Sunday, September 22, 2013
Fun with vintage metal!
I think part of the reason I like playing with bicycles so much is that they remind me of all the toys I had as a kid: I can take them apart and figure out how they work, clean, reassemble and have an even more fun little toy! Not to mention the historical aspects of vintage machines.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
more work on the Trike
I love chrome polish and fine steel wool. It gives yous so much in exchange for a little elbow grease!
In this picture you can see that the rim does not look to be in very good condition. Now? looks like a charm! It still has pits and spots, but it is very shiny and handsome!
I also have received an email back from Worksman Cycles from my inquiry from them about this trike. Sadly they lost all records before 1965 in a shop fire so do not have anything from before that period. They do believe that it looks like an early model of theirs but nobody who currently works there has any particular knowledge of it.
The bed, which has E-LAB stenciled on the side of it also has the word SWORD painted over on the side, which might be interesting if I had any connection at FMC-NSD to find out what SWORD was, or what it stood for. For those who haven't read the previous post FMC-NSD made armaments, mostly for Navy ships, from WW2 through the 1970s, at which point they were taken over by various companies now composing BAE Systems.
I believe the sticker says Vehicle No. #302
I have also discovered that the front rim is strung to a Bendix Type K hub, and the rear free hub is too rusted to make anything out yet.
Cheers!
-G
I also have received an email back from Worksman Cycles from my inquiry from them about this trike. Sadly they lost all records before 1965 in a shop fire so do not have anything from before that period. They do believe that it looks like an early model of theirs but nobody who currently works there has any particular knowledge of it.
The bed, which has E-LAB stenciled on the side of it also has the word SWORD painted over on the side, which might be interesting if I had any connection at FMC-NSD to find out what SWORD was, or what it stood for. For those who haven't read the previous post FMC-NSD made armaments, mostly for Navy ships, from WW2 through the 1970s, at which point they were taken over by various companies now composing BAE Systems.
I have also discovered that the front rim is strung to a Bendix Type K hub, and the rear free hub is too rusted to make anything out yet.
Cheers!
-G
Thursday, September 12, 2013
New project! Tricycle!
So when I worked at John Deere, in Dubuque, they had lots of very heavy looking tricycles that some people rode back and forth between areas in the mile long factory. Fast forward to now (September 2013) and I am working at Polaris Industries in Wyoming, MN and they have doubled the size of the facility. Unfortunately with the increase of floor space comes the problem of how to get form place to place.
I knew right away that industrial trikes are a perfect solution, and still very much produced and used.
Me being the guy I am I could not bring myself to purchase a NEW tricycle, that would cost a bunch of money and be way to easy. So I browse local craigslips ads every once and a while and sure enough I finally come across and ad for an affordable amount!
A few emails and a phone call later and we are at Tim's house in Big Lake MN and negotiating a sale (this whole encounter is a story for another time! very entertaining and a great guy).
I end up taking the one that has a tailgate on the box, and solid tires. I figure those to features will make it the more value added trike of the two he had.
There is an FMC - NSD vehicle sticker on the neck, and some interesting labels on the bedsides (E-LAB can be seen in the photo and there is SWORD under the paint along with something else I can't make out yet and well as some stencil looking words on whats left of the cushion lining)
A little history of where this trike likely spent most of its life.
http://fieldguide.fmr.org/site_detail.php?site_id=33
I have not received any feedback from the current Worksman cycles company about any background they might have but i am hopeful that there is still some connection between the company of yesteryear and today. I have discovered a number stamped into the bottom of the bottom bracket (a common place for ID numbers to be stamped on bicycles) but it does not tell me anything by itself.
So far it appears to have unique fenders: I have not seen any pictures on the internet or the current Worksman website with tubular fenders like these. The fenders actually hold the wheel on as well! I am guessing either the whole rear end of the bike was replaced at some point, or that this is a very early model that was discontinued when they switched to a different axle design.
So far I have removed the front wheel and done some serious Edd China on it and gotten back a good portion of the chrome! very excited for where this project might go! Wish us luck!
I knew right away that industrial trikes are a perfect solution, and still very much produced and used.
Me being the guy I am I could not bring myself to purchase a NEW tricycle, that would cost a bunch of money and be way to easy. So I browse local craigslips ads every once and a while and sure enough I finally come across and ad for an affordable amount!
A few emails and a phone call later and we are at Tim's house in Big Lake MN and negotiating a sale (this whole encounter is a story for another time! very entertaining and a great guy).
I end up taking the one that has a tailgate on the box, and solid tires. I figure those to features will make it the more value added trike of the two he had.
There is an FMC - NSD vehicle sticker on the neck, and some interesting labels on the bedsides (E-LAB can be seen in the photo and there is SWORD under the paint along with something else I can't make out yet and well as some stencil looking words on whats left of the cushion lining)
A little history of where this trike likely spent most of its life.
http://fieldguide.fmr.org/site_detail.php?site_id=33
I have not received any feedback from the current Worksman cycles company about any background they might have but i am hopeful that there is still some connection between the company of yesteryear and today. I have discovered a number stamped into the bottom of the bottom bracket (a common place for ID numbers to be stamped on bicycles) but it does not tell me anything by itself.
So far it appears to have unique fenders: I have not seen any pictures on the internet or the current Worksman website with tubular fenders like these. The fenders actually hold the wheel on as well! I am guessing either the whole rear end of the bike was replaced at some point, or that this is a very early model that was discontinued when they switched to a different axle design.
The before picture:
So far I have removed the front wheel and done some serious Edd China on it and gotten back a good portion of the chrome! very excited for where this project might go! Wish us luck!
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