Steuben's Wheelmen

Neon Leaner

2009-11-25T10:34:00.007-05:00

Ben Wilson of Wilson Brothers Design made this neon-encased leaning quadricycle for a couple of Art Car parades in Manchester and Edinburgh. Talk about nighttime road visibility! Silly me, with just my Down Low Glow light.

A Bevy Of Brass Lions

2009-07-16T14:29:00.001-04:00

Some recently acquired artifacts of a distinctly brassy liony nature.
What could I possibly have planned for them?

Silver Fox Video

2009-04-25T13:36:00.002-04:00

Video of the Silver Fox trike all lit up at night with our homemade lights:

Presenting The Silver Fox Tadpole Trike

2009-04-18T01:54:00.018-04:00

We've concluded our work on our second trike, the aluminum trike covered in previous posts. We've dubbed it the Silver Fox, and it sports our homebuilt LED lights in nice chrome Art Deco housings, white wall tyres, chrome fenders, amber Down Low Glow tube and fox hood ornament. Check it out!

Here is the Flickr set.

Best Bar Ever.

2009-04-10T14:24:00.001-04:00

Steamy Bar

White Lights

2009-03-29T14:39:00.002-04:00

Okay, so I previously covered the creation of the tail lights for the trike, so now I am going to cover the headlights. The circuit is the same, but the white LEDs have different voltage and current requirements so they will need different resistors. So I'll begin with a parts list:

White Bullet Lights

White LEDs

Resistors

It's the same idea as before, only the white LEDs are shaped differently because they have their own heatsink that they are mounted on. The two bullet lights are going to be smaller side lamps, while a large bullet headlight is going to be the main headlight.

I am reposting the circuit diagram here for reference:

So to begin with, I gave the white LEDs a test to check their brightness. Here's a photo of the test:

I soldered wires to the LEDs:

Then I mounted the LEDs in the white bullet lights:

I also used the larger white bullet light which is to be the main headlight:

Here it is opened up. I removed the light bulb but did not bother removing the battery case, as it was riveted in place and would have been very difficult to remove without damaging anything:

Then all that remained was to mount the lights. I mounted the headlight on the front derailler bar:

Here's a good photo of the white LED in the front lamp:

I mounted the rear bullet lights using some of the premade mounting holes on the trike frame. Also visible are the wire crimps I used to connect up the whole trike. I am going to put black heat-shrink tubing over the crimps so they're not quite so visible:

The large rear lamp was mounted to the rear fender. I drilled a 1/4" hole, and the light included all the mounting hardware:

Here is a couple of photos of all the tail lights together:

And finally, a view of the front bullet lights. The fender mounts had these cool little mount points that ended up being perfect for the lights:

Finally, all the wires (made of black 20 gauge lamp wire held in place by black zip ties) were run to a bag strapped behind the seat. The bag is just the right size to hold the electronics box:

And there you go! The lights are bright as heck! I calculated the batteries as lasting around 2.5 hours, but we haven't tested the system to that limit yet, as we generally recharge the batteries after every ride anyway.

Mercedes Steamy Hommage To The First Automobile

2009-03-26T07:35:00.006-04:00

This concept car from Mercedes-Benz inspired by the very first Benz is undeniably Steamy in pedigree. It wouldn't make a bad pedalcar either. ;)

Via Jalopnik.

Form And Function: Columbine Bicycle Works

2009-03-20T12:15:00.000-04:00

Hours of staring online at bicycles and the art of making them until my eyes cease to function has taught me no one makes a more beautiful bike than Columbine Bicycle Works. I enjoy staring at beautiful triumphs of the craftsmanship of Man, so if you believe my assumption to be false by all means show me beautiful bicycles.

But Columbine doesn't just produce eye candy, form follows function as they are glad to point out and their bicycles prove it with world class artifice.

The Morgan Motor Company Pedal Car

2009-03-10T20:58:00.000-04:00

The fine folks at the Morgan Motor Company, makers of beautiful British three-wheeled automobiles, celebrated their hundredth anniversary with a two-thirds scale kiddie version that is pedal powered. Thus created the most awesome tadpole trike in the world.

Morgan Pedal Car

Nightlights

2009-02-11T00:50:00.009-05:00

Here's the aluminum tadpole trike all lit up with our DIY bike lights, as well as the Down Low Glow light:

The tail lights are in fact so bright, every bit as bright as automobile tail lights, that I may only use one- they're liable to annoy cyclists behind me.

