Vintage tracker Frankenbike tribute build

[Nabeaquam]

The fork has been removed from the phosphoric acid and the coating of iron phosphate has been wire brushed off, along with any remaining rust. Then, Ospho was applied and allowed to dry.
The fork was then coated with Penetrol, a drying oil with penetrant and chemically modified linseed and soy oil.
After the Penetrol dries the fork can be painted. There is still a little chrome on the part of the springer that is active. The dried Penetrol coating allows paint to stick to almost anything, including glass.

 

[Nabeaquam]

I don’t think the original springs are up to further use. They’re deeply rusted. I welded up some jury rigged mounts and used an auto cycle spring instead of the originals. No kidding, this springer fork seems to weigh as much as an all carbon bike. All this for a lot of extra weight and 30mm of travel.
The original guys homemade trackers had auto cycle forks that looked like they weighed as much as mine so I guess this tribute will keep the spirit alive, or I hope it does.

 

[Nabeaquam]

Whenever you try and do something that’s not supposed to be done you run into problems. Like the axel is too big to fit in the drops.

A file fixed this but it took many thousands of to and frow to get it done. File only the bottom for several hundred strokes, reverse the file and start again, otherwise it might not be even.
Example of something that’s not normal, a jam nut on a front drum brake so the brake arm can be free to rotate when the springer fork moves.
It works, at least for now.
Works, at least for now.

I got ahead of myself. Now the frame drum brake brace is in the way of the clamp. Looks like I need to do more welding.

 

[coomber]

Manufacturer a longer drum brake brace to meet above the frame brace?

Great work

 

[Nabeaquam]

No one locally or nationally on line has Sharpie fine tip enamel paint pens. I’m forced to use permanent markers, which don’t give the rich colors. Besides, you can’t correct my shaky lines with permanent markers. And you can’t clear over markers as the colors bleed. Nuts.
I think I’ll paint it solid brass and leave it at that.

 

[Nabeaquam]

Manufacturer a longer drum brake brace to meet above the frame brace?

Great work

Dah, good idea. Simple. I try to solve everything with welding. I sometimes don’t think beyond that. A bolt falls out of a wheelbarrow, don’t bother looking in your stash or going for a replacement to the hardware store, just weld it shut.

 

[Nabeaquam]

I didn’t like the headlight mounting holes in the fender. An Acorn nut and a license plate mascot bolt covered them up.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Oh man, Frank is RAD!! You know they'd love that at the rat forum

 

[Nabeaquam]

Oh man, Frank is RAD!! You know they'd love that at the rat forum

It’s made out of pewter by a First Nation guy on Vancouver Island. It’s beautiful. I can’t post anything on RRB as it disappears, is out of order or it takes 5 seconds for each typed character to appear.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I can’t post anything on RRB as it disappears, is out of order or it takes 5 seconds for each typed character to appear.

I remember you saying that. Another user was having some issues recently too. Their text was disappearing as well. I suggested to them to try composing the post elsewhere, like in a Notepad program, and then copy/paste into the forum box. Then if you lost it, at least it's not lost lost.