Antique Bicycle
Intro: Antique Bicycle
Picture yourself riding one of these, and you will be the talk of the town.
Here I'll show you how to build your own antique bike like the Ordinary Bicycle,
also called a Penny-Farthing -- common in the 1880s which became an
iconic symbol for transportation history.
With an old bike, a few tools and materials, and some patience, you can
build this bike and bring history to your front door.
Although replicas and originals can cost thousands of dollars, yours does not have to!
I'll also teach you how to ride it!
So get your tools out, find an old bike, and let's get started!
STEP 1: Materials and Tools
old bike with 26" rims
16" front wheel w/ tire from a child's bike
1" OD steel tube x 6'
1" wide x 1/4" thick steel plate
1 1/2" wide x 23" long x 1/4" thick steel plate
5/8" OD steel tube
6 lbs 3/32" #308 stainless steel welding rods
tricycle hub
2 pillow block ball bearings (shaft size determined by hub)
1" OD solid rubber tire
1/8" solid galvanized steel wire x 16'
Tools:
Craftsman MIG Welder with Cart (wish I had it)
Tubing Roller
Craftsman 10" Compound Miter Saw (w/ metal cutting blade)
Craftsman 6" Bench Grinder
Craftsman 5" Bench Vise
Craftsman Hammer
Craftsman Wrench Set
Kobalt 27/64" drill bit, 1/2"-13 NC Tap, and 1/2" - 13 NC Die
Threading die 2-56
spoke wrench
drill set for metal
Spray Rust Oleum metal primer and paint
misc: pipe clamps, vise grips
STEP 2: Grinding the Spokes
They are sold by the pound so buy 6 pounds which will be about 84 rods.
You will need 72 rods for a 48" rim and so 6 pounds will also provide a few extras.
The idea is to grind down the tips of each rod to a size which can be
threaded to accept standard bike rim nipples.
My welding rods had a stamping on the ends so I gang cut the ends off
using a 10" Compound Miter Saw with a 10" metal cutting blade.
Using the bench grinder, grind down the tip end (about 1" in legth) so as to end up
with a diameter of about 2mm for the entire 1" tip.
Be sure to grind evenly all around the tip end so as to maintain a cylindrical shape.
Do this by constantly turning the spoke around in your fingertips and moving
it up and down as you grind.
You will frequently want to take a measure of your progress since too much grinding
will result in too small a diameter for the threads.
The best way I found in measuring this is to drill a 2mm hole (or whichever size your
nipples require) on a piece of plastic.
Keep grinding until you are just able to insert 1" of the grinded end of the spoke through
the hole in the plastic.
If you grind too deep, cut that piece off and start over.
A digital caliper may come in handy and always wear safety goggles when grinding!
STEP 3: Threading the Spokes
This die provides a pitch of 56 TPI (threads per inch) which is standard in bike nipples.
Clamp the rod onto a vise so it is held steady while threading.
Use cutting oil on the die so it does not overheat and lose its sharpness. Thread slowly.
More grinding will be needed if you can't get the die to either start the thread
or threading requires so much force that it does not progress well.
You will have grinded too far if the threading is really easy and running your fingernail
over the threads feels somewhat smooth.
It takes practice and lots of patience but the more you do it, the easier it gets.
Ultimately, you want to test your threads by screwing the nipple onto it.
The nipple should accept the threading well as you finger tighten it.
Now is a good time to take apart the wheels off the old bike and
recover 72 nipples (36 in each) off of them.
Having done that, now repeat grinding and threading 71 more times!
Have patience. You will end up with 72 threaded spokes eager to be cut to length
(but don't cut them just yet).
When you install the spokes on your big wheel, you will use a spoke wrench
to do the tightening.
You can readily get a spoke wrench at bike shops. Get the kind that works with
different size nipples, just in case your nipples are not a standard size.
An easier and faster way to thread your spokes is to use a "spoke threader".
It will roll vs. cut the metal so it produces a superior thread, however it's an expensive
little tool.
Lastly, it's important you do a quality job with the threads.
The front wheel will only be as good as its spokes and you don't want it
to fail when you're on top on one of these!
