Atomic Zombie Extreme Machines - AtomicZombie

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Atomic Zombie Extreme Machines
June 2010
New DIY project — Viking tandem trike
Inside this issue:
Garage News
1-3
Tadpole Trikes
4
Teen’s Warrior Video
5
Meet AZ Krew
6-8, 32
Bike Builders Tips
9
Builders Gallery
10-11
Dragon DeltaWolf
12-13
Builder Feedback
14-15
Powder Coat
16-17
FAS Custom Bicycles
18
Recumbents Rule!
19, 26
Another Warrior Trike
20-21
High Rollin’
22-25
FAQs
27
Vigilante Chopper
28-30
DIY Kick Bike
31
Tell your story!
To contribute to our monthly
newsletter, contact KoolKat
on the forum. Deadline for
submissions is the 20th of
each month.
Stories, pictures, upcoming
events, and recipes are
welcome.
AtomicZombie.com
© Atomic Zombie™ Extreme Machines
Tuesday, May 18—With the warm
weather finally here and the garage clean
once again, I wasted no time, jumping right
into the first project of the year, a tandem
tadpole trike called the Viking. This tandem
inline trike will be loosely based on our
Warrior Trike, taking some of the frame
geometry.
I usually start with an idea on my mind
and then just throw a bunch of scrap tubing
around while I take notes to see what works
and what doesn’t. Computer CAD may be
more high tech, but I prefer a more handson approach, using cranks, tubing, and a
few test seats to see my creations come to
life. Above right, I tested the length of the
main booms and clearances between the
stoker’s cranks and the back of the
captain’s seat.
The Viking Tandem Trike will have a
very unique frame and several features that
no other tandem tadpole trike has (that I
know of). When I looked over dozens of
amazing production trikes, I thought, “What
could be done better?” The first thing I
wanted to improve was the way the captain
and stoker have their cranks linked
together, forcing them to fight each other if
not in perfect harmony.
If you have ever been on a standard
tandem, then you know what happens when
one rider needs a break from pedaling or
loses his/her footing - a jerking of the other
rider’s cranks. On a low recumbent, this can
actually be a dangerous situation, causing a
rider to have a foot fall to the ground and
possibly end up under the frame.
I made the decision that the captain
should always be in charge, and have the
ability to stop pedaling at any time without
having the stoker force the cranks back into
motion. To solve this complex problem, an
interesting crossover drive system was built
and tested that uses only standard cycle
parts, yet allows independent pedaling.
This new drive system also puts 36
speeds at the captain’s control and solves
yet another weakness in the standard
tandem driveline – the rear chain. On a
standard tandem, the thin speed-bike chain
must deliver the force of two riders to the
rear wheel, but on the Viking, a BMX chain
and freewheel are used at the rear, which
puts a heavier chain where it is needed.
This will greatly extend the life of the
transmission.
Once the initial setting up of seats and
(Continued on page 2)
(Continued from page 1)
cranks was done, ground clearances, seat angles, and
overall frame dimensions were decided on and committed
to the sketches. From these sketches, I then started to cut
the actual tubing, where I took angle measurements. The
goal is always to make angles as simple as possible and
on this build, this went perfectly. Most angles on the Viking
frame are either 90 degree cuts or 45 degree cuts, and
those that are not are found by setting up tubing, so
anyone can easily build the tandem trike. I am using 1/16
wall 2 inch square tubing, so the frame is going to be very
lightweight as well, and I am actually hoping that the
finished product will be lighter than an $8,000 production
tandem trike. Because of the unique frame design, this is
possible.
On a “standard” tandem tadpole trike, a heavy main
boom usually runs the length of the trike and then a lot of
extra tubing is placed over top to allow a place for the two
seats, stokes cranks, and the rear of the frame. This
design requires a lot of tubing and also allows the main
boom to flex in the center because the trussing is not
complete. The Viking will also use a large 2 inch main
boom, but it will become the seat frame, crank support,
and rear of the frame without needing any extra tubing! In
addition to a small truss tube that will make the frame very
strong, the entire length is just one piece. Not only does
this look very slick (on paper), but it makes for a lighter and
stiffer frame that will be capable of carrying more weight
than a standard parallel boom design.
Thursday, May 20—I don’t want to spoil the final
unveiling of the Viking Tandem Trike, so here is just a
small sneak preview of the rear of the frame, showing how
the main boom comes from the back of the stoker’s seat
right into the rear wheel, just like the Warrior frame. The
rest of the frame is very unique, and is lightweight, strong,
and easy to build.
The Viking also includes dual front disc brakes, dual
adjustable bottom brackets to accommodate riders of
various leg lengths, under seat steering, and puts all of the
controls under the captain’s control without requiring any
custom length cables. Having all winter to come up with
new innovations paid off, and I hope the final design looks
as good in real life as is does in the many sketches I
made! More to come very soon.
Saturday, May 22—The next step in the Viking Tandem
Trike build is the two front booms that will extend outwards
from the front of the frame to hold the two front wheels and
steering hardware. The steering geometry and front end
are always the most complex and finicky part of a tadpole
trike, and I have done my best to make this one as easy to
build as possible by using only one angle in the front frame
design. The head tubes are set at 90 degrees and the
center-point steering is automatically set by the angle of
the two boom tubes, so this takes some of the difficult work
away from building the front end. I won’t lie to ya though…
it’s still a lot more work than watching TV!
One single V formed by the two front booms creates the
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center-point steering angles as well as sets the exact
height for the front of the frame. This geometry also allows
room for under seat steering as well as a place for the
chain to pass without getting overly complex with more
than one idler pulley. Some tadpole trikes are a horrific
mess under the seat due to overly complex chain lines and
steering hardware, and I am doing my best to avoid this.
I cannot live with “good enough”, so it took most of a
day to cut, weld, cut, and re-weld all sorts of different
steering bits in order to get the Ackerman steering
geometry to track perfectly through the entire range of
motion. Since the inside wheel in a turn has to carve a
tighter circle, the steering geometry must account for this
or one wheel will scrub in a turn, causing excess friction
and tire wear.
Claiming that this is a “feature” designed to slow the
trike down in corners is just not my style, so I hacked away
at the positioning of the steering rods and control arms
until the trike made a prefect turn at all angles. I have
learned that this process can only be done by trial and
error although there are mathematical guides that can get
somewhat close some of the time.
Monday, May 24—After five attempts at various
steering setups, I came up with the perfect placement of
control arm and connecting rod. A simple jig made of a bit
of wood and a screw was made that would make it easy to
set the control arms up for welding. Although the Viking
shares a lot of the front design with our Warrior Trike, it’s
amazing how much different the steering geometry had to
be in order to eliminate all wheel scrub during tight turns.
Under seat steering is not hard to create once all of the
angles and control arm positions are known. Some of the
other concerns I dealt with when creating the steering
system were the position of the chain as it passes by the
control rods as well as the clearance for handlebars. If a
(Continued on page 3)
(Continued from page 2)
chain line is an afterthought, there will probably be more
than one idler pulley necessary and as many as three if the
design is really messy. More pulleys, means more power
loss and points for failure. I am still shooting for a single
idler, although I will not claim success until the chain is
installed tomorrow!
Wednesday, May 26—To test the ergonomics of the
under seat steering system and styles for handlebars, I
drop on my basic plywood base seat and try out different
lengths and heights for the handlebars. The Viking
handlebars will be typical compared to most tandem trikes,
with plenty of room for the levers and shifters. The stoker
will also have under seat handlebars, although they will be
in a fixed position.
Tomorrow, I will try to get the transmission installed if I
have the chance to spend another day in the
AtomicZombie Garage. I am estimating that there are still
three full days of work left in this project before I get to
crack the top of the first can of bright red spray paint. We
are eager to hit the road and see how The Viking will
Viking a test ride to see how the steering and transmission
will work. It’s difficult to know how well steering is set up
just by rolling the trike along the few feet of the garage floor
that isn’t a mess with scrap tubing and bike frames.
