424 monkey ward (cause all the cool kids have a gilson)
Glad to see you Arkansans yakking back and forth. Neo---take a look at my Gilson brake thread in the discussion forum. The connection between the brake band and the compound lever is a critical measure. Also, you'll need to tap and thread the pin that locates the brake assembly to the swing arm. A nut adjusts the pin and pulls the assembly away from wheel...a cotter pin keeps the nut in place (could be a castle nut). My best friend's dad was an engineer who set up Singer plants in South America in the 60s and 70s.
Glad you're on the mend...wacky weather has made me sore as sin. 76 degrees yesterday and 40 today (with wind chill, 28).
Glad you're on the mend...wacky weather has made me sore as sin. 76 degrees yesterday and 40 today (with wind chill, 28).
This brake is factory and was working good. I had it apart once before to clean and primer it. Mine is held together with pins and cotter pins. I just didn't take a good picture of it and had to search and search to figure out how it all went back last time. That pic was more or less for me.
I have an idea on making a plate that uses the pivot hole from the old brake, the axle runs through, and a disk caliper hangs off the back. The slotted factory holes will allow the plate to move with the wheel assembly for chain tension and keep the caliper with the disk. I ordered a caliper and gonna mock it up with some fiberboard I have to see it it is in the ballpark before I start it in steel. Just waiting on the mailman and I have the rear swing arm in the blast cabinet right now. I have to go get some new sand, the stuff in there is about dust and takes forever to clean the factory paint or powder coat off.
If the bracket works the way I would like I'll make a good pattern on graph paper I can copy and mail any of you guys with MWs (snail or email your choice). If memory serves me I think I saw somewhere the gilsons had a longer swingarm so I can't say it would work or not but I'd still mail it out.
I have an idea on making a plate that uses the pivot hole from the old brake, the axle runs through, and a disk caliper hangs off the back. The slotted factory holes will allow the plate to move with the wheel assembly for chain tension and keep the caliper with the disk. I ordered a caliper and gonna mock it up with some fiberboard I have to see it it is in the ballpark before I start it in steel. Just waiting on the mailman and I have the rear swing arm in the blast cabinet right now. I have to go get some new sand, the stuff in there is about dust and takes forever to clean the factory paint or powder coat off.
If the bracket works the way I would like I'll make a good pattern on graph paper I can copy and mail any of you guys with MWs (snail or email your choice). If memory serves me I think I saw somewhere the gilsons had a longer swingarm so I can't say it would work or not but I'd still mail it out.
Despite the wind and pollen I tried to spray a piece to see what the color is gonna look like. It's not as heavy flake as I planned and I couldn't get a real good shot of it with my phone. Tried it with a silver base and a black base. The black made it look purple and I didn't even bother taking a picture.
And this was just sandblasted, primered, and painted. There is no filler or sanding so you can see the pitting and other imperfections in the metal (pollen all in it too). Far from a show car finish, I just wanted to see the color and it was the first day the temp/sun was agreeable.
Thats reflection on the bottom edge that looks like chips (the chip in by the hole where it was hanging when I sprayed it)
And this was just sandblasted, primered, and painted. There is no filler or sanding so you can see the pitting and other imperfections in the metal (pollen all in it too). Far from a show car finish, I just wanted to see the color and it was the first day the temp/sun was agreeable.
Thats reflection on the bottom edge that looks like chips (the chip in by the hole where it was hanging when I sprayed it)
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Yeah, I still have to take the swingarm off to tinker with. I've been avoiding blowing it all apart because even if I sandblast it and primer it the humidity has been so high stuff flash rusts through the primer in a day or two. I have some bolts that I cleaned up and cleared that are rusted under the clear. Going stainless, just have to get to my supplier with the list.
I thought about running 2. I have a switch here I can run a flood for the low beam and a spot for a high beam but this light (is a flood) was a bit bigger than I pictured it in my head and lights up good enough I think. It's 4 1/2 inches diameter and that fills up the plate on the forks by itself. I just wish I could take it apart to paint it the metallic aluminum (same as the brake parts and sprocket in above pics) instead of black.
Anyways the rain has moved back in so the paint is on hold again.
I thought about running 2. I have a switch here I can run a flood for the low beam and a spot for a high beam but this light (is a flood) was a bit bigger than I pictured it in my head and lights up good enough I think. It's 4 1/2 inches diameter and that fills up the plate on the forks by itself. I just wish I could take it apart to paint it the metallic aluminum (same as the brake parts and sprocket in above pics) instead of black.
Anyways the rain has moved back in so the paint is on hold again.