Thursday Tweed Ride in SF

2009-02-10T08:17:00.009-05:00

Inspired by the London Tweed Run, an enterprising young chap has started the Thursday Tweed Ride in San Francisco February 12. As Jake Von Slatt said, "Darn wrong coast again!" Well Mr. Von Slatt, perhaps we should start an East Coast Tweed Run. Surely there's enough Old World Tweed types around for the task at hand. Perhaps an Autumn run to offset the west coast not-quite-spring run.

CatCubed, Cyclelicio.us, Laughing Squid; Jake Von Slatt for pointing it out.

Dressing Up The New Trike

2009-02-06T09:33:00.006-05:00

We've begun the process of fancifying the new aluminum trike- the lights in the previous article are part of that process. We're going for an Art Deco theme. An easy theme to go with since Art Deco and bikes go together like toast and jam. Think of all that chrome and curves and shiny bits and so forth on classic bikes and then realize it's Art Deco. I'll certainly take it over garish logos on every single surface.

As a first step we've put white wall tyres on the trike. Compare the photo below to older pics of the trike and I think you'll see it's already an improvement. Soon the trike will also have shiny fenders with killer lights mounted, and various other happy curvy bits. I'll need a little something extra to make it special... also the trike will need a name. What do you think? I'm thinking of going with Silver Fox.

Just as a side note I originally intended to go with Art Deco for the Brass Lion, but something about the high-off-the-ground profile of the Streetfox tadpole trike from Atomic Zombie that the Brass Lion is based on seemed kinda old-fashioned as in 1886 Benz. So I went Steampunk or Neo-Victorian.

As a second aside, I consider Steampunk and Art Deco to be fundamentally aesthetic opposites though they are both quite beautiful and concerned with craftsmanship and functionality as well as aesthetics. The fundamental difference is that Steampunk likes to see the working bits- let the guts hang out! Show us the gears, and the more the better! Art Deco likes to cover the functional bits with fairings and housings considering the guts to some degree to be unappealing, and certainly less aerodynamic.

Let's Light Things Up

2009-02-02T18:52:00.035-05:00

All right, so I have wired up a sweet set of lights for all purpose triking needs. We wanted a good high-powered set of LED lights, but there are problems with premade lights:
-They are too dim
-Alternately, they are bright but very expensive, and
-They universally look boring

We found a cool set of art-deco style bullet lights at BikeWorld USA in both clear and red:
-Clear bullet lights
-Red bullet lights
-Large red bullet light with fins

These are the perfect art-deco style light, but the problem is they have crappy low-powered light bulbs. The solution then was to buy the bullet lights, but remove the light bulbs and add our own high-powered LEDs. Thus there are 2 parts to this project, swapping the lamps for LEDs, and creating support electronics for the lamps. At this point in time only the tail-lights are finished, so I am going to detail the build of the tail lights.

Parts List:
(Relevant data sheets are linked)

Red LEDs - Digikey part 67-2061-ND

Resistors - Digikey part TWW3J8R2-ND

Two battery holders - Digikey part BH24AAW-ND

Waterproof project box - Digikey part HM954-ND

Power switch - Digikey part CKN1019-ND

Five volt regulator - Digikey part 296-8157-5-ND

Bridge rectifier - Digikey part VS-KBPC108-ND

Circuit board - Digikey part 3405K-ND

The previously mentioned bullet lights

Soldering equipment

Wire

Epoxy; caulk or hot glue would probably work fine as well

So, let me start off at the lamps themselves. The lamps needed to have the light bulbs removed, and the LEDs mounted. I also decided that the lamps needed sealing, as they did not come with any sort of seal where the wire enters.

So let's start with a bullet light:

This is the bullet light disassembled, with the light bulb and wiring removed:

I soldered wires onto the leads of the LED and ran the wires into the lamp:

I then used a dab of epoxy to seal the back of the lamp, where the wires stick out. The epoxy was left to dry for 24 hours.

I repeated this process for the second red bullet light.

Now let's look at the red bullet light with fins:

Internals removed, LED added:

As before, where the wires exit the lamp was sealed with epoxy and left to dry.

For both types of lamp, the epoxy was plenty strong enough to hold the LEDs in place, so no additional mounting was necessary.