Just before the initial test run, I noticed that one of the
chain links was left open and that the entire cross-over unit
only had two small tack welds holding it to the frame. I
fixed the chain with a link tool and decided that those two
tack welds would probably hold up to a few minutes of light
pedaling. I said this once before when testing my
StreetFighter Quadcycle and it was a short ride!
Hey, it works! I actually forgot about the tack welded
transmission and was spinning up dirt with the rear wheel.
Steering felt better than I thought it would, able to carve a
pretty decent circle for such a long trike. Everything went
smooth considering the rear chain tensioner is not even
connected yet.
I am very happy with the way the Viking steers and rides
so far, so tomorrow I will finish up and get the frame
primed. What is left to do: back rest tubing, seat mounting
tabs, rear chain tensioner, front chain guide hose, frame
end caps, and the final welding inspection.
After primer is curing, I will make two identical seats,
then get to spray painting the Viking over the next few
days.
handle.
Thursday, May 27—Murphy decided to pay another
visit today (you, know the dude who made that stupid law).
I spent a few hours working on the cross-over system that
will allow independent pedaling and managed to get it all
together and welded to the bike. I then realized that due to
the support hardware, the hub would not be able to be
removed from the bike because the chain rings hit the
support tubing…doh!
Oh well, that is one of the reasons I usually work indoors
when overly tired, but I really want to get this trike finished.
Tomorrow will be better…I can feel it!
Friday, May 28—It was a good day of hacking today!
The independent transmission system went together in
record time and worked perfectly on the first try. OK, I
messed it up yesterday, but let’s not live in the past! I had
to dig around in my junk pile for a while to find a matching
set of cranks (need three right sides), but I found some that
I liked.
The goal is to tack everything together, then give the
Viking Recumbent Tandem Trike updates and
videos will be posted regularly on the AZ Blog:
Atomic Zombie DIY Bikes, Recumbents,
Trikes, Choppers, Velos and Tandems Plans
http://atomic-zombie-extreme-machines.blogspot.com
atomiczombie.com
June 2010
3
New recumbent tadpole trikes - AtomicZombie.com gallery
This beauty was sent in by Myles
White of Richmond Hill, Ontario.
He calls it the "KISS Trike".
Another excellent homebuilt bike
by an Atomic Zombie krew
member!
“Here's a picture of my finished
recumbent. I built it in three days
using three bikes. I did all the work
myself, including the paint and
tribal graphics. It rides really good
and is so comfortable.
My wife wants one now, so back to
the shop to build another one. I will
send pictures of that one when
done. By the way this was my first
build and I enjoyed it very much.
Thanks, Dustin Blanchette.”
Great work, guys! Looking forward to seeing more of your excellent homebuilt bikes and trikes!
4
June 2010
atomiczombie.com
Warrior Trike Recumbent Delight - teen bike builder’s cool video
So, you're wondering if you can build your own bikes, recumbents, trikes, tandems and choppers? Not sure
if you have what it takes? Well, there are many examples in the Atomic Zombie Builders Forum and Gallery
that prove you can! Take a look at this video from a a teen bike builder in Gloucester, United Kingdom, and his
first Warrior Recumbent Tadpole Trike project:
"I'm 14 and I made the trike for a school project and it has been great ever since. I started by buying some
GREAT plans off Brad Graham and Kathy McGowan, Atomic Zombie Extreme Machines. Within 6 months it
was rolling happily down the road."
Another amazing build by those who dare to be
different and think outside the box!
Two Atomic Zombie thumbs up to
"Foxmonkeyful" and his Warrior Trike Recumbent
Delight project video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iScQoYpfGtw
Our DIY plans detail every aspect of the building process using easy-to-follow instructions, high resolution
pictures and diagrams. Even if this is your first attempt at building a bike, you will be able to follow our plans, as
no previous expertise is assumed. Real photos of the project are used instead of complex drawings, so you will
not have to guess when critical measurements are required.
You will only need a minimal set of common hardware store tools to build any of
our plans such as a welder, angle grinder and hand drill. To ensure that anyone
can follow our plans, all welding was done with a basic AC stick welder, and the
only other power tools used are an angle grinder and hand held drill. Although
some of the trikes require a small threaded part to be machined, drawings are
given and the costs are normally very minimal at most machine shops.
Most of the amazing bikes and trikes shown in our gallery were built by those
who never considered taking apart a bicycle or turning on a welder. With a little
patience and a few days of practice, you can learn to weld steel and turn scrap
metal into a work of art.
Our Builders Forum is a great place for new builders to share ideas and seek help when first starting into
this great hobby. Membership is free, so join us!
No difficult-to-find or non-standard bicycle parts are used in Atomic Zombie Extreme Machines plans, so you
can acquire parts at most bicycle shops, thrift stores, or even scrap yards. Our plans allow a great deal of
modification as well, so you can adapt your project to the parts you have available, or easily add your own
modifications to suit your individual needs and style.
Yes, you can do this!
atomiczombie.com
June 2010
5
Meet an AZ Krew member
Name: Dan
Forum name: newrider3
Stats: Single, 14-21
Location: Colorado, USA
Occupation: Student
How you found Atomic Zombie: Internet search
When joined the forum: 2008-ish
Building bikes experience: Newbie, no previous
experience
Welding experience: Some previous experience
Why did you join the Atomic Zombie builders
community? Good advice, see others’ builds
Favorite type of bike: Fun/crazy
Why? No set style, build what seems right.
Projects you have completed: Short wheel base recumbents, choppers, trikes, fun/crazy
Current bike project(s): Trikes
Type of welding: MIG (Metal Inert Gas)
Building challenges: Working with crappy steel; burning holes whilst welding
How have you overcome these challenges? Try harder
Advice for other bike builders: Try harder
Suggested web sites: www.weldingtipsandtricks.com
Advice and/or words of wisdom? Include Builders Tips, Welding Tips, etc.: Don't wear jeans with holes
in them - the fringes catch on fire easily. Ask me how I know!
Freak biker shows latest recumbent lowrider
everything else was free. The only expenses I have into
this bike are welding wire and eventually primer and paint.
Here's my latest build. It's ridable, but not quite finished.
The Tour De Hell bike gave me the initial inspiration for my
forks. I just had to be a little different.
The bike is fast and coasts for ever! The steering is quick
and precise. At least 10 different people have ridden the
bike and everyone has had good comments about it. I
made the seat area to slide forward or
backwards plus the seat raises or
lowers.
This bike also is made up solely from
parts left over, bikes that were given to
me, old bike projects that I just didn't
want anymore and the bike that injured
my wife last Thanksgiving!
Also, some treadmill frame parts,
Exmark walkbehind commercial mower
parts and probably some other junk
that I forgot about. The seat was a gift
from Gigs a few years back and
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This allows for most anyone to ride
the bike comfortably. The bike has
probably over 130 miles on it as it sits.
Eventually, I'll have the 7 speed cluster
hooked up and shiftable, along with
brakes.
~ Chainmaker, AZ Forum
Meet an AZ Krew member
Name: Aubrey Hollemans
Forum name: Good Idea Guy
Stats: Single, 31-39
Location: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Occupation: Rug Cleaning Technician
How you found Atomic Zombie: Unsure, probably from
another connected site
When joined the forum: 2007
Building bikes experience: Some previous experience
Welding experience: Some previous experience
Why did you join the Atomic Zombie builders community? Good ideas come from anywhere. One never
knows where or when one will stumble over them. A forum dedicated to bicycle construction was the logical
place to go. As bicycles are my primary means of transport, I need to keep abreast of possibilities. As I travel
through life, I'm finding that fine tuning my bicycle needs are necessary (five years ago, I would never have
forecast how useful a small folding bicycle would be). The forum helps me to mentally build the designs in my
head before I commit them to paper.
Favorite type of bike: Fun/crazy
Why? I have in my mind a combination of the Kyoto Cruiser, Gladiator and the StreetFighter, along with a
generous dash of the Arcturus Camper. It is a bicycle version of the Batmobile - Tumbler variant from the recent
movies Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Possible names are the Streetfighter: Tumbler, Kyoto Tumbler, or
just The Tumbler.
