The new project list

[supersparky]

If you are lucky enough to own one with original paint and the fold up handle, I've seen them for sale around the $50] mark.
A bit over the top, but you get that occasionally.

[BernieQ2]

Yep I do have the folding handle Dave... plus one welded together..
I finally finished all the sanding and today hopefully depending on the bloody wind I will have them all stained
I hope..
Our plan is to have the clear topcoats done in situ...
But may do one coat outside... depends....
Bernie.

[native pepper]

Good to see you're moving along with your projects Bernie, should look good when you've finished.

My bike and sidecar project is finally moving forward, wasted a few dollars buying wheels but finally got the one I wanted. Started off taking the 18inch bike wheel of the sidecar and put on a 13inch ford alloy wheel and hub, but the tyres on the car wheel are much taller than the bike wheel, so only dropped the chassis 8mm which made no difference. So ordered a mini 10inch alloy wheel and got a mini hub from a Hobart trailer maker, but the new alloy wheel is offset so far it rubs on the sidecar suspension and would need to cut of the hub and get and longer axle hub. But having cut off the original sidecar hub and and put this one on to much hassle. Whilst waiting a month for the 12inch wheel with no communication from the seller, found a second hand 10 inch alloy wheel for a cheap price, which fitted the hub and didn't rub on the suspension. But the mini chrome wheel nuts wouldn't go on the hub, so back to the trailer maker to be told all their hubs had the same wheel studs even if it were for a mini and they suggested I get mini studs to put in the hub.

So headed to repco and on the way thought about it and realised if the mini hub had the same studs, it may be for ford or Holden. Got to repco and asked them if they had chrome long wheel nuts for a ford and got 4 of them, hoping I was right as I now had 2 sets of mini chrome wheel nuts that were useless without a lot of work. Got the tyre put on the second hand alloy wheel which I'd buffed up and was looking good, got home and bingo the ford nuts fitted into the alloy wheel and screwed on to the hub. But two of them jammed halfway on, so took the wheel off and noticed there was rust in the holes, added some wd40 and left them over night. This morning stuck a rotary wire brush into the stud holes and removed the rust and the wheel nuts when in all the way, tight fit but that's excellent. Re adjusted the bike and sidecar configuration to the much lower sidecar and took it for a run up the road, it was a dream to ride. Took it to the local school car park and really tested it out, no lift when turning left fast, no drag when going right and was able to do a 360 with the chair off the ground turning left and it balanced well.

Then the local cop turned up wanting to know what I was doing, after a few minutes chatting about bikes, he rides a triumph rocket he asked when I'd have the body back on the chair and to make sure I brought it down to him and take him for a ride. So after a frustrating few months getting nowhere, it's all come together and now just have to wait for a bit warmer weather to paint it, First thing will do is take the cop for a ride, will be interesting to see how long it is before he turns white and because of our winding roads, no need to speed, just go quickly.

[T1 Terry]

Yep I do have the folding handle Dave... plus one welded together..
I finally finished all the sanding and today hopefully depending on the bloody wind I will have them all stained
I hope..
Our plan is to have the clear topcoats done in situ...
But may do one coat outside... depends....
Bernie.

We used tong oil because it dries to a hard finish without being high gloss. Easy enough to maintain, another coat rubbed in and it's dry by the evening, after about the third maintenance coat, each time longer between coats, it reaches the point that recoating isn't required.

T1 Terry

[BernieQ2]

Pictures' NP... Terry I have suggested lots of alternatives to what herself wants to no avail
Finally we have a coat of stain on the benches, maybe today if weather permits we will get a clear coat on.
Picture not as good as the real thing.
Bernie.

IMG20250712112504.jpg

[T1 Terry]

Looking good Bernie, are you going to add some of the stain to the first layer of clear coat? When we did all the bed frame and bedhead for the big bus, we applied probably 5 coasts of stain before the tung oil and then a coat of clear ..... the wonderful rich dark red stain disappeared after maybe 2 yrs, can't re-stain it because the surface is now sealed with clear coat, no intension of stripping it all down again to sand it because we aren't going to complete the big bus project now, so it will stay that way

T1 Terry

[BernieQ2]

Terry, the clear top coat... isn't quite clear..
It has a timber tint... unbeknownst by us when bought.. turned out to be a good misadventure
Sometimes you get lucky
Bernie.

[native pepper]

That looks really nice Bernie, sometimes mistakes turn out better then the original plan.

Here's a couple of photo's with the new wheel, plus an old wheel. Got quite a few photos, always take photos of things before and after, just in case I forget how I pulled it apart and where the let over bolts and parts go when it goes back together.

Same with building renovations when I was in that game, took photos of before and after to show customers the changes. Back then had to wait a few days for the photos to be developed, things sure have changed.

[BernieQ2]

That's looking real good NP.
Bernie.

[Dot]

That does look fun NP, do you hook her up behind your bus when on the road?