Now, I needed support electronics to actually power the LEDs. I wanted the electronics to be usable with both battery (DC) power and generator (AC) power, which is the reason for the bridge rectifier and voltage regulator.

The circuit is shown below:

The schematic above includes the white LEDs, which I will cover in a future post. The battery in the schematic can be replaced with a bike generator, as long as it is at least 7 volts. 12 volts is a common bike generator output, which would work for this build. I plan on eventually adding a switch so that the lights can be flipped between generator and battery power, but that is not in this current build.

I don't have a PCB layout for this circuit as that was a bit beyond the scope of the project and I lack access to PCB etching equipment. I fit all the parts onto a two inch by two inch circuit board. I added a heatsink to the voltage regulator, I'm not actually sure how necessary it is but I had some heat sinks sitting in my parts box and it seemed like a good precaution. The resistors in this circuit are going to be sinking a fair amount of power, so don't use puny 1/4 watt resistors. I used 3 watt resistors for the red LEDs.

The finished circuit is shown below. I labelled parts for your reference.

The circuit board and batteries will be going in the metal weatherproof project box.

I epoxied fabric down where the circuit board will sit in order to prevent short circuits.

I also mounted the power switch by drilling a hole (1/4 inch) and bolting the switch down.

I also put fabric on the bottom of the battery holders, because they had exposed contacts, and I didn't want them rubbing against the metal project box and shorting out.

Finally, I crammed the whole thing into the box. The box now holds the circuit board and two battery holders which each hold 4 rechargeable AA batteries. I also used the same 1/4 inch drill bit to drill a pair of holes, one for the black ground wires and one for the red +5v wires. I will be running 3 taillights with this box (and eventually 3 headlights as well).

And finally, with the cover added:

Now, the lamps are as-of-yet not mounted on the trike, but I wanted to preview their brightness, so here are a couple of pictures with the lit lamps.

And there you have it! In future posts I will cover the headlights as well as the mounting of the lights onto the trike itself. Take care!

-Alan

Followers (Evil Villain Cackle)

2009-02-02T10:10:00.004-05:00

I've added the followers widget to the side bar so all you fine ladies and gentlemen can more easily track the blog and vice versa. Just as the Monarch needs minions so do I. Muhahaha!

Cool (Potentially Steamy) Velocity Bike Rims

2009-01-26T12:55:00.000-05:00

Bicycle rim manufacturer Velocity markets rims in a wide variety of colours, and now they even have rims with various very cool patterns, everything from clubs to polka dots to skulls. Including a few convincing (especially while moving) wood patterns such as burlewood and teak. Teak is pictured below.

Patterned Velocity Bicycle Rims

Brass. Honjo. Fenders.

2009-01-18T09:36:00.001-05:00

It seems our favorite metal fender craftsman is prepping a brass version of his famous Honjo fenders. For a po' Steampunk like me that's pretty much a wet dream. When these come out the Brass Lion will be that much shinier, no offense to Cody Davis (craftsman of my sublime wooden fenders).

Another manufacturer, Tanaka, already has brass fenders.

Night Fire

2009-01-11T23:34:00.023-05:00

I received a Down Low Glow "Fossil Amber" light from Rock The Bike for Christmas, much to my delight. I had long wanted one, and the amber light should be street legal as well as very sexy. The low fire glow is perfect for the Brass Lion. Rather reminiscent of the glow of vacuum tubes, or a forge.

Here's a few shots of the Brass Lion burning a hole through mundane reality:

Yes, I know the bullet headlight is totally period inappropriate as well as rather dim. I don't care. I really must Art Deco up another trike with lots of curving chrome. Mmm. I also know I look a right git with dark goggles after sunset. But the Down Low Glow is just that bright kids! I need'em.

A red Down Low Glow light btw makes for the world's most awesome tailight.

Renovo Hardwood Bicycles

2009-01-08T07:09:00.004-05:00

A company called Renovo is custom crafting hardwood frame bicycles that are drop dead gorgeous. Just another bike to lust after. Perhaps with some wood fenders from our favorite guy Cody Davis at Woody's Fenders.

Front Fender Solution For A Tadpole Trike

2009-01-03T01:00:00.019-05:00

My recent mudding experience reinforced the need for front fenders on my trike. Attaching front fenders to a trike can be tricky, especially with disc brakes. Different manufacturers have different solutions when they make an attempt at all. ICE and Greenspeed have notably interesting fender solutions, and what we've done has a little in common with how Greenspeed attaches front fenders.