Current projects: Short wheel base recumbents, e-bikes, quadcycles, e-bikes, fun/crazy
Type of welding: Stick
Building challenges: Keeping up the momentum, proper planning
How have you overcome these challenges? Learning, reading
Advice for other bike builders: How long it takes to build something is usually up to you. This site is a font of
good ideas. I really do need to do more messaging on the site. I don't due to shyness & the usual 'What if they
think my idea is lame' that all creative people have to go through. Having said that, it means alot to know that
there is a place of helpful constructive (literally!) criticism that I can access to get my ideas out there. All I need to
do is take the first step. That one's always the hardest.
Suggested web sites: www.Bikeforest.com, www.evalbum.com, www.Chickslovethecar.com
More interesting stuff about you: I'm related on my mother's side to the inventor George Westinghouse. As
seen above, I'm planning a build of an electric bicycle version of the Tumbler from Chris Nolan’s Batman movies.
Welding Health Hazards
All welding processes produce fumes and gases to a greater or lesser extent.
Galvanized steels produce added fumes from the vaporized zinc coating. Fumes from welding galvanized steel can
contain zinc, iron and lead. Use precautions, including high-velocity circulating fans with filters, good ventilation, air
respirators and fume-extraction systems.
atomiczombie.com
June 2010
7
Meet an AZ Krew member
Forum Name: Smudge
Stats: Married, 31-39
Location: Waikato, New Zealand
Occupation: Fuel Tanker Driver
How you found Atomic Zombie: Google search
When you joined the forum: 2009
Bike building experience: Newbie, no previous
experience
Welding experience: Newbie, no previous experience
Why you joined the forum: To learn more about the ins and outs of building bikes
Favorite type of bike: Trikes
Why? So far it’s the only build I’ve done (still building number 1)
Type of Welding: MIG (Metal Inert Gas)
Challenges: Lack of vice, lack of spare time
How you overcame these challenges: Used the vice at work, still working on solving the second issue
What it means to you to be a member of the AZ community: Makes me feel good to belong to a diverse
group of people around the world all willing to help each other out
Suggested web sites: http://autospeed.com
Advice, tips, additional information: Relating to above website. It’s where I first found out about recumbent
trikes, despite the fact it’s mainly aimed at cars. There are all sorts of info. on a wide range of subjects,
including how to build things cheaply, bikes, lighting, workshop tips, etc. My aim is to get enough trikes/bikes so
that my whole family can ride together.
The hardest challenge will be building a good design for my wife who has a muscle wasting disease and a
fused tailbone.
26th Michigan HPV Rally June 12-13, 2010
The 26th annual Michigan Human Powered Vehicle Rally will be
June 12-13, 2010, at the Waterford Hills sports car racing track on
the Oakland County Sportsmen's Club grounds in Clarkston, near
Pontiac.
The oldest such event in North America is open to riders of all
human powered vehicles - recumbents, regular bicycles and
tandems.
2008 rally photo by Jeff Hunn
There are classes for streamlined, unstreamlined cycles, tandems, women, youth and tricycles. The rally is
conducted using Human Powered Race - America rules (www.recumbents.com/hpra/rulesand.htm). Note: HPRA rules
require all vehicles to have mirror/mirrors enabling rear vision to both sides. MHPVA News Blog
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My Warrior Trike Jig
By darwin-t, AZ Krew Guru
I modified the jig I made for my first ‘bent to use it to build
my Warrior Trike. I added to it for the steering tubes. At first,
I built it to hold the front wheels in the proper place, but
couldn't clamp the tires tightly enough to secure them. So, I
adapted the jig to hold the axles in just the right place. This
makes it pretty easy to do the cuts on the steering tube. I
did the cuts on one boom, ground it down to fit and tack
welded it in place in about 40 minutes.
atomiczombie.com
June 2010
9
Builders Gallery New Additions
In each newsletter, we feature some of the custom builds by
our AZ Krew, depending on available space. At the right and
below are recent additions to the Builders Gallery family. Check
out all of the awesome creations at: www.atomiczombie.com
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June 2010
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Send a picture of your
completed bike projects to
[email protected]
The Builders Gallery is updated weekly since there are so many great submissions coming in
regularly. That’s great! But, please send us one project at a time, only one picture no more than 2MB
in size, .jpg format. Our email server gets swamped and sometimes we can’t access them.
There are new recumbents, choppers, tandems, trikes, kids’ bikes, trailers, motorized bikes, cargo
bikes, tall bikes and fun bikes in the gallery. Cool stuff!
atomiczombie.com
June 2010
11
No real stretch here.
Dragonwood is a Wolf in
Dragon's clothing.
Actually the rear axle is
from my Deltawolf.
The build began July
2009. First came the
seat spine laminated
from 1/2 ply shaped to fit
my back. I then laminated
two strips of Ash and one
Walnut into curved ribs
for the seat and back. These were done by placing a block of wood on the bench
and pulling the ends down with a pair of clamps.
Next came the main frame, an I-beam with a web of 1/2 ply capped top and
bottom with laminations about 1 1/4 wide by 3/4 thick. The beam curves up to
meet the steering post and was made overly long. I then dry fit the seat to the
beam and figured distance from seat to bottom bracket (located just behind the
curve in the beam). I could then locate the rear axle.
Using wood solids and laminates I made the rear axle using rear axles, pillow
blocks and disc brakes from my Wolf. I then bolted the steering post in place,
after welding on plates, and put the rear wheels on and sat down, feeling pretty
self-satisfied.
Did I mention I weigh 300 lbs? The frame twisted over like a - well you know
what I mean! So, now I've revealed where the artistic flow in the frame comes from. I formed the curved laminations to
counteract the torsion. I began by clamping a single strip in place at one end and then twisting and bending until I liked the
curve then clamped the other end.
The next day when the glue was dry, I added two more layers with many clamps and so on for several days until
enough thickness was built up. I then decided to use solid 3/4 Ash to stiffen the neck area. This was heavily contoured
using a circular carving rasp disc in my grinder.
Handlebars for the under seat steering were built up in a simple frame to hold the bends in place. The ends were drilled
out for short lengths of metal handlebar to hold the brake clamps and shifter and then I lathed turned grips and slid them
on the tubes.
A 4-speed hub was mounted under the seat acting as a crossover and transmission. I tack welded a small chain
sprocket to the off side and led the chain to the rear axle. I carved the head and mounted it and used two LED blinking
bike lights for the eyes. Last thing was to cut fender shapes from 1/4 ply and then bend strips into the dragon wing ribs.
Finally finished April 2010. More than 10 months!
What started out to be a simple wood beam Wolf style racer turned into a heavier artistic expression to be ridden in
parades and fun rides. Over the winter (after beginning the build) I developed nerve problems in my legs which is limiting
my pedaling ability. So, I'm going electric assist and plan to put a front hub motor on the Dragon. There is room behind the
seat for batteries. I don't have any intention of giving up. Stand by for the next trike already on the drawing board with
parts being collected.
(Continued on page 13)
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~ Big Moe (David Moeller) 3 wheels and an old
crank.
Dragonwood Specs:
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
Laminated frame, seat and handlebars of
Ash and Walnut
20 inch front, no brake. 26 rears with disc
brakes
4-speed "transmission" with provision to add
derailleur at pedals
Almost 8 1/2 ft. long because I'm long (6'5")
Several coats of high-gloss poly
atomiczombie.com
June 2010
13
Builder Feedback from Atomic Zombies in Australia
The Voyager Long Wheel Base Recumbent
Down Under
Greetings to everybody, I am Kurt from Busselton
Western Australia and I have just built the Voyager
- a real ripper bike.
My next project is going to be the DeltaWolf
racing trike. The Atomic Zombie's plans are well
worked out and they are fun to build.
I live in Western Australia and have built the
Voyager from your plans - a great machine. This is
a photo of me riding the Voyager.