Typically, these bikes used 60 spokes, so I figure yours will be 20% stronger.
STEP 4: Straightening the Rims
Cut each one with your 10" Circular Saw using a 10" metal cutting blade.
You want to make the cut between any 2 nipple holes.
I chose to cut near the air valve hole.
Using a vise, progressively straighten each rim to form a semi-circle.
I cut 2 wooden blocks and sandwiched the rim in between so as to not
crimp or damage the rim as I straightented it.
I built a wooden frame to help me test for curvature.
As I straightened each rim, I would place it over the wooden frame and then
went back to straightening some more.
As the rim approaces a perfect semi-circle, you can also stand on top of the rim and bend/straighten slightly since the rims have a slight tendency to revert back to their old shape.
26" bike rims typically have 36 spokes which means there will be
36 holes on each rim.
Next, we will join the 2 rims to form 1 large rim.
STEP 5: Welding the Rim
using a TIG or MIG welder.
A TIG welder is expensive and welding requires skill.
Luckily for me, my friend Max is an expert welder and so I just helped in holding
things in place. I sure I wish I had one of these of my own, like the
Craftsman MIG Welder with Cart. :-)
When welded, the rim will then have 72 holes which dictates having 72 spokes.
My welded rim measured approximately 48" in diameter...
I guess 26" rims are really smaller than 26".
As a guide, I measure 5'6" and the 48" rim reaches up to the bottom of my sternum.
When the pedals are at their farthest while riding, I can just reach them with the tip of my shoes.
In other words, if you are shorter than me, consider making your rim a little smaller
and using fewer spokes as needed.
If your rim is oval, use pipe clamps or the like to make them as round as possible.
Next, you will prepare the hub.
STEP 6: Preparing the Hub
The hub (believe it came from a tricycle) I bought was neither the right size nor did it have 72 holes.
So, I cut it in half using my Craftsman 10" Compound Miter Saw with a 10" metal cutting blade.
I also cut a 5" length piece of steel tube which accepted the inside shaft of the hub.
I TIG welded the tube onto the inside shaft of the hub.
I proceeded to drilling 3/32" holes on each face of the hub so as to have a total of 72 holes.
36 holes on each face. The idea is to have the 36 holes equally spaced apart all around
the circumference of each face.
This was a challenge for me since my hub's face had 14 holes as you can see.
On each face, I drilled a hole between existing holes, giving me 28 on each.
The missing 8 holes (for a total of 36) on each face were drilled further in from the edge equally spaced apart from each other. Also, these holes needed to be radially in between any existing
holes since the spokes cannot overlap each other as they come out of the hub.
As a result, I have 8*2 =16 spokes slightly longer than the rest.
Don't cut the spokes to length until it's time since you can cut to lenght as you start
spoking the wheel, which is the next step.
STEP 7: Finishing the Spokes
Pythagorean Theorem. This is not a math lesson so if you are not sure, you can also
use a spoke calculator.
For my 48" diameter rim, 5" wide hub, and holes at about 2 3/4" apart across the
diameter, my spokes ended up being 22" long.
However, to this length, you need to add an additional 1/4" for a total of 22 1/4",
as I'll explain below.
Cut 8 spokes to this length to start off with.
Now hold a spoke on the vise tight by the end you just cut so only 1/4" protrudes.
Hammer sideways but gently on the tip so as to bend the tip to a full 90 degrees.
While still on the vise, now flatten the bent tip by hammering it against the top of the vise.
This way, when you insert the threaded end of the spoke
through a hole on the hub and slide it all the way through, the flattened tip end
will not allow the spoke to slip out of the hole. See closeup picture.
You can also use vise grips instead to hold the spoke in place when hammering.
STEP 8: Spoking the Wheel
Insert the threaded end of the spoke into a hole from the outside of the hub towards
the insdide. Slide the spoke all the way to the bend on the other end and wiggle it
so as to bring it around towards the rim. Choose a hole on the rim and bring the threaded
end through. Now thread a nipple onto it.
Doing the same, spoke 4 at 90 degrees on one face and another 4 on the other face.
See the picture.
This should give you an idea if your length calculations were good.