The parts used are Planet Bike Freddy Fenders including hardware (for 20 inch wheels in my case), a pair of nifty aluminum curved bar ends, a couple rubber lined hose clamps from the hardware store (5/8)and some bolts and lock nuts.

The bar ends are attached to the handlebars and extend over the wheels. The curve of the bar ends is absolutely perfect on my RecumbentUSA trike and should work for Actionbent trikes too. If you look at how Greenspeed attaches front fenders you can see they use bar ends as well, just attached differently. The other end of the bar ends attach to the steel mount protruding from the top of the fenders using the rubber lined hose clamp from the hardware store, bolts and lock nuts. One caveat is that at the moment anyway I have very little clearance around the brake levers. The bar ends will only reach so far over the wheel so the fenders pretty much have to be mounted with the bar end that close. This will vary depending on how meaty your hands are and which brake levers.

This alone is loose and bouncey (as would be only using the hardware that came with the fender on one side of the wheel). So I've used the fender stays that came with the fender to attach to the disc brake and the same bolt that holds the bar end to the handlebar. The fender stay that attaches to a bolt on the disc brake needed to be shortened a bit. So I used a chop saw to cut off the appropriate amount. Measure to fit for your trike. The other fender stay I simply bent artfully to attach to the bar end. You could bend and cut it too instead of having the artsy "S" curve but I like it. Note the fender stays in the photo below.

The whole thing is as solid as a fender gets. I rode over the scattered branches left over from the chainsawing of the fallen tree pictured in my previous post and the fenders did not bounce or having any other problems.

Here is a final photo of the bar end over the fender attached with the hose clamp and bolt with lock nuts.

Playing in the Mud

2008-12-29T12:34:00.009-05:00

Another mild winter thus far means lots of riding. We did ride on one truly cold day- it was about 16F with winds gusting up to 45mph. Now that was an adventure!
But otherwise it's been mild and rainy.

The other day we went from cold weather and ice to about 60 degrees F. This made for alot of muddy fun as the ice melted. Being on the trike low to the ground and with no front fenders I became covered in mud from head to toe. But I'm of the school of thought that suggests you got something done and had alot of fun if you're covered in dirt or mud. ;)

There was even a rotten tree lying across the bike path for the fair weather fans to scramble over.

Google Lively To Shutdown

2008-11-30T13:00:00.002-05:00

Well, it looks like Google is giving up on their experiment in virtual reality. Pity. I thought it had potential. Rough around the edges but then it was a beta.
Lively will shutdown at the end of 2008.

Press release here.

And my own keepsake of Lively.

The Addiction Begins

2008-11-19T15:09:00.034-05:00

Trike owners, whether homebuilt or commercial, never stop at just one. Not content to just mod one trike forever, soon trike enthusiasts have entire "stables" of trikes. Now it is true of me as well. While I still get a thrill whenever I sit on the giant 60 pound homebuilt Cadillac of trikes, I felt a need to try a commercial trike with a few less pounds on it.

In large part due to monetary constraints, I went for a relatively inexpensive aluminum trike from RecumbentUSA, being sure to get it via eBay. I paid $672 dollars plus shipping. The trike, a budget one, normally sells for about $1400. There are better $1400 trikes, but no better $672 dollar trike (except possibly a homebuilt made by someone with TIG welding skills ;p). I can always upgrade components, and could do a fair bit of that before reaching $1400.

I won't bore you with the common endless debate of cost versus quality. Suffice it to say that "You get what you pay for" works both ways- $3000 plus dollars will get you quality, but how much more? At some point you're keeping up with the Joneses. Somewhere inbetween is what we call a bargain.

So did I get a bargain? Let's take a look.

So I won an eBay auction for a "Trike II" non-suspended trike from RecumbentUSA.com.
In about a week it arrived via UPS. Let's unpack the box and assemble it:

The trike came semi-assembled and was really quite easy to put the few large sections together. Ah but it is in the adjustments that time is consumed. There were some nice inclusions I didn't expect for a budget trike, like touch-up paint and SPD compatible pedals which also had toeclips and straps. The tyres are nylon Kenda tyres I'm sure I'll replace. The disc brakes are Tektro, not the most respected name in brakes. As such upgrading the brakes to Avids is going to be my first real (actual money) upgrade.