~ Best Regards, Kurt Gahler
Hello from Adelaide, Australia!
Hi everyone. I have been lurking here for awhile and finally got around to signing up! As of yet I haven't actually
put welder to metal, but I have done up a few bikes.
I really like the creative freedom combined with practicality which is bike design! So, I have a number of designs
on paper that I am itching to bring to life! I also do airbrushing on anything that sits still long enough!
Hopefully, I can combine the two and
come up with some awesome rides to
share with all of you!
In the meantime, below are two bikes I've
done so far! ~ THE HULK
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By Bunk, AZ Krew Member
Finally went for a "Long" ride! Well, it was a short
ride, but on a long bike! Got to take a quick ride on
my Marauder. I only have a rear brake and that’s it. I
need to find some longer cables so I can do hook up
the shifters and the front brake.
For now, I just had the extra cables tied up with
duct tape to keep them out of the way. It didn't take
too long to get the hang of riding it. It is hard to get
used to taking large turns. Hopefully, I can get the
turning radius smaller.
Here are some pictures of the bike and also the
chain tube (under the seat) that I made for it.
Marauder comes alive!
Follow Bunk’s Marauder build blog: http://forum.atomiczombie.com/showthread.php?t=4104
Free DIY Tutorials from
AtomicZombie.com
If you’ve been following the AZ blogs and tweets
you’ve noticed the growing number of freebie do-ityourself tutorials recently launched on the main
Atomic Zombie web site. How-to videos and
podcasts are coming soon.
Stay tuned to the Builders Forum and subscribe
to the AZ news feed (see the below) for updates
and announcements. Subscribe to Atomic Zombie
news. Click this link for instant access http://
feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/qcYA
atomiczombie.com
June 2010
15
Powder coating your bike
By Odd Man Out, AZ Krew Guru
My goal is to start a "master" thread on all things
powder coating. A place where people can come and get
their questions answered.
First my qualifications. I am self-taught and have
powder coated four trikes with a cheap Harbor Freight
powder coating gun. I have experimented with multiple
coating techniques and am almost done building a 3.5 x 4
x 6.5 foot interior dimension powder coating oven and
once done will build another for my own use (much
smaller).
I am not saying I know much
on the subject, but I am eager to
tell you what I do know. So, here
we go.
Powder coating is a technique
of painting that is very durable,
easy to apply and can create
stunning results. The cons
arethat you need specialized
equipment to apply it and an
oven to put it into to bond it to
what you want painted.
specialized equipment to apply it
and an oven to put it into to bond it
There is a clip that comes from the powder coating
machine (the gun) that applies a static charge to things.
You attach the clip on the part that you are hanging the
part you want painted on. The static charge flows through
the clip, down the hanger and into the part you want
painted, making it statically charged and thus attracts the
paint.
This is a neat process to watch. The paint goes on and
you can easily see where you need more. You need a
clean and non drafty area to work. You can literally blow
the paint off the piece if you are not careful. It is only being
June 2010
There is a range of powder coating equipment to
choose from ranging from $99 and up. Cheap powder
coating guns come with a fixed voltage. This is okay for
simple jobs but if you want to do multiple layer coatings or
if you need to get into tight places, then a higher priced
gun with the option of multiple voltages is a much better
option.
Back to the paint. It goes on dull, very dull. The first time
I sprayed gloss red and it went
on dull I thought I had done
something wrong. Not to worry.
Powder coating is a technique of When you put it in the oven,
painting that is very durable, easy to and it gets to the recommended
temp it will "flow out". You will
see the part change from dull to
apply and can create stunning
glossy - another neat process to
results. The cons are that you need watch.
to what you
The reason why it is called
powder coating is that the "paint"
is actually powdered paint that
you apply to a part through an electrostatic process. The
paint is put in a container that is screwed into a gun
looking thing (technical I know). The gun is hooked up to
an air compressor at 10 to 15 psi. This is really not much
and the paint comes out of the gun like a small cloud and
not like a spray gun.
16
held on by the electrostatic charge and when you unclip
the piece to move it into the oven, you want to be very
careful to not whip it around or bump it.
atomiczombie.com
want painted.
All powder coat paints should
come with instructions on how
long and at what temp to cook
them. It is really important the
follow the directions. A timer will
become your friend.
For instance, a paint may say,
"bake at 375 degrees for 18 minutes after flow out.
Another may say, bake at 425 degrees for 23 minutes
after flowout. I forgot a piece in the oven and can attest
that if you do not follow directions that you will not like the
results. My gloss red turned really dark and not so glossy.
As I said PC paint is tough! About the only way to get it
off if you make a mistake is to sand blast it.
There are some myths about PC, like you can't mess
up, that up can't put too much paint on a piece. Wrong!
Put too much on and you will get either what looks like the
surface of an orange or you will get subtle runs; slightly
raised lines. I agree that PC seems easier than rattle can
or spraying but it still is an art to be mastered.
You can get a wide range of PC colors from the net, just
need to search under "powder coating paint". About
(Continued on page 17)
(Continued from page 16)
apple flows out, bring it out on the oven and apply a clear
gloss topcoat for protection and extra POP!!!
anything that your mind can conjure up is available -mattes, satins, semi gloss, high gloss, translucents, mirrors
and holographic colors to name a few. The problem that
most will have is finding someone to apply the colors for
you.
The really neat thing is that as soon as the piece has
cooled down (20-30 minutes), you can put everything on
and it is good to go. You can literally ride what you PC'ed
an hour after you finish.
My experience has been that most powder coating
shops will not want to do anything that they are not
comfortable with, that is why I am building my own oven.
Another example would be to apply a base coat of gloss
black, then apply a coat of multi color glitter flecks, then a
coat of silver translucent and finish it off with a clear gloss
topcoat. You want to talk about a stunning paint job!!! With
PC'ing your only limitation is your imagination.
I need to ask for forgiveness at this point since I seem to
be disjointed since I am typing this off the top of my head.
There are specialized things that you can use with PC:
tapes and silicon plugs that can be used to safely cover
and plug areas that you do not want PC'ed. Since 475
degrees is about the highest temp that your piece will
reach, any delicate welds or brazings are safe.
Clean up is a breeze. Since the PC paint is a powder,
after you are done all you have to do is turn up the
pressure on your air compressor and blow out your gun
and then sweep up the PC paint that did not attach itself to
the piece off the floor. If you build a great paint booth you
can reuse the powder that you re-collect. The powder is
never sticky, only when it comes under heat.
PC paint can be bought in quantities as small as 1
ounce and as large as 50 gallon drums. Pricing (as of May
2010) is not bad. You can easily PC a recumbent frame
with a single color for $15.
You can multi-coat with PC for various effects. For
instance, you would apply a base coat of high gloss silver
and put in in the oven. When the silver flowed out you
would bring it out of the oven and spray it with a coat of
translucent candy apple red and put it back in. The silver
base will make the candy apple POP. When the candy
The things you need to PC are the following:
1. PC Spray gun
2. PC paint
3. Something to hang your piece from
4. A air compressor that will produce 10-15 psi
5. A still area to powder coat your piece
6. An oven to put the piece in
Now, the oven is the biggy, but not insurmountable,
especially for the likes of we Zombies! I have nearly
finished one and am looking forward to another. My next
installment will tell you what to consider, what materials
you need and how to build one. Hope this helps!
Follow OMO's powder coat painting thread:
http://forum.atomiczombie.com/showthread.php?t=4105
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atomiczombie.com
June 2010
17
FAS Custom Bicycles - handmade, very cool works of art
An Atomic Zombie shout out to FAS Custom Bicycles of Minneapolis, Minnesota for their amazing custom
built bikes. We share their philosophy for creating unique bikes and promoting cycling.
According to their web site: "FAS Custom Bicycles is dedicated to creating one-of-a kind bicycles considered
rolling art used for display or riding. Our staff is passionate about combining art, cycling, and the community
surrounding it.