If too long, adjust accordingly. If too short, set them aside and try again with a few more.
When the spokes are tensioned, it's possible the short spokes were just right.
You can continue to cut, bend, and flatten each spoke as you insert them into position.
Use common sense. Adjacent spokes stemming from the same face of the hub will
skip a hole in the rim since spokes alternate faces as they come out of the rim.
Spoking this big wheel is no different than a standard wheel so look for other instructables that explain the process if you need more help.
When all 72 spokes are in, start tightening each so as to give the wheel its rigidity.
The next step is about making the wheel perfectly round and rigid, called truing the wheel.
STEP 9: Truing the Wheel
I built a truing stand out of 2x4's to help me true the wheel. See picture.
Slide the pillow-block ball bearings on the shaft and drill holes at the ends
of the 2x4 to accept bolts.
Now you simply tighten and loosen nipples until the wheel does not wobble
as it turns. More than anything, you will need patience in this step.
Next, we will finish the wheel by adding its ball bearings, cranks, and pedals!
STEP 10: Ball Bearings, Cranks, and Pedals
I bought 2 pillow block ball bearings from bearingsdirect.com to fit the outside shaft of my hub.
The outside shaft measured 17mm in diameter, so a pillow block bearing with a 17mm
core shaft worked perfect.
You simply slide each pillow-block ball bearing to the outside shaft of the hub and
tighten the adjusting screw so it does not slip off.
I used a tap and die set for the cranks and pedals.
My cranks and pedals are from the old bike. Just cut them off at the bend to the shaft.
I used a 27/64" drill bit to drill a hole on the crank and tapped it to 1/2" with 1/2" - 13 NC Tap
I then threaded the outside shaft of my hub with a 1/2" - 13 NC Die to accept the cranks.
I gave the cranks a few turns onto the shaft of the hub and securely placed them at
180 degrees from each other and then welded them permanently.
STEP 11: Tiring the Wheel
Pneumatic tires had not been invented during the era of the Penny-Farthing
and I think they are still not available in this size!
So, to add authenticity, you use a solid rubber hose for the tire instead.
The tire measures 1" OD (outside diameter) and has a 3/16" hole down the middle.
You want to cut your tire about 4" longer than the circumference of your rim.
You then measure and cut 1/8" (14 gauge) galvanized solid steel wire to 4 feet longer than the circumference of your rim. Apply a lubricant on the inside of the tire and
insert the wire through. Try to keep the wire straight and roundover the end of the wire to make inserting easier. You may have to use pliers to help it along as the resistance becomes greater as you insert it. 15 ft. of wire is plenty as you need some extra grab the wire by the ends while tensioning it.
With the wire tight and the ends of the tire 3" apart, you want to sand off the galvanized
layer and braze opposite ends of the wire with silver solder.
The tire should then close up to form a seam.
There are several ways you can apply tension on the wire. The easiest I have found is by use of a homemade tensioner.
The homemade tensioner as you will see is the key to making the job easy.
It has 2 bottom bolts which when tightened, will sandwich the wire and hold
it's tension. The top big bolt, when turned clockwise will raise and pull the wire, thus applying tension. Use clamps to hold the wire ends.
It measures 3 inches across and has a window opening for brazing.
You can get the rollers from Home Depot or Lowes and are the rollers found in sliding glass patio doors.
This completes the wheel. Congratulations.
STEP 12: The Backbone
To have a better understanding of how the bike comes together, I drew
the bike full-scale on paper after having looked at pictures of originals.
I laid the wheel over the paper and sketched it.
I then drew the backbone, which starts at the top of the wheel and follows it
as 1/4 arc. It then goes off at a tangent to start a small fork for the rear wheel.
The rear wheel came off a child's 16" bike so if you have this at hand
you can place it on the paper and sketch it for a better idea of what's to come.
The fork for the big wheel comes from the old bike.
Cutting it as in the picture, you can then place it on the paper and sketch it.
You should now have a good idea for what the backbone will look like.
I used a 1" steel tube about 6 feet long. To bend/roll it, use a "tubing roller" since
it makes the job very easy. You want an extra 2 feet in length to make
the bending/rolling easier.