I like that the tie rod ends have grease nipples. I'm not sure the somewhat small ball joints have the full range of motion I like though, so a simple and cheap mod in the future may be to replace the tie rod and ball joints with bigger ones.

Here we have the mostly assembled trike.

The rear derailleur and cluster. Bargain but not no-name (Shimano and SRAM). 11- 34 tooth. I'm quite happy with the performance so far. The derailleur has a very nice range of motion and shifting once the drive train was adjusted is easy and flawless.

The adjustable boom with 30-42-52 tooth rings and three piece crankset.

Now here we have a wee bit of a problem. Where the cross beam attaches to the main boom with 4 large bolts, the main boom and cross beam don't quite seat flush against one another. It's still rock solid attached, but if nothing else it is a cosmetic scar I'd rather do without, and a symptom of less than ideal craftsmanship. Six hundred and seventy two dollars. So long as it stays rock solid I'll take it. Maybe add a rubber shim. Am I worrying too much about that? Do other trikes not have the cross beam and main boom absolutely flush against each other?

The sturdy mesh for the lightweight seat is strapped on with large zip ties. Clearly a budget choice over the sort of webbing straps and fasteners other trikes have, but have you ever tried to break a zip tie? Also moddable for a few bucks.

Here we see how the mesh slips over the adjustable joints of the seat frame.

The assembled trike next to it's bigger and older (and more stylish) cousin.

The trike is so much more lightweight compared to the 60 pound homebuilt trike. It is more nimble too (perhaps to a fault), and I can ride alot further before running out of steam. Uphill is certainly more easy. I can actually coast uphill on very small grades. That would never happen with the big guy. The turning radius is worse though. The big home-perfected trike's steering is impeccable for it's size- it parks like a tourbus, huge but can almost go sideways. Further adjustments will hopefully improve the turn radius. There's significant brake steer as well which I hope to correct with more tweaking.

As of now I'm very happy with my purchase.

I'll update my satisfaction with the trike over time, and maybe upload a video or two.

More importantly, how am I going to adorn my new trike? I can hardly leave it budget-boring and modern. Not a fan. Besides I just have to be different. When Alan and I were first going to make the Brass Lion the other idea we had besides decorating it in a Neo-Victorian style was to go with Art Deco. As you might imagine all things cycle and Art Deco go quite well together. Some bicycles and accessories are Art Deco by default. Why every trike most be decorated in the same colour schemes and with logos I don't know. But you don't see a fourth the variety in appearance of trikes as you do in the larger bicycle world. So I'm thinking a wee bit of Art Deco. Bullet headlight (the guts can be any budget) and appropriate tailight, probably mounted on a very sweet shiney fender. The Honjo French-inspired aluminum fenders are very easy on the eyes. Check them out at Velo Orange. But we're talking chrome instead of brass, nice rounded aerodynamic shapes, appropriate colours (the already flat black trike is a good start). Maybe a pin stripe.

Every Anniversary Is A Brass Anniversary

2008-07-20T09:16:00.008-04:00

We celebrated our eighth anniversary recently, and here are the shinies!

The principle gifts were an engineer's lensatic compass and a very see-thru pocket watch, respectively. We also dined at the reincarnation of the original City Tavern of Philadelphia (a recommendation to all Steampunks), and purchased there some pewter tankards and cookbooks. Note the pocket watch still has the clear plastic protective sheets.

Fuel For The Boiler: Steampunk Cookbook

2008-07-11T13:53:00.005-04:00

What a capital idea!

You can buy it online from Lulu as either a pdf file or a hardcopy.

Fuel For The Boiler

Since time out of mind, food has brought man together. Over meals laws have been made,lover discovered,and families bonded. It is no wonder, then, that a community of people could and would create their own recipe book. What started as a simple idea on a forum (Brass Goggles)has become an all out literary project.

We received our copy:

Google Lively Steampunk Chatroom

2008-07-09T01:56:00.004-04:00

I've created and embedded at the bottom of this page a Steampunk virtual chatroom using Google's new Lively 3D chat application. Hopefully over time more Victorian and Steamy objects will be added to the library.
Meanwhile give it a try!

http://www.lively.com/dr?rid=1467391286766872410

In Defence of Shiny

2008-07-04T18:17:00.007-04:00

William Gibson reportedly said when asked about Steampunk which some argue he helped inspire * (the punk anyway) that among other things he wished Steampunks would make things look more aged and distressed instead of shiny new.