FAS Custom Bicycles seeks to be innovative with our unique designs, product development, and
craftsmanship in everything we produce. We believe that cycling should be fun and our products reflect that
fun.
FAS Custom Bicycles offers handmade bicycles and frames that help the rider feel closer to their bicycle and
offer a level of pride in owning a special handmade bicycle that was created just for them. Creating bikes, art,
and encouraging cycling is all part of the business. (our sentiments, exactly!)
We are a small company and new to the cycling world, but we feel confident that our unique designs and
excellent craftsmanship will provide a level of satisfaction and pride of ownership that cannot be found having a
mass produced bike. (right on!)
What we do:
* Build custom one of a kind handmade bicycles
* Build custom bicycle frames
* Welding and custom fabrication"
Thanks to David for sending us a picture for the Builders Gallery. Very cool bikes, guys!
18
June 2010
atomiczombie.com
Hi Brad/Kat. Hope you are well.
Here’s a picture of my Meridian that I
completed last night. I took it out for a
test ride and just had to keep on riding.
I did 6 miles/smile on the test ride. Just
needs some tweaks to the chain
length. Other than that, I couldn't be
happier with it. Very comfortable and a
smooth ride.
Very proud, and had a blast building
this one, too. I have a problem now,
though. Do I go out and enjoy a ride, or
get on with enjoying building the e-bike
or touring trike works in progress?
Decisions, decisions.
All the best. ~ Tim
New Kyoto Cruiser
Quad Cycle from
Missouri
Finished the build. The shifters
are mounted under the seats to
allow for a clean short cable run.
This thing has a 350 watt scooter
motor on the back too, so only 6
speeds are needed (less cabling).
The under seat steering worked
out well too. I'm building a trailer for
it to go camping along the Katy trail
here in Missouri. Thanks for the
inspiration.
~ Dave Welker
atomiczombie.com
June 2010
19
By erebus, AZ Krew Member
S
o, I'm getting ready to start my Warrior,
and as I was leafing through the plans, I
started to wonder about the feasibility of
doing an extendable boom for the bottom
bracket, as opposed to the clamp on
bracket.
It would clean up the front end a bit, but you would
lose some of the infinite adjustability. You could use
one size smaller square tubing that could slide into
the end of the fixed boom and double pin the
extendable boom into position.
I built a stinger boom lift for a forklift at a boatyard
once that worked just like that. Although it was used
for lifting up and down, not fore and aft.
To get a nice interference fit between the tubes, I'm
thinking you would need to maybe sleeve the fixed
boom tube with some UHMW plastic, or weld some
very thin plate on the extendable portion and finesse
it with a flap disc to get it to fit and slide properly.
YAWT (Yet Another Warrior Trike) build
Maybe a coat of some very thick paint on the
sliding portion, for interference and abrasion. Like a
bedliner material, or an epoxy paint.
Most of the factory tadpole trikes do this with the
aluminum tubing of their booms.
Does that make any sense? Maybe I need to dig
up some visual aids.
Anybody have any other thoughts or ideas or
maybe some definitive yays or nays? Maybe it’s just
too much extra work for something that already works
just peachy?
Finally making some headway on my Warrior.
Got the steering booms on this morning. Had a lot
of confusion here and there, but once I cut the angles
I only had to fine tune it once to get it to fit right.
On another front, I laced my own rim the other day
too!
Didn't have the right spokes, just used the old ones
(which were too long), but they worked fine for a
practice run. A soon as I get the correct length I'll be
able to lace them up no sweat. Sheldon Brown has all
the answers. :-)
the boom tube.
Cut a keyed slot in the bottom and weld on a
couple of pieces of small tubing on one side and
some nuts on the other to clamp it down.
Or, you could drill a series of, say, 1/4 inch holes
every 2 inches or so for a span of about 10 inches at
20
June 2010
atomiczombie.com
So far the build has gone pretty smooth.
A little trouble here and there with a couple of
measurements not jibing up to the plans, but I think
they were mostly just as a result of my particular set
(Continued on page 21)
(Continued from page 20)
of components/junk bikes. It's all come out OK in the
end.
Although, I think my main boom ended up a bit too
high somehow. Not quite 11 anymore. But, the
wheels are 90 degrees and seem to work OK. Guess
we'll see if that effects anything down the road. OK,
onto the next step!
~ Zachary, Adams Massachusetts, USA
Follow Zachary's Warrior Tadpole Trike build:
http://forum.atomiczombie.com/showthread.php?t=3744
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atomiczombie.com
June 2010
21
Hi g h Ro ll i n’ Du tc h ma n
By Arthur, AZ Builders Forum
building plan of course.
Hello everybody! After months of reading on the Atomic
Zombie website and on this forum I'd like to share a little
about my own experiences with working on building the
High Roller.
Here are some photos of the frame and the seat thus far. I
will post my progress later on!
First of all AZ has been a great discovery for me. Nowhere
else on the web I found such a proper explanation of bike
dissection and bike building. Kudos to Brad for being an
expert on the subject but still being able to explain it to the
layman properly!
I've liked the concept of a recumbent bike for a long time. If
you love biking and innovation - as I do - and you realize
that you can be more comfortable and efficient on a
recumbent, well, then you want one The problem is that - at
least in Holland where I live - they cost literally thousands
of euros, which in my opinion is really not necessary.
I have no experience with welding or metal construction
whatsoever, but I always wanted to learn how to weld. A
few months ago I decided to start a welding course. I took
this course in a great place in my town called the
"Stadswerkplaats". It is a non-profit organization with a
working place where they have all kinds of tools and
machinery for wood- and metalworking. For a few euro's
"rent" you can work in this place and use all the machinery.
And you can get all kind of courses, including welding and
metal construction.
The bottom line is that I have started working on building
the High Roller using my new knowledge, a lot of help from
the kind people at the "Stadswerkplaats" and Brad's
22
June 2010
atomiczombie.com
As promised I am showing last week's progress. I already
made the seat support tube (which gave me quite a
headache with all the angles and calculations) and it came
out real nice. Last week I attached it to the frame and
completed the triangular structure with the seat stays.
Thought it might look better if the seat stays would go all
the way to the rear axle, but that would take the seat to far
backwards. So I attached them at the point where the fork
legs start to bent, which also creates a decent look.
As you can see I attached the seat stays under the seat
support instead of onto the sides. Somehow this seemed
more logical to me.
The two seat tabs are not properly aligned. I'm thinking
about leaving them this way as a silent homage to my
“beginnerhood” (lol).
Yes, we've got clearance! I checked this today after
completely installing the seat support and the rear triangle.
Luckily, there's no need to cut all the welds and move the
seat forward! There will be interference with the heel
though, since I always pedal with the ball of my foot. I hope
this will only occur in slow tight corners, because I would
love to keep pedaling while leaning into fast corners!
Any experience with that, HR owners? Here is the entire
frame after today's work. Anyone starting to recognize a
(Continued on page 23)
(Continued from page 22)
HR here?
Next up are the "extended" rear dropouts. Figuring this out
was way more complicated than I thought. There are (of
course) several types of drop-outs, different types of
derailleurs and another few ways of attaching the latter to
the former. I ran out of time today, but will continue next
week.
way I was able to sit on it and figure out where
the steer should be at. It was real nice to see the
bike like this, it is starting to look like something you can
ride!
Here you see the seat attached. I think I will reinforce the
tabs using some triangular pieces of metal, because they
might bend too easy as they are right now.
Also the goose-neck has to be done. I had two handlebars
ready and was going to use one of them for the gooseneck. But they both turned out to be made out of aluminum,
so that's a no-go! I am planning on using an iron diamond
frame tube (the one running from the steer to the seat). I
hope it will be strong enough!
I'd like to finish with a question to the AZ crew members.
Since I am not much of a painter myself I am considering to
have the frame powder-coated. Does anyone have
experience with this? Is it affordable and does it come out
right? I'd appreciate your feedback!
