[Rodster]

Hi Guys
Back in about 1960 before I learned anything about welding
I took a bike and welded a cast iron Briggs on it. I just had an
AC buzz box welder I had borrowed and not sure even what kind of rod I grabbed to use. I turned up the heat and burned the pedal cranks off. then I welded the engine to the frame and welded the pedal cranks to the engine and frame for support.
The engine stayed on and we rode it like this. Later I learned that this would not hold welding the tubing to cast iron with a stick welder. But being a kid I did not know better. I just found the picture in an old album in the basement tonight.
Rodster

<img src=http://www.tractorforum.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=39364>

 

[Argee]

Nice looking ride Rod....You should team up with those Orange County guys:lmao:

 

[jodyand]

Thats cool how fast did it go:truth:

 

[Rodster]

Thanks Guys
I think it did about 25 MPH downhill. But that was fast enough because I cut the pedals off to hold the engine so I did not have any brakes. Funny what you can make with no real knowledge of how to weld and no money. HA HA
Ride on Rodster

 

[Rodster]

Here is a closer shot of the motor. How it stayed on I don't know.
I bet if I tried to do that today it would never hold.
Rodster

 

[aegt5000]

Rod…

25 mph, no brakes, cast iron welded to steel tube = priceless memory
I’ll bet it felt like the best motor bike a kid could have,
because you made it yourself.

 

[bear]

funny what you can do when you don't know its not supposed to be done that way. a buddy and i built a snowplane when we were 15 or 16 vw beetle pan we put skis on vw engine on a stand we put the engine out of his dads sprayer on. and a prop we got out the junkyard that the local spray pilot had to take off his plane. we drilled some holes in it and bolted it to the flywheel where the pressure plate should be. it was a lot of fun for the 1/2 day we got to run it before our dads saw the thing. that prop should have flew to peices but it didn't. maybe someone was looking out for us

 

[Rodster]

It must be that anything will work until somebody says it won't.
I will never forget the time the kid next door found an old padlock. We went to a key place and he told the guy he wanted a key for it. the guy said that if he did not have a key he could not make one. My friend ( he was only 10 or so ) said why. The guy explained in over to him about 3 times and each time my friend said why since he had the machine to make it. the guy
get fed up and took a blank and cut it just to show him it could not be done. He handed my friend the key and said see it wont work without a sample. My friend took the key and put it in the lock and it opend perfect. We left the key guy just shaking his head in disbelief.
Rodster

 

[jodyand]

Rod was that luck or was that luck:lmao:

 

[Rodster]

Yup
That was luck
Rodster:dancingfo
PS..I always say that I would rather be lucky than good anyday.

 

[Live Oak]

Originally posted by Rodster
Thanks Guys
I think it did about 25 MPH downhill. But that was fast enough because I cut the pedals off to hold the engine so I did not have any brakes. Funny what you can make with no real knowledge of how to weld and no money. HA HA
Ride on Rodster

What did you do for brakes? Stick the ole' foot in the back of the front tire behind the front fork and watch the tennis shoe rubber fly???? :furious: :furious: :furious: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: That is how I did it.

 

[Rodster]

HA HA
We sure wore out shoes.
Rodster

 

[Chipmaker]

Any of the stainless steel or mild steel rods will stick to cast iron pretty darn good. While it may not meet spec, and its uncertain just how well it may hold, as its a wild assed guess sticking different alloys to each other, you would be amazed just what does work pretty good. You can weld stainless with carbon wire on a mig or use stainless. YOu can mig cast iron to steel with stainless or carbon wire, same for electrodes. They say you can't spot weld aluminum together with the typical spot welders, and you can't sppot aluminum on to steel etc..........but I dare you to try and break my spot welds of alum apart.....Idealy cast iron needing to be welded is usually preheated and welded by either a stick welder with nickle or ni rod, or O/A welded with proper rod or just brazed...........but there is many a cast iron part stick welded with a 6013 or mig'd with 70S6 filler wire and the big thing going for these items is they do not have to meet spec so there fore it matters not.

NIce ride there Rodster..........Did the local police ever give you any static when you run that bike around? I had a go kart as a youngin, and everytime I would take it out, it was not uncommon for the police to stop me and haul me back to the house with my go kart sticking out of the trunk of the patrol car.