One thing wrong with that idea is that Steampunks do indeed often make things look distressed to varying degrees of plausibility. Distressed Steampunk stuff tends to make the rounds less than the shiney new brass stuff. Which leads to my argument in defence of all things shiny:

Look at all the beautifully preserved historical objects and machinery in museums or private collections. From hand mirrors to steam tractors and trains, they look NEW. They looked new and were very much purposefully shiny and gilded when new, then a long series of people lovingly preserved them in near new condition. Sometimes a worn part might be replaced, especially in the case of machinery, so that in fact the parts of a given object may vary in age but the goal has been to keep it like new both in terms of working order and appearance.

There is a concept called "Beausage", a combination of beauty and usage referring to the natural, slow longterm wear or patina that can develop on a given point of contact. A key, knob, corner, a leather seat or handle. Whether the material be brass, wood or leather.
Even in this case it is not the intent of the manufacturer and often the end user for the wear to purposefully be there- it is a natural consequence and in fact can develop from the very act of polishing an item for a century. I'm guessing this is the sort of wear Mr. Gibson would prefer.

I have yet to see the artificially aged item that looks this way. It's an old trick of fakery and is a way to spot fakes for a reason- it doesn't look right. New looks like both new and well preserved old. Fake doesn't look like old, it looks fake. A mistake I've seen fairly often is to age the area or even the whole item too much- as if it was dropped whole into a swamp. All the common ready made faking craft supplies achieve the dropped-in-a-swamp effect.

In a very real way patina, rust etc certainly does not show loving use but neglect.

The easiest way to make your craftwork look like a well looked after museum piece is to leave it looking as new as when you made it. With a slight bit of work you can age a corner with a few light scuffs then polish again as someone would. But the single best way is to let it happen naturally from actually using your item for a few decades.

Perhaps someone a hundred years from now will cherish a certain brass keyboard complete with naturally worn keys from actual use. But an artifically aged item will be appreciated a hundred years later in the same way it was when it was new- as a poor substitute.

* The word Steampunk in the sense someone felt a need to marry an appreciation of Steam Age technology with Cyberpunk, but Victorian age inspired fashion and other creative outlets that have grown to become "Steampunk" would have happened anyway regardless of what we called it.

Full Steam Ahead

2008-06-30T05:01:00.002-04:00

Okay, so the Brass Lion still isn't steam powered. There are certain legal requirements regarding the bike path that prevent that. But! Here's a short video of the Brass Lion passing by at a decent clip.

Sexy In Black

2008-06-27T16:23:00.008-04:00

The white show tires are great for well, show. I still much prefer the look of white tires on the trike. Like a certain rug that brings the room together, the white tires help bring home the old school feel.

Saying that, these new black tires I bought for a faster ride are easy on the eyes are they not? The front tires are Primo Comets. The 1.3 and 1.5 Comets are in common use but Primo also manufactures the Comet in 1.95 and 2.1 sizes. The 1.95 is shown on my sweet sweet trike. The rear tire is a Schwalbe Big Apple. I may eventually try the cushioned ride of the Big Apple on all three wheels. Even with centerpoint steering the fat Comets make turning slightly more effort. All three tires are considerably heavier than the white tires, but at the same time provide a faster ride.

NuVinci Lust

2008-06-25T11:54:00.003-04:00

I so want one of these. At about $350 it's no $1400 Rohloff hub so maybe for Christmas. ^_o

The gear ratio changes smoothly. You can shift while standing still and shift dynamically for the smallest of road changes. It seems to me those qualities would be ideal on a trike.

The idea stems from some plans Leonardo DaVinci cooked up in about 1490.

Juggernaut

2008-06-21T04:47:00.002-04:00

For every squirrel I run over I put one of these on my fender.

I kid I kid.

Pathfinding

2008-06-18T14:53:00.012-04:00

We rode a bit this past weekend on a proper trail instead of our usual testing grounds. The Brass Lion had a flat at one point ( I suspect a pinch flat with the front tires being only 35 psi), but that afforded an opportunity to get some experience fixing a flat on a 7 foot 7 inch 60 pound trike. We received many offers of help though we didn't need it. The local bike club patrols the trail with zeal, which makes a geezer very happy indeed.