Someone gave me a good
tip: instead of using wood
screws the seat will be
Yesterday, I went and attached the extended dropouts to
the rear fork. As I was fooling around with the rear wheel trying to align both dropouts - I found out that the fork legs
were not right! There was not nearly enough room between
the legs for the rear wheel. And even if I would force the
wheel in, it would still be off-center. Guess this is another
thing that you should check early in the process!
Well I just cut the welds between the fork legs and the main
frame tube (only the inside half) and spend a while bending
and measuring until it was right. Now it is all fine.
(Continued on page 24)
Today, I temporarily attached the seat and the wheels. This
atomiczombie.com
June 2010
23
(Continued from page 23)
attached with a nut and a bolt that locks into the wood. The
bolt has a round and almost flat head that will disappear
behind the foam.
The complete bike as it is now. The steer needs a longer
neck off course.
As per Brad's advice, I asked a
welding pro to weld the goose neck.
Here is said pro TIG-welding the steer
clamp. The weld came out strong and
clean. This is the completed steer. Not
sure if I like the curly handlebars as
they don't really match with the rest of
the bike, but it feels way better on the
wrists than a straight mountain bike
bar.
I'm also considering to make the steer
adjustable in length and angle
perhaps. We'll see!
This weekend I sprained my ankle, so
I was sort of grounded and not able to
build. The long awaited test ride had to
wait a little more!
Today things were better again. I
welded the handlebars and goose
neck to the bike and installed the
chain and the idler pulley and the rear
derailleur. Just the bare minimum to
be able to finally take a test ride! I also
stuck the foam onto the seat with
some tape. Due to my impatience and
the lack of proper cables I had to go
without the ability to brake or change
gears.
I was really psyched! Too psyched to
remember to take pictures actually.
But here's the story:
I guess the handlebars will have to go up and backwards
(more towards the seat). Since I didn't have the patience
nor the right metal tube to do this right away, I decided to
move the bottom bracket as far forward as possible for my
legs. This way I had (sort of) clearance when going exactly
straight. I figured that in the corners I would just have to
either stop pedaling or bring my knee really far outward to
avoid hitting the handlebars.
Test ride #2
This time I got a bit further, but after
two or three strokes pedaling the idler
pulley flew off, as the bolt for the
pulley broke of its bracket. Two
welding tacks isn't enough for the
force you apply with your legs! So I
welded it back on, this time all the
way around the bolt head.
Test ride #3
This time I took it around the block!
Wow it is great to be in a recumbent
position!
Test ride #4
With renewed confidence I hit the
streets again. I was going to visit the
bike shop to buy some extra long
brake and gearing cables. So I joined
the inner city traffic. At the next tjunction the idler pulley flew off again,
this time with bracket and all To make
matters worse, a cab rode over the
pulley, but luckily it was only
scratched. The bracket was also just
tack welded so adjustments could be
made later on. Not a good idea, not
strong enough! I walked back and
welded the bracket to the frame
properly.
Test ride #5
Test ride #1
Finally, I was riding my HR! Well, for one or two meters that
is. I got some real hard interference between my knees and
the handlebars! I was totally unable to complete the pedalmovement all the way around!
This was a proper test ride! I made it all they way to the
bike shop and back, about 2 miles or so. Nearly knocking
the handlebars out of your hands with your knees every
now and then and not being able to brake is a bit unnerving
at 5 o'clock during rush hour, but I still loved the ride
(Continued on page 25)
24
June 2010
atomiczombie.com
(Continued from page 24)
♦
Although I could not pedal freely, I believe I felt that it
took little energy to keep at speed.
♦
Starting off from standing still, especially in high gear,
is tough. I always started kind of wiggly, correcting and
holding on to the handlebars like a madman lol. Might
get better with some experience and the ability to
change gears.
♦
Sometimes the bike suddenly felt a bit unstable, even
at speed. It may be due to the fact that the steering is a
bit different. But when I kept my head up looking
forward, all was fine.
♦
Leaning into corners feels great!
♦
No heel strike up to now.
Observations
There's a lot to tell:
♦
♦
♦
The perspective on the road and on traffic is quite
different from what you see on an upright. You're lower
to the ground of course, that's different. Your view to
the front and upwards is strangely wide and open, I
love it. You experience the ride more intensely. The
area behind you, on the other hand, is closed off. It is a
dark zone where stuff happens that you don't see. I got
surprised several times by traffic coming from behind.
You cannot twist your spine like on an upright to look
back, so a mirror might be a very good idea.
To my surprise the frame has quite a little flex! My
worries about the frame having no suspension are
gone. The frame appears to be a good shock absorber
itself. Also due to the foam, it even was comfy when
riding on some sort of cobblestones.
Tomorrow I hope to fix the steering and get the brakes and
gear changers to operate. And I'll make some pictures.
Thanks for reading!
~ Arthur
Follow Arthur’s HighRoller Recumbent build:
Braking on a recumbent by dragging your heels over
the tarmac is fun.
http://forum.atomiczombie.com/showthread.php?t=4096
Philanthropic Pedaling – cyclists to bike through Italy to aid rural village in Namibia
October 2-8, 2010 Tuscany Heartland Bike Adventure, to
help fund a new bicycle empowerment center in the Caprivi
Region of Namibia
Media Release – Austin Lehman Adventures (ALA)
(http://www.austinlehman.com) is pleased to announce a
partnership with Bicycles for Humanity (http://www.bicyclesfor-humanity.org) to create and manage a Bicycle Tour in
Italy this fall. Cyclists from around the world can sign up for
a seven day pedal tour of the Tuscany region of Italy and in
doing so, help fund the establishment of a bike shop and
cycling center in a remote village in the far eastern corner
of Namibia. ALA was recently named the “#1 Tour Operator
in the World” by the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine.
This trip starts October 2, 2010 and is just the first in
what ALA and B4H hope is a long and mutually beneficial
partnership. The weeklong cycle tour begins and ends in
Florence taking in the historic towns of Siena, San
Gimignano and Artimino. Participants will pedal along rural
roads over gently terraced hills, through vineyards and olive
groves to each night’s lodging.
For more information see: http://www.austinlehman.com/b4h-italy.
Bicycles for Humanity, founder Pat Montani and spouse
Brenda were among the first group of riders to sign up for
the trip. ALA has earmarked $1,000 each from the $3,398
per person trip price tag to go directly to the new bike shop
and cycling center in Namibia. As an example, bicyclerelated activities can:
♦
Improve access to income generation opportunities.
♦
Provide sustainable transportation for low-income
earners.
♦
Increase access to government services, including
health care and education.
♦
Mobilize home-based care volunteers to visit more
people living with HIV.
♦
Provide sporting opportunities for young athletes.
“We have one focus, mobility through the use of a bike.
We have one objective, to help the people of Africa help
themselves. We believe that all of us working together can
make a difference.
atomiczombie.com
June 2010
25
OZKat Long Wheel
Base Recumbent
Here is a picture of my version of the completed
OZKat. Ketch Yawl Later. ~ Jon
me at 251 and then stepped on it with the
bike in my arms and it went TILT. Not much
more I can do for that problem, but there is
still a chunk of main rail to come off in front
of the bottom bracket (BB) and a few more
lightening holes I can place here and there.
Boy, time flies when you're having fun. I had the bike out
after my last post about a week ago it, but while I did
maintenance on the roadster so that I can start driving it
soon.
I got back to the StreetFox yesterday. I re-did the bars
as they were too low and limited my turning radius quite a
bit. I cut them off a couple inches out from the stem and reoriented them similar to the direct steering bars on a Terra
Trike. I bought a couple Mirro mirrors from the local bike
shop and tried them first in the bar ends but had to move
my head too far to glance at them, so I made a 3" long
post out of some more handlebar stock and positioned
them close to the end of the brake levers. They look
around my big self quite well, so that's where they will stay.
I hadn't done a very good job on the first fitting of the
Avid BB7 discs but I managed to get them sorted and cut
out all the drag. They work fantastic. I like then so well I
believe I will retrofit them to my Giant suspension bike
when I rebuild it sometime this summer. It's a 2002 that
just rolled 5,000 miles and the gearing, chain, brakes and
cables are due for rehab.
