tribute build

[Nabeaquam]

Hope the shop vac didn’t get melted! Don’t want that busted along with your leaf blower!

It burned up. I had to place it close to get enough blowing. Gobs of plastic melted off. It was junk anyway. I dropped it in the fire where it burst into flames. I just left it there as melting burning plastic is worse than napalm. I used welding gloves so my hands only got real hot a few times. My face and nose are burned. Try and keep the tubing red hot in the fire and place brazing rods. It’s not easy to do, not worth it but a fun experiment.

 

[Nabeaquam]

Can you attach the hose to the exhaust end? Maybe you could get more heat if you could direct the airflow at the hotspot better.

That was the problem, there was no exhaust outlet on this vacuum, I never realized that. I took the head off the canister and held it close to the fire, holding it with welders gloves. The head melted and eventually caught fire before I could finish. Bad idea further FUBAR in the execution.

 

[27motorhead]

It burned up. I had to place it close to get enough blowing. Gobs of plastic melted off. It was junk anyway. I dropped it in the fire where it burst into flames. I just left it there as melting burning plastic is worse than napalm. I used welding gloves so my hands only got real hot a few times. My face and nose are burned. Try and keep the tubing red hot in the fire and place brazing rods. It’s not easy to do, not worth it but a fun experiment.

Sounds like you kept warm despite -4 degrees! I’m sure there are safer ways to stay warm though!!!

I like the look of the crusty headtube, almost medieval looking now!

 

[Nabeaquam]

Sounds like you kept warm despite -4 degrees! I’m sure there are safer ways to stay warm though!!!

I like the look of the crusty headtube, almost medieval looking now!

I’ll fix that by putting on a pretty head badge. This bling will conceal the ugly medieval crust. Your eye will ignore the crust and focus on the bling.

 

[27motorhead]

I’ll fix that by putting on a pretty head badge. This bling will conceal the ugly medieval crust. Your eye will ignore the crust and focus on the bling.

Sounds perfect.

I can use the phrase juxtaposition for that exact effect!

It was a term I learnt in design college and very rarely get to use!

 

[Nabeaquam]

It’s colder than yesterday, -5C and light snow on and off. Good thing I tried my brazing experiment yesterday. I took my fork out of the phosphoric acid bath tub before it froze solid. I put the fork in a bucket of the acid and will move it inside for a few weeks. It’s not deep enough to submerge the entire fork so I’ll be flipping it periodically. So progress will slow down.

 

[27motorhead]

It’s colder than yesterday, -5C and light snow on and off. View attachment 792149View attachment 792150Good thing I tried my brazing experiment yesterday. I took my fork out of the phosphoric acid bath tub before it froze solid. I put the fork in a bucket of the acid and will move it inside for a few weeks. It’s not deep enough to submerge the entire fork so I’ll be flipping it periodically. So progress will slow down.View attachment 792151

So what's today's activity to keep warm then???

 

[PhillB]

This thread is brilliant...can't wait for the next installment. A bicycle born of fire...like a Phoenix...

 

[Nabeaquam]

I’ve done the one inch motorcycle bar to a one inch bicycle quill before. You need a pretty straight motorcycle bar and then use a pry bar to widen the heavy steel quill neck to go around the one inch bar bends. Bicycle bars are 7/8 with a one inch clamp area so it’s tough getting the gooseneck around the 1 inch bar bends. It’s tough, but I only slightly damaged the chrome, but who cares, this bike is a maggot. I used 1 inch grips for a hand cart. I’ve also spread old steel bicycle brake levers for 7/8 inch bars to one inch. I’ve also done this before. You can barely get the clamp to stretch so it fits. All this to get wide bars. Not easy or very sophisticated. Requires a bench vice, rubber hammer, pry bar, vice grips, screwdriver and plenty of elbow grease. Force, more force, hammer, twist and bend. The clamp nut and bolt are on the top of the brake lever as this was the easiest way to get it to fit. My fingers don’t work well anymore so I drop everything and stuff slips that I’m working on. I may try to reverse them when it’s warmer, but I’m feeling this is good enough perfect.

 

[Nabeaquam]

Sounds perfect.

I can use the phrase juxtaposition for that exact effect!

It was a term I learnt in design college and very rarely get to use!

Sounds kinky