Average speed was 10 miles per hour. Eight mph uphill, and I topped out somewhere over 17 miles per hour (the person with the gps was going 17 mph and fell behind me).
Not exactly record shattering but I'll take it. Ten miles per hour is pretty much where I want to be on a relaxing jaunt through deer country (or is it hawk country? We saw about a dozen).

Spore Creature Creator

2008-06-18T03:16:00.002-04:00

Here's my first attempt at creating something resembling a tadpole trike in the Spore Creature Creator.

Nevermind.

Old Bean

2008-06-17T06:04:00.005-04:00

Brass Lion: The Essential Collection

2008-06-16T10:34:00.021-04:00

Here is the essential collection of images of the Brass Lion, including photos which debuted in the Steampunk Workshop coverage of the Brass Lion.

Conspicuously missing are photos of me riding the trike in period dress. I'll post those together with one or two additions in a day or two.

Outtakes

2008-06-15T01:53:00.007-04:00

Here are a handful of photographs taken at the same time as the photos on Steampunk Workshop.

I will soon be including all the photos on Steampunk Workshop here for completeness.

The Steampunk Workshop Article

2008-06-13T12:51:00.007-04:00

Mister Jake Von Slatt over at the rightly revered Steampunk Workshop has a nice overview of the Brass Lion including many new photographs and a short video that are making their debut there. So check it out!

If you are coming from there, welcome! Put on some tea and delve into the history of the bike build and see how it was done in all its unseemly glory.

Addendum: Also boingboing.net and the Makezine blog.

Addendum 2: Gizmodo

The Brass Oil Lamps In Operation

2008-06-10T00:42:00.011-04:00

We photographed the brass oil lamps in operation at twilight. Darkness came quickly so the lighting actually varies from photo to photo and video snippet to video snippet. If the video is too dark don't worry I'll shoot more video. But remember the subject here is the lamps and the very pleasing warm flickering glow they give off. The scent of the paraffin carries quite far.

Photographs:

Video:

We have no ride video just yet as we're experiencing a major heat wave here. The temperature on the Ninth of June was 99 degrees fahrenheit and very humid! I'm not hardcore enough to go riding on a day like that, much less in anything resembling period costume.

Ladies And Gentlemen, I Present The Brass Lion!

2008-06-01T21:19:00.027-04:00

It's June and I want to ride! So yeah the rear rim could use painting and such, but darnit we started this in February. We'll continue to improve the trike but we're going to call her done. Riding photos and video will be forthcoming.

Seen In The Wild

2008-05-28T19:36:00.005-04:00

Well we didn't manage to go riding on Memorial Day. I had completely blanked out that our trailer hadn't even arrived yet, much less had we gotten a license for it. So there was no way I could have taken a mostly finished trike to the trails. Wishful thinking.

But that allowed me to relax a bit more and not rush the clear coat and so forth. This weekend will be spent on the finishing touches and then right here you'll see a nice photo spread of the completed trike in all its glory!

Mostly The Jobs We Call Paint (Part Deux)

2008-05-23T18:48:00.007-04:00

No, we didn't get hit by a bus. :)

The weather has been nothing but rain and high wind but we were finally able to begin painting. We were going to set up a tent outside but the wind on the best of days is just too much, so we set up an operation area in the well-ventilated basement.

I hope to have the major painting and clear coating dried on Memorial Day for the inaugural run. There will still be some small bits unfinished so the trike won't be officially finished by then but I just have to ride it on the holiday. Expect a sneak peak of the trike in the wild by Tuesday!

Ten Kinds of Awesome

2008-05-05T23:12:00.004-04:00

If I may say so.

What? Too pimp?

Flaming Cyclist

2008-05-04T13:22:00.003-04:00

Ah what those wacky Burning Man attendees get up to. A flaming cyclist kinetic sculpture is simultaneously simple and sheer genius.

Elegant Steerage

2008-04-20T13:22:00.005-04:00

We've replaced the stand-in steering arms (handlebars) with new much more elegant handles more fitting of a Steampunk theme. I did like the ratty old handles though. We'll have to use theme in some other project. Here's before and after photos.