So, I got the StreetFox out yesterday and road it a few
miles. I'm surprised how heavy it is—around 50 pounds is
my guess. I have a 300 limit scale in the shop. I weighed
26
June 2010
atomiczombie.com
Pedal effort seems high, however the
cranks are 5mm shorter than what I'm used
to. The gearing is way off also. With it I
hardly ever go up on the big ring unless I've
got a really huge downhill. On the
StreetFox I had to get a couple - three
gears into that ring to feel about right.
That's something I will remedy when I find appropriate
upgrades.
When I first rode it a week or so back I had a lot of pedal
cadence front end wobble which may have been caused to
some degree by the mal-adjusted front brakes. Seems
better now. The BB assembly is slightly out of square so
that the derailleur sits crooked. The idler pulleys can come
in closer to the main rail - easy fix. The seat does need a
buttocks pad, but otherwise works as I envisioned. The
bolsters keep me well contained and I can corner it quite
sharply even at 12/13 mph.
Overall, I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. It'll
probably never be done as I continually make running
changes in the hot rods. The wheelbase ended up at 451/2". I could have squeezed maybe another inch - inch and
a half out of that by moving the upright for the dropout
back more. Another way to save a little more space might
be use a seat post with the elastomer in it in place of the
shock/spring. I'd like to get a suspension SF down to a 40"
wheelbase. This bike is nearly done, but I will build another
with higher grade parts secured first, then match drop out
width as required for the wheel, etc. Next winter's project.
CharlieChops’ build blog: http://forum.atomiczombie.com/showthread.php?t=3826
What format are your plans in and how many pages do they have?
Each of our plans is created as electronic book portable document file (PDF) with high
resolution color photos followed by detailed text. Our photos are print quality resolution of at
least 1024 by 768 pixels. PDFs can be viewed using Adobe® Reader®, currently the global
standard for electronic document sharing. It is the only PDF file viewer that can open and
interact with all PDF documents. Every step of the build includes one or more photos, followed by the text explaining in
detail how and why. The length of our plans varies depending on the complexity of the project, with printed page count
ranging from 80 to over 200 pages.
A plan that includes 150 printed pages typically includes roughly 150 or more photos along with the included text. Printing
the entire plan is not necessary as you can usually read through the plan and then print out only the sections that you
need to take into your workshop for reference. However, feel free to print the entire plan if you want to. To ensure
consistent image clarity in all of our plans, we use a high quality digital camera and take our photos in a properly lit room
with a neutral background.
I have never tried welding or hacking up a bike, so can I really build my own?
You bet you can! Just take a browse through our Builder's Gallery and have a look at the hundreds of diverse examples of
bikes and trikes built directly from our plans. While you are enjoying the photo gallery, keep in mind that most of these
amazing custom creations were built by average folks and many were built by those who have never touched a welder
before starting into this amazing hobby. Keep in mind that there is a learning curve to everything, but many newbie
builders are now seasoned veterans who have a lot of experience and advice to share.
Where do I find the parts to build the bikes from your plans?
Wherever you can! We like to “shop” at the local scrap yard for bits and pieces when trying out new designs because an
inventor can never have enough spare parts on hand. Department stores often put their low end cycles on sale for $150
or less, and these bikes are great for parts. A typical department store steel frame mountain bike will supply you with
wheels, transmission, brake and shifter parts, and a lot of weldable steel.
Often, the low end steel bikes have decent components as well, and the steel frame means that you can cut and weld any
part of it. Almost every bike or trike on our site was fitted with parts recycled from low end department store cycles that
were on sale. Your local bike shop is another good source for purchasing higher quality components, and if you can find a
shop that is “DIY friendly”, you will often find a lot of good advice and some great deals.
Some other great parts sources are: landfill sites, yard sales, auctions, flea markets, thrift stores, online and classifieds,
and of course family, friends, colleagues, etc. If you plan on taking up this hobby, put the word out to family, friends and
coworkers that you will refuse no used bikes! You’ll be surprised how many bikes and parts you will accumulate quickly.
Old bikes, exercise equipment, even steel furniture can be used, so build up your spare parts pile. Each of our plans
recommends alternative sources for parts and encourages builders to be creative and inventive. That’s the Atomic
Zombie® way!
How much does it cost to build bikes based on Atomic Zombie plans?
That is a very difficult question to answer since it is up to you how much you want to or can spend on components. A
homebuilt bike or trike will certainly cost you far less than the same type from a manufacturer. By building it yourself, you
will end up with exactly what you want. Typically, a homebuilt trike can be put together for a few hundred dollars assuming
that you will purchase mainly new mid-range quality components such as rims, tires, cranks, and transmission parts. You
could certainly spend a great deal more by using higher end components, but on the flip side, you could build a very nice
ride using recycled bicycle parts for almost nothing. We typically use low end components and recycled parts on most of
our bikes. They do not cost much to build.
More Frequently Asked Questions: http://atomiczombie.com/plansfaq.html
atomiczombie.com
June 2010
27
By tree, AZ forum member
I just bought and printed the Vigilante Chopper plan
last night, then read it cover-to-cover (114 pages).
I cut the hub out of a spare wheel I had (EXACTLY
like the one in the plans, 26 inch diameter), and
welded in the spokes already. I didn't know about the
centering trick in the plans when I welded them into
the rim, so it'll be a bit more complicated to get my
wheel spinning true, but it should be easy enough. I'm
going to use all round tubing, since that's easier/
cheaper for me to find at the local hardware store.
The square tubing is more than four times the price of
round EMT conduit. EMT is also much lighter and
comes in many different sizes.
♦
10ft of 1" EMT is $5.22
♦
4ft of 1" square is $10.99!
I also found a local source of junked bike parts! It's
a shop that rebuilds donated bikes and sells them, but
the stuff they can't use, they junk in a recycling
dumpster out back! I picked up 30ft of perfectly clean
chain the other day, as well as a little girl's bike with a
good head tube and crankset. The dumpster is half
full with frames and wheels of all sorts, some of which
even have 3-piece cranks, brake cables, and nice
brakes. And, you can't beat the price.
Progress! I halved and lengthened a coaster brake
hub today. Can I still use it as a brake after it has
been lengthened or will it now just be a non-braking
hub? The hub is MASSIVELY overbuilt! I never
realized how thick the metal is on these coaster
brakes! The one I'm using came off a tiny girl's bike
with 12 inch wheels and the hub cylinder walls are at
least 3/8 inch thick!
I'm going to remove and redo the spokes I welded
into the rim. Getting the wobble out may prove difficult
the way I had intended so I'll chop it out and start over
like the plans describe. No big deal. The round tubing
seems like it could be boring, but I have some ideas
for details similar to the ones in the plans, but
translated to round tube.
I have some pictures on Facebook of my progress
and I'll post them tomorrow when I get to a real
machine. You can check out my Facebook Album for
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photos of the build as it progresses. So far I have:
♦
Welded spokes into rim (I will re-do these
because I like the centering trick described in
the manual - I did the original spokes before I
had the plans)
♦
Lengthened hub (a coaster braking hub) with 2
inch EMT
♦
Lengthened rear axle with solid axle rod.
My next step will be to redo the spokes on the rear
axle, then hopefully work on the main tube and rear
dropouts. I'm wondering whether I should use prebent EMT for the rear triangle, or try to do some sharp
45s manually. The original design is all square and all
angles, but my round tubes might look weird with
sharp corners.
There should will be plenty of other sharp bits on
the frame - I want to form a sort of 'bullet' shape at the
ends of some of the tubes. An alternative would be to
just do a long slash-cut at the end of the tubes and
cap them with a long oval shape. The bullet would be
much harder to get right though - lots more
'blacksmithing'. Another modification - I'd like to use a
front derailleur with three gears. I have a nice
Shimano crankset with the top gear being 48 teeth
(rear is 18). This is quite a high ratio (2.67) for speed,
so the lower gears will undoubtedly help on the
slopes.
