Being doing quite a lot this last week or so but very little of it worth a picture. Spent a lot of time, but very little money trying to shot blast the frame but the results were very poor. Too slow. bought a new regulator which seems to be the business but I think the compressor doesn't have enough puff to handle a good blast. So, decided to clean the frame using flap discs and strips of emery cloth in the corners. That meant buying a new angle grinder as my old Bosch is a 4 inch model with a 16 mm centre hole and I need 4.5 inches with 22.2 mm centre hole to run the flap discs. Only £20 from Argos.
First off, the axle, having polished all the rust off it and whilst it was still shiny, gave it one coat of etch primer and one of primer surfacer. As the finish colour will be gold I may have to give it a coat of white primer too.
And this is one of the (really elegant) wheel spacers thickened up by 4mm, 2mm each side then welded. And you can also see that I forgot to smooth out the axle weld before I primed it. I'll pick it up next time I get the primer out.
the shed.
I have moved the frame around so the forks will be at the front so I can work on the left side easier and also mount the forks. Plan is to get a rolling chassis as soon as I can - I am under a bit of pressure to get the trike up and running now because the arthritis in my right hand, wrist and elbow is getting almost too much to cope with. Trying to work with a wrist splint to stop me using it too much.
As I was cleaning up the headstock with white spirit and a brush the cage on the lower taper roller bearing flicked off with the brush and the rollers scattered everywhere. I did eventually find them all and fiddle the little blighters back in the cage and on the inner race but I expect the bearing will be well shot. I will need to put the forks on and off again a few times so I shall adjust it up and see what it feels like.
With the 2 spacers made up now I can get both back wheels on, still on the old wheel bearings and with no brakes yet, they will be an easy enough job later as I am sure the axle will be on and off a few times yet too. So the rolling chassis is getting close.
The lady in my life has requested it be made a bright blue please. Not what I had in mind but she has put up with me doing it for 2 and a half years now so she is allowed a say. In fact a really light blue with lots of sparkly flake would look really good. Would probably get away with painting the wheels gold, too.
First off, the axle, having polished all the rust off it and whilst it was still shiny, gave it one coat of etch primer and one of primer surfacer. As the finish colour will be gold I may have to give it a coat of white primer too.
And this is one of the (really elegant) wheel spacers thickened up by 4mm, 2mm each side then welded. And you can also see that I forgot to smooth out the axle weld before I primed it. I'll pick it up next time I get the primer out.
the shed.
I have moved the frame around so the forks will be at the front so I can work on the left side easier and also mount the forks. Plan is to get a rolling chassis as soon as I can - I am under a bit of pressure to get the trike up and running now because the arthritis in my right hand, wrist and elbow is getting almost too much to cope with. Trying to work with a wrist splint to stop me using it too much.
As I was cleaning up the headstock with white spirit and a brush the cage on the lower taper roller bearing flicked off with the brush and the rollers scattered everywhere. I did eventually find them all and fiddle the little blighters back in the cage and on the inner race but I expect the bearing will be well shot. I will need to put the forks on and off again a few times so I shall adjust it up and see what it feels like.
With the 2 spacers made up now I can get both back wheels on, still on the old wheel bearings and with no brakes yet, they will be an easy enough job later as I am sure the axle will be on and off a few times yet too. So the rolling chassis is getting close.
The lady in my life has requested it be made a bright blue please. Not what I had in mind but she has put up with me doing it for 2 and a half years now so she is allowed a say. In fact a really light blue with lots of sparkly flake would look really good. Would probably get away with painting the wheels gold, too.
opcorn: 
