Blue, Blue, Blue....

Taking the masking tape off.

Got the frame back from Jeff's and she looks SWEEEEEET!  Jeff, Dee Dee and I looked through Jeff's paint books of colors and we settled on a blue and silver gray paint scheme.  

Building Up The Front

Today, my wife helped me (as she often does) work on building up the front end.  We got the bushings installed in the rocker arms and the horn mounted.  Then we polished the main shaft for the spring pack, assembled it and  attached them to the dog legs. Finally, we put the race and neck bearings in the neck and then the front end to the frame.  She's starting to come together......

Some fine tuning....

Polishing the main shaft for leaf spring

Milling some nuts to the thickness I need

Cleaning out threads on neck

 

Two days later, for a two hour job!

Anxious and Ready To Go....Or Am I?

 

Looks like I may be missing a few parts...Huh?

Right Over Left, Left Over Right, Where To Begin

Got my original wheels back from Jeff, painted and ready to lace, but being that my wife says that my patience level isn't what it used to be, I called a buddy of mine, Art Decker to lace my wheels.  

I've always said it was fate when Art happened to move in right next door to my shop since he is a retired tool and die maker, loves old guns, cars and motorcycles and has his own collection of restored cars and bikes and happens to have the patience to teach this old dog some new tricks!

A Penny for Your Thoughts, Nickle for Your Parts

Ok, so I sent the frame and other parts and pieces to Jeff Keister of Jeff's Paint and Body in Romney, WV.  He's the same guy, that since I found him, can work magic with a paint gun and has brought a glow into the girls that I have brought back to life again here at Buck's Indian.

While my girl is getting her paint on.....I'm gonna nickle some cylinders and other hardware.

Now let's clear the workspace to get started....

And So It Begins....

Why, you ask, is that frame fastened down to a milling machine?

Well, I was getting ready to load it in my van to take it to the painter's and was looking at it sitting on the floor of my shop, when I thought it looked a little off.  Upon closer inspection, I realized that my frame is bent, YES BENT!

Dick Jones (one of the "white knights" of my 2012 pitcrew) happened to stop by and helped out with the straightening process.  First, I made up some hold downs to fasten it securely to one of my milling machines.  Then I made a fixture that clamped around the tubing and began the untwisting and straightening.  To our satisfaction, we now have a straightened frame. 

I am confident that I won't be riding sideways down the highway now, so it's off to the painters.....

2014 Cannonball- Time to get started....

It's almost May, well, tomorrow it will be.  So, time to start building  my next ride.  I have had a 36 Chief for a long time just sitting on the workbench collecting more dust than parts.  When we went to the New Smyrna AMCA meet in March, I bought some lights for the bike, and then started thinking about building it.  At the AMCA meet in Oley, Pa last weekend, Lonnie Jr. reminded me that there were only 132 days left until we ride out of Daytona. 

Okay.....let's get going then!

List of To Do Items: 

1.  Take frame, forks and other do-dads to have them painted! 

2.   Get wheels relaced!

3.  Clean engine cases and start on fly wheels... .. Wait did I just say clean....  Well, let's get dad (Buck) to get in the cabinet.  I hate to glass bead parts, it takes too long AND I can't hear the radio.

4.  Build the Bike!   

Oh yeah,  I have to reassemble the 101 that I took apart for spare parts from the last cannonball.  It's in front of glass bead cabinet. 

Ok,  next, clean off work bench for fresh start.  I can do that tomorrow, its too cold out there today...

HOWEVER,   I do have a paint scheme picked out, and we made some t-shirts to sell.

So what's next?  I remember..... finish up a 1967 Citabria airplane that we restored last year.  We  had a couple of issues last fall and have been waiting on it to warm up in the hangar to put it back together.

Then I can start on my cannonball bike.  I will try and do more pics this year during the rebuild.

And so it begins........