You want to roll the backbone gradually and compare with your drawing
as you go. Once you achieve the curvature you want, trim it to length.
It's exact length depends on a few things so here you want to be your own judge.
STEP 13: The Rear Fork
However, to accept the rear wheel, you can reuse the tips
off of your old bike's front fork. Cut those off and weld them
onto your rear fork at opposite ends.
The total length of the tube you need depends on how large
a rear wheel you want to use and the length of the tips.
I'm using a 16" pneumatic tire and my tips are each 3 1/2" long and
the tube measures 16" for a total length of 23" end to end.
At this point, you can cut a round groove at the low end of
the backbone to accept the rear fork.
Bend and slide the rear fork onto this groove and weld in place.
Next, is the front fork.
STEP 14: The Front Fork
I cut the down tube 2" away from the headset where it is then welded permanently to
the backbone. These 2 tubes cut off of the old bike are reused to extend the front fork.
Their exact length is something you will need to determine as you slide each over the old
fork and place it over the pillow block ball bearings.
To the ends of each of these 2 tubes, you will weld a small steel plate about
1" wide x 3 1/2" long x 1/4" thick.
Drill 2 holes on the steel plate to align perfectly with the mounting holes on the ball bearing.
You will use 2 bolts, 2 nuts, and 2 washers to hold the pillow-block ball bearing to the plate
which is welded to the fork extension tubes. In turn, each fork extension tube is welded
to the old bike's fork. Weld the extension tube to the fork last as you hold it in place
for a perfect fit.
The handlebars are next.
STEP 15: The Handlebars
was the mustache shaped handlebars. All that is needed to achieve this is a little
downward bending.
The ends of the handlebars can be left as is or you can make D shaped handles
by way of bending a 1/2" diameter tube and attaching a wooden dowel as I did.
I attached each of mine with 2 long screws. The D shaped end is then welded on after cutting
a notch on the end of the handlebar to accept it.
The saddle (seat) is next.
STEP 16: The Saddle
The saddle (seat) itself comes from (you guessed it) the old bike.
Some suspension is provided by a steel bracket under the seat which will flex
when you sit down. I used a steel plate 1 1/2" wide x 1/8" thick x 23" long.
However, I recommend 1/4" thickness instead since mine did flex more
than I anticipated and did not retain its original shape as well.
Bend it in the form of a J and notch off a semi-circle from the long end to accept the
curvature of the headset. Weld the long semi-circle notched end to the headset
and the short end to the top of the backbone.
The idea is to give a springy support for the seat.
About 10" from the headset on the seat support steel plate,
weld a steel rod/tube (perhpaps off of the old bike) that will accept the seat of
which you can tighten in place. This way you can replace the seat with
any other that uses the same standard.
The mounting step is next.
STEP 17: The Mounting Step
It's just a small steel plate welded onto the left side of the backbone for your
left foot to rest on during mounting/dismounting.
How high up on the backbone is a matter of preference,
but as a guide, you rougly want it to be about as high as the center of the hub on the big wheel.
So with a 48" wheel, the center of the hub stands around 24" high.
It should be low enough for you to be able to place your
left foot over it and hop on and yet high enough that you can swing back
your left foot while riding and blindly find the step when dismounting.
Cut a 3" long x 1" wide x 1/4" thick steel plate using your 10" Miter Saw.
One end of the plate needs to be notched to a semi-circle as it will be welded to
the left side of the backbone. The other end just needs grinding at the corners
and be made smooth. You don't want to scrape your leg against it.
The picture shows the bike already painted but when welding the step, as in all welds,
the metal should be sanded down and clean.
Now all that remains is a paint job.
STEP 18: Painting
Mask any parts of the handlebars you don't want painted.
Use Rust Oleum metal primer by applying 3 thin coats waiting 15 minutes in between coats.
Use metal enamel of your chosen color in thin coats as well.
Let it cure 24 hours and you are ready to ride.
STEP 19: Riding
Riding an Ordinary Bicycle is a most exhilarating experience!
You stand only 2 feet above the ground but boy oh boy do you feel tall!
At a minimum, you want to use a bike helmet. I also use shin-guards,
knee pads, and elbow pads. Bottom line, treat the bike with respect
and don't be foolish.