I like both going fast, but also cranking up hills
without dismounting. I'm also not so sure about the
matte black finish - I do like it, don't get me wrong, but
I've always been a fan of the hammered paint, maybe
a dark grey hammered look. It would hide a lot of
welding sins as well.
I'm so frustrated. I just put the lengthened rear axle
back together, only to find that it doesn't work.
Doesn't drive, doesn't brake. Doesn't do much of
anything but spin, really. Spins well with all that fresh
grease though.
I also can't use the spokes I've already welded into
the wheel, so basically the only progress I've made so
far is this:
♦
Remove center of rear wheel
(Continued on page 29)
(Continued from page 28)
♦
Buy some pipe
I need to either find a BMX freewheel hub like the
plans say, or get very creative with a multi-geared
rear hub (of which I have many cheap Huffy-types,
and at least one very nice Shimano). Sure would be
easier, actually, if I could use a clustered rear set. I'll
figure something out - stay tuned.
Went to Dream Bikes last night. No steel BMX hubs
to be found anywhere. All the steel single-speed hubs
were coasters, all the BMX hubs were aluminum. I
did, however find a 3-speed Sturmey Archer hub,
which I will have fun dissecting, and a 20 inch
aluminum wheel which should look pretty sweet on
the front of the chopper. I'll use it if I can't find a
chrome steel one in the meantime. If I can't find a
BMX hub by next week, I'm going to try to figure out a
way to use a Shimano 6-cog freewheeler that I have.
I'll take off all but one gear and see what I can do
about lengthening it.
I also figured out a spoke pattern. I want to make a
+ out of larger (1 1/2" tube), then use smaller (1" or
3/4") for 8 total.
Well, today I made up a bit for lost time. After work,
I bought a couple of tools from the bike store - a
crank puller, and a Shimano hub wrench. They didn't
have any steel BMX hubs to be found - just a display
case with gleaming aluminum jobbies.
I think the plans should suggest regular multi-cog
hubs from mountain bikes. You can get those on any
curb. The hub I have will work great, and you can
even buy a single-cog freewheel for it if you want.
The only issue is that the axle tube is narrow; that's
not much of a problem though, since I'll be welding a
large diameter tube around the outside.
When I got home, I set to work to disassemble the
crank and hub. Word to the wise: Leave the damn
hub in the wheel if you plan to take the gear cluster
off. Without the spokes holding everything together
and providing something to wrench against, it was a
royal pain in the arse to remove. A few nights back, I
had cut all the spokes off (I didn't want the wheel),
and it made my job 10 times more difficult today.
I ended up welding a piece of steel onto the hub so
that I could get enough torque to get the freewheel
off. Oh, but that didn't do it because the press-fit hub
ends just spun!! So I welded the hub ends to the
central tube. One of the welds broke loose, so I
welded some more. Finally, it did come off, but the
hub looks a bit tatty. It's nothing a good angle grinder
won't fix though.
Then I cut out the old spokes and ground the rim
flush. I have plenty of cuts to weld fill on the rim, and I
bought some flap disks the other day so I can polish it
up nice before painting. Sorry I'm so verbose - I get
project tunnel vision and love to share. Woo-hoo! My
rear wheel is DONE!!
(Continued on page 30)
If the steel BMX hubs are really that difficult to find,
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June 2010
29
easier - less welds, less grinding. And my welding is
getting better every day, so that doesn't hurt with
cleanup. If I can keep this pace up, I'll be cruisin' in no
time.
(Continued from page 29)
I had a 20 inch rim laying around, so I bought a
brand new tread for it. It looks pretty spiffy. This will
Well, not completely done - the tire needs to be
remounted and a new valve installed. Yes, I did
everything wrong until I bought the plans.
In one long crazy day, I fishmouthed the pipes,
welded them all together, cut and attached the axle
extension tubes, cut the axle in half, lengthened the
axle and put all of it back together into a complete
wheel, then greased and reinstalled the bearings.
Next stop, framesville.
I burnt through five cutoff wheels, a flap disk and
half of a solid grinding wheel so far. I also ran out of
welding wire (not that there was much on the reel
when I started). Hopefully, the rest of the frame will be
be my front wheel. It does need a bit of bearing care
(kinda grindy), but that should be trivial. If the hub is
too far gone, I have another hub that I can steal the
bearings from. The spoke count is different though
(this wheel is 48).
Read more of this build blog:
http://forum.atomiczombie.com/showthread.php?t=4092
Spokes4Folks Mobile Bike Clinic - Brighter Planet
Support Spokes4Folks Mobile Bike Clinic, Charleston, West Virginia - aiming for $5,000 grant
A project proposed by ElkhoundSpokes4Folks is currently developing a
cooperative bike repair shop and earn-a-bike program, and would like to
expand into a mobile bike clinic.
If they get the grant, they plan to base the clinic design off of either the Lode Runner Tandem or the
Kyoto Cruiser.
"This project proposal is part of the Brighter Planet Project Fund, an initiative to support projects in U.S.
communities that fight climate change and/or help people adapt to its consequences. Brighter Planet
contributes to the fund whenever a customer purchases or uses one of its products. The project(s) with the
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Read all about it and vote for this innovative project: http://brighterplanet.com/project_fund_projects/127
30
June 2010
atomiczombie.com
Ready for painting.
By TheGiver, AZ Krew Member
I've bogged down on my DeltaWolf build (which reminds
me - I need to start a thread about that) and my daughter’s
birthday was coming up so... how does a garage hacker get
out of a slump? Keep hacking.
She had asked for a scooter for Christmas, but that didn't
happen, so I started looking around for one for her birthday.
Do you realize the only kind of kick scooters that are sold
now are those Razor things, or their clones that use skate
wheels? What happened to the pneumatic tires that could
actually roll over a pebble, or through grass? I'm only 34,
but I'm starting to feel like a cranky old man, "Back in MY
day..." So, I found a cheap 12 inch bike and it was a simple
weekend hack.
Close up of rear forks and footplate mount.
DIY Kick Bike
Disassembled donor bike.
Complete!
New down tube from some conduit and new forks from a
different bike. Note the prototype fender. I haven't yet
figured out a good way to do fender. This one is aluminum
sheet riveted to a couple formers.
As I said simple, but she professes to love it. Good
Close up of my wife’s handiwork.
Footplate is made from
a thick plastic cutting
board.
enough for me. Now back to DW trials and tribulations.
~ Geoffrey
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Meet an AZ Krew member
Name: Steve Boser
Forum name: greenerwheels
Stats: Married, 50-59
Location: aloha (Portland) Oregon, USA
Occupation: Electronic Tech
How you found Atomic Zombie: From book
Bike building experience: Some previous experience
Welding experience: Some previous experience
Why did you join the Atomic Zombie builders
community: To learn new stuff
Favorite type of bike: E-bikes
Why? Larger variety of skills needed, more range from
completed project
Projects you have completed: Long wheel base
recumbents, tandems, e-bikes
Current bike project(s): trikes, e-bikes, trailers
Type of welding: MIG (Metal Inert
Gas)
Building challenges: Nothing ever
fits; you can't buy it, cause no one
makes it; too many projects at once;
when you take parts from street/
mountain bike and BMX and try the
put them together well they just don't
always fit.
How have you overcome these
challenges? Knowing those
challenges up front takes alot of the
surprise out of things not fitting.
That goes along with the question above. Fitting a BMX fork to a road bike to make a cycle truck—you aren't
going to find the part you wanted so be prepared to make it. Bike building is kind of like potato chips—you can't
build just one.
Advice for other bike builders: What does it mean to you to be a member of the AZ Krew? Sharing
information and having the chance to be with people with similar interests
Suggested web sites: http://endless-sphere.com/forums ; http://visforvoltage.org
Advice and/or words of wisdom? Be prepared to make mistakes. My first DIY bike looked like a camel and
was completely unrideable. Follow Brad's advice, "Master the angle grinder" and you will go far.
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