Looks kinda sad all bagged and tagged, too bad some idiot put a kazoo engine in this picture
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I don't think it looks too bad but thinking often gets me in trouble
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hmm
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what is this idiot thinking
longer shocks, maybe
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hmm, might need to add a bit
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Now lets see who jumps the gun. The vintage bike you see in those pictures will never be cut on while I own it. However I might steal design plans and build a custom "gilson" fat tire bike using a 13 horse honda I have. Might be a 22 hp version also just depends on if I get that engine.
I don't think it looks too bad but thinking often gets me in trouble
hmm
what is this idiot thinking
longer shocks, maybe
hmm, might need to add a bit
Now lets see who jumps the gun. The vintage bike you see in those pictures will never be cut on while I own it. However I might steal design plans and build a custom "gilson" fat tire bike using a 13 horse honda I have. Might be a 22 hp version also just depends on if I get that engine.
Soda blasting works pretty good on aluminum.
before
after
I need to refine my gun (nozzle way to big) because it dumps the media as fast as you can pour it in. You can see the spots I missed but I ran out of baking soda. Might have helped if I actually washed the part first also.
I think I'm gonna 2 tone the rims. Polish the lip and paint the spokes charcoal gray. Nothing else it can be easily removed later on without ruining the rim.
before
after
I need to refine my gun (nozzle way to big) because it dumps the media as fast as you can pour it in. You can see the spots I missed but I ran out of baking soda. Might have helped if I actually washed the part first also.
I think I'm gonna 2 tone the rims. Polish the lip and paint the spokes charcoal gray. Nothing else it can be easily removed later on without ruining the rim.
That was done with a spot blaster not setup for soda and normal baking soda so wrong setup and wrong material (way too fine). We are gonna tinker with the gun to make it more suitable and I'm gonna go get a 50lb bag of actual blasting soda this weekend.
Oh and actually wash the parts first so I'm not wasting most of soda.
Oh and actually wash the parts first so I'm not wasting most of soda.
Interesting, cleaning the frame up and there are 3 layers of paint. The house paint, The factory yellow with primer, and black with primer. From my understanding that means this thing was in line to be a VT bike and pulled out of the line to be a 424. All the rest of the bolt on parts were just the yellows. Kinda interesting since it doesn't have the rear gas filler hole in it.
I don't think so. Trail bikes did have a remote tank and a "splash" gusset welded to the front down-tubes. Primer was not used on these. If no tag is present, then my guess is it was a 424 from day one. The hardware is yellow and it doesn't surprise me that this was probably "customized" by some kid back in the day because yellow was for Schwinn Lemon Krates. Makes sense for the switch to black....
I'll ask the original owner but was told it's only been repainted one time in the house paint. I'll also look closer but I swear the 2 lower layers have a grey primer (no other parts had this). The gas tank thing is my hold up also because as I understood anything past a xe525 had it standard.
On a side note, does anybody have the center measurements and the hole diameter of the gas filler hole in the frame.
On a side note, does anybody have the center measurements and the hole diameter of the gas filler hole in the frame.
Past XE525? Big block Tecs (H50 to be exact) + front-mount fuel tank does not work well in this frame. This is why Gilson used a remote cell. I'm guessing you found additional layers of paint in random spots, right? Look at the patina of the bike the way you received it- rust in select areas. Those areas are almost the same ones on my 424 that show rust. I'm guessing someone just tried to touch-up the affected areas and call it quits.
I don't see any doubt, personally, that is (well was) a Sunshine Yellow 977.
I don't see any doubt, personally, that is (well was) a Sunshine Yellow 977.
I have no doubts about it always being a yellow 424. As for the black it's pretty much the whole frame so far. Even in areas behind the welded brackets and reinforcements that you have to be aiming at to paint. I just found it weird it's only the frame with this layer and frankly could care less if it was pink with purple pokka dots. Wish it was something more common like blue or red so without the filler hole it would be easier to bite. Wish I would took some pics but my cabinet isn't big enough so I took it to a buddy that I only can work on it after hours and he is supposed to finish it today.
If you still looking for a source of a bracket I might have found a place that I can get free SS from. The way it was told as long as it doesn't look like I'm digging threw the bin and loading up to sell scrap iron I can grab a few pieces here and there. They make the big sinks, tables, and other stuff stuff restaurants use.
If you still looking for a source of a bracket I might have found a place that I can get free SS from. The way it was told as long as it doesn't look like I'm digging threw the bin and loading up to sell scrap iron I can grab a few pieces here and there. They make the big sinks, tables, and other stuff stuff restaurants use.
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