In learning to ride it, I recommend you take a step-wise approach.
First stand behind the bike, grab the handlebars, and place your left foot on
the mounting step.
Now with your right foot scoot along. As you scoot and begin to gain
momentum, try and lift yourself up by pulling on the handlebars
and straightening your left knee. You will need to bounce off of your right
foot as you go up. Now just maintain your balance and ride out the
momentum for a few seconds and come back down on your right foot
before the bike slows down too much.
You want to go straight as you scoot since the wheel may not let you turn
to the right as it may scrape along your left foot.
Practice this for half an hour. Who needs a stair master when you have a Penny!
As you gain confidence, the next step is to bring your torso forward
and actually sit down. Don't take your foot off the step!
Then immediately come back off the seat and come back down.
Next, climb up, sit down, and take your left foot off the mouting step
and immediately bring your left foot back onto the step, get off the seat,
and come back down. Think what you will be doing before doing so, so
you don't hesitate. You are almost there!
You can do this a few more times and get a sense of when the right foot
has it's first chance to step on the pedal -- which is all that remains.
As soon as you get your feet on the pedals, you can keep the bike moving
and you should not fall. To prepare for the dismount, get the bike going good
so you have a little extra time to find the dismount step with your left foot.
Turning is next. Give yourself plenty of room and go easy.
One thing I have still to add to my bike (and instructable) is brakes!
I think learning to dismount is far more important than brakes since you can
brake all you want but if you can't dismount, you're in trouble.
Lastly, it's a fun ride -- literally a time machine!
Go for it and stay on top!
Carlitos
169 Comments
Highwheel 1 year ago
oakey45 5 years ago
Where can I buy the rubber for the wheels.
rso40cal 3 years ago
Calorie 13 years ago
I do have to ask, what is the gear ration like on that monster? I know that you aren't going to pedal up huge hills. Is it like a one speed beach bike? And how hard is it to brake?
gemils 13 years ago
(to the author) Excellent instructable ... a few of my friends have been talking about making one of these for some time. You did some novel things in building up the wheel that you don't frequently see. I am hoping that I can talk some guys from the shop into making a few of these for some summer group rides that we have planned.
slcurts 4 years ago
carlitos 13 years ago
I read that it was because of the pneumatic tire that the Ordinary Bike became obsolete since one could now have an equally smooth ride with a smaller wheel.
You feel the resistance in your legs at the slightest incline and if you are not planning to dismount then, you better keep it moving. I have not put brakes on it, instead I try to think ahead and dismount while still moving. It only takes 3 seconds to do so. There is also an emergency dismount technique I still need to try. Check out the dismount technique by Passepartout (Cantinflas) in "Around the World in 80 Days" I wonder if that approach was intentional for humor. If you look closely, he's really struggling in the dismount :-) I'll be re-tiring my bike soon and if all goes well, I'll be riding it at a parade (King Mango Strut) a day after Christmas. Sure would like to see pictures of any Penny's you make. Little did we realize, there's a Penny in every bike waiting to be born. Say, voting is open for the contest. Vote for me! Thanks.
Yard Sale Dale 5 years ago
If you use 36” unicycle wheels, plenty of tires and tubes exist , and cranks.
slcurts 4 years ago
TonyS26 4 years ago
JosephD214 5 years ago
Yard Sale Dale 5 years ago
carlitos 12 years ago
It's on sale at craigslist
RoobikB 6 years ago
Hi Carlitos, would you install the tire for my penny farthing? I will pay you, where are you located?
the_keiser 12 years ago
carlitos 12 years ago
I used 1"x1/2" C-channel. You'll get a truer wheel. Also discovered stranded steel wire works better (stronger) than solid.. once I figured out a trick to welding the ends even though I"ve read it can't be done.
David HW 10 years ago
carlitos 10 years ago
voldemortkein 9 years ago
I Wanna know this, cuz I'll go to a bending and rolling workshop. So I need to know which kind of Channel ask for make my 47" inch front rim.
Regards
Spaceman Spiff 9 years ago
How many rods will I need for a 40" rim?