Winter projects......

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Nov 14, 2005
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What do you guys have in store for the winter?

I plan on doing some work to my singlespeed. New brakes and Rims/spokes, some kenda klaw tires, lighter fork, and new headset/stem. Might even get it blasted and repainted...

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I also wanna finish the vintage singlespeed im building my wife.:thumbup:

So, what are you guys cookin up for the winter projects??
 
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That singlespeed sounds nice j williams. Restoration projects are always a treat.

I have been working round the clock for the last few weeks in order to make time for a few days of R&R. So I have a lot lined up.

From a project standpoint, I have a few old Green River carbon steel blades (a paring knife and a sheep skinner) that I'm going to re-profile and re-handle. I laminated some padauk and yellowheart with a black spacer, which I'm going to use for the handles. Yes, this is Fiddleback-inspired.

I also have a nice piece of 440C that has some neck knife designs sketched on it, and I look forward to getting those started off.

On top of that, I have a few pieces of maple that will be seeing some lathe time. One is destined to be a Mora handle, and the others are going to be experimental fire pistons. Should be fun.

Other than that, I will be enjoying some snowshoeing outings with family.

I promise to take pictures.

All the best,

- Mike
 
I've been building a workshop for the past two years. I hope to actually finish it over the next two months. Down to just a little more electrical work, sheet rock, tape, texture then setting a crane. I'll post a pic when done if I can get my wife to show me how.
 
i am making a set of steak knives out of an old saw. the process would go much faster if the harbor freight store ever got any belt grinders in, but i am trying to be patient about that aspect.

i am going to start traditional archery, and that will probably be quite a project.
 
To get out to the forge more and start spending some real time forging out and FINISHING a knife or two! I have two that I forged out months ago that are just sitting on my desk waiting to be finished!!! And make some more strikers.
 
I've got a 48 Dodge p/u that I've been working on here and there over the years. That'll take up some of my time this winter, but, for the most part, my winter will be spent with our newborn :)
 
To get out to the forge more and start spending some real time forging out and FINISHING a knife or two! I have two that I forged out months ago that are just sitting on my desk waiting to be finished!!! And make some more strikers.

I really want to see one of your knives before I`m too old to see anymore! :D And work on our "collaboration project."
 
I've got a bunch of projects that have been gathering dust lately.

Finish soldering and wiring up of about a dozen guitar effects pedals. Everything from vintage fuzz to eq. to funky filters and good ol' distortion is awaiting wires and being put in an enclosure. My neighbors are gonna hate me! Here's one I built up a while back:

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Get started on my first tube amp which is a simplified 18watt design. It's gonna be a great addition to my gear.

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Woodworking. I've got an Arts and Crafts bed frame and headboard that needs finishing. It's made from Black Walnut that came from two trees in my parent's yard. Instead of letting someone chop, split, baton and burn this beautiful wood, I hired a guy to saw it up into 8/4 boards. Beautiful stuff. I've got enough for years (or maybe decades at the rate I finish projects). Here's a few of the big boards: (The ones lying flat at the bottom are bookmatched 14" wide boards that I'll make a tabletop out of one day.)

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I've got a few guitar projects needing attention. One is a late '50s Harmony that needs new guts and a new fretboard. It'll be a nice little guitar when I'm done.

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I've also got a funky old mandolin/banjo hybrid that needs a new head and bridge. Bizarre combination. Sure to annoy everyone in a 25' radius.

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I've got a lot to do...
 
Oh, and I'd also like to build a bushcraft-esque balde with my new Delta 1x42 grinder. You folks have inspired me.
 
Jake, that single is too cool!

I have a quasi-single speed. Its actually a Diamondback Reactor 24" BMX that I overhauled the year before last. I needed to relive some of my BMX days :D Aluminum, stripped down, single brake, lightweight that I built for throwin' around.

This years winter bike project is a restoration of a early eighties (best guess? 1981) Takara 10-speed road bike. Almost all original components except for tires/tubes, bar wrap, seat, brake pads and cables. This one looked like it had been unused when I got it. Just neglected. The original tires were still on it and the rims were razor straight.

The paint job is finished. a custom color I made up at work. Base/clear coat.

All I need to do is run the cables, get some tires and reassemble. Its at work in the shop. I'll try to get some pics later today.
 
That road bike sounds awesome. Shoot me some pics of it sometime...

Gonna go fixed gear with it? I want to build a brakeless fixie someday, but just havent found a good vintage roadbike frame to transform....

Great projects, some of you are gonna be busy!
 
Im cleaning up and modding an old J.C. Higgins .22 single shot bolt action that i picked up at an estate sale for 20$. Its exactly the same gun i got for Xmas when i was 8. Im going to resurface & camo the stock. Replace the broken plastic buttplate with a fabricated metal one. Im thinking about drilling out a compartment underneath the butt plate for a small survival kit. Add some sling swivels and a 550 cord sling. Gonna use it for my river/woods running gun. Also gonna make some of the alcohol stoves out of Heineken cans. Got my guy at the liquor store keeping the 12 and 24 oz. cans---KV
 
That road bike sounds awesome. Shoot me some pics of it sometime...

Gonna go fixed gear with it?

Nope. No Fixie. Sticking with bone stock. It does have the old lever shifters so I might go with a straight bar with the original set asside to switch out for a little variety. Pull the brake cables, pull the neck, drop in the road bars and button up.

Heres a few pics:
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Its not a Schwinn Continental or a classic Fuji or Raleigh but it has some sentimental value. When I raced BMX as a kid, my first decent Chro-Mo frame was a Takara.

Take care,

Chris
 
Planning on making some bee houses with the kids. I think grandma is giving my eldest a woodburning kit for xmas, in which case she'll be put to task prettying up some walking sticks.

Working on learning the classical guitar and the recorder (yeah, pretty light-in-the-loafers if you will, but I'll be the one laughing when I can do the recorder intro to Stairway - hahaha).

I have a 1983 Panasonic Sport that's been sitting around waiting to be converted to a single speed/fixie flip/flop. The horizontal dropouts are begging for it. Just can't find the spare change to get new wheels...
 
sounds like you folks are going to be busy...:thumbup:

as for winter time projects... i have plenty... i have 2.5 doz. cedar shafts for making arrows, lots of leather work to do, some spoons and bowls to carve with my new crook knife and i was going to try my hand at making some jewelery again...

Ruestris-- that is a sweet looking bike man... i am also an avid bike rider... i have been in the market for an old road bike to re-store for a while now....
 
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