Loaded

2008-04-19T19:52:00.007-04:00

So we tested the new bike rack with a decent load, stuffing the packs with random oddments in the basement workshop. The trike gets a little tipsy with a decent load the likes of which one might take on a long tour or camping trip. It's unyieldy in the way most anything loaded down for such a trip would be. So it's not unusually bad but I gotta slow down a bit and take corners carefully. A parking brake (rubberband or bungie cord wrapped around the brake lever) becomes necessary. Check out the lantern tail light.

Portage

2008-04-17T05:23:00.008-04:00

We've installed our rear luggage rack of choice, pretty much the only rear rack on the market made for suspension bikes, the Axiom Odyssee. The flat black is acceptable, but I could also make it look like wrought iron.

Previously we had a long horizontal tube extended from behind the seat to over the rear wheel. The original intent was for a pillion seat to be mounted there but we've since abandoned the idea (a second time). The tube is shortened now to make room for the rear rack, and has about an inch of space between it and the rack. Being a suspended rear triangle, it needs room to flex. Nonetheless we could probably put together a moving connection of some sort between the rack and the tube. We could also just chop it completely off as it has become superfluous.

So what I'd like opinions on is do we keep the now shortened tube? Is it aesthetically better with or without it? The pillion seat we decided couldn't be made safe without redesigning the frame, and it just didn't look right hanging over both sides of the single bar. Now that the pillion seat is out and anything I should need to transport will be on the rear rack itself, might the tube be re-purposed?

Maybe I could put a helmet hook there, or a giant deathray mounted above my head, aimed where I look. Jacob's ladder perhaps? The FCC would love that.

Opinions welcome.

Brass, Part Deux

2008-04-16T04:12:00.008-04:00

Here are some photographs of the various brass bits in the running for inclusion on the trike:

Wood

2008-04-11T16:39:00.009-04:00

One simply cannot have Steampunk without a bit of wood somewhere now can one? I've admired the wood fenders of one Mister Cody Davis for some time now, and they seemed the perfect way to include an elegant touch of wood to the Steampunk tadpole trike project.

With encouragement from Mister Jake Von Slatt we've decided to try adding coach lamps to the trike as well. Small things they are not. But they may be just that slightly gonzo something extra to really bring the project together. The one pictured was converted to electrical use by a previous owner. We will of course undo that bit of business.

Wood Indeed.

Tailgaters Beware

2008-04-07T23:03:00.004-04:00

Courtesy Freakbike Militia

Yes, we're still working on the trike. There are things to consider. Weighty things!

Mostly The Jobs We Call Paint

2008-03-30T14:52:00.003-04:00

Here is what we're looking at for a paint theme. I painted the colours you see unto a primed piece of square bar as a test (having previously tested a variety of paints on cardboard). The round tube features a textured black paint that mimics pitted wrought iron very well.

All the paints currently being considered are from Rustoleum. The dark colour pictured on the square bar is called Oil-Rubbed Bronze. It has showy metal flecks that as such isn't the most realistic. But it's gorgeous in person and I've fallen in love with it. The lighter colour is Metallic Brass (despite the name you cannot see metal flecks but a solid realistic tone).

The simulated wrought iron is called "Hammered" and comes in several colours. Black is the colour of choice here for wrought iron.

58 Pounds, 26.3 kg or 4.1 Stone

2008-03-28T21:55:00.008-04:00

So we weighed the trike in its current form today by balancing it on a cinder block with a board and scales on top. It weighs 58 pounds, and we haven't even started adding brass yet. ;D

The test rides have been quite pleasant but perhaps I'll feel it on a 20 mile ride. If nothing else I'll get a better workout. I get alot of momentum and can coast quite far, even while doing a turn through clumpy grass. It's the caddy of trikes.

No Space For The Brass Horn

2008-03-27T17:45:00.012-04:00

Sadly I think we'll have to bid adieu to the big brass horn. It is alot of fun and would certainly help to Steampunk up the trike, but I don't see how to manage placing the thing where I can easily squeaze it, especially if I want room for a water bottle or any electro-gadgetry. Perhaps with a compressed air supply and some sort of control mechanism I could relocate the horn elsewhere.

Speaking of, one Mister Richard Philabaum of the 'Bent Rider Online Forum modified his Airzound horn with a button valve and some tubing to relocate the control to his horn. Maybe we'll have to try something like that.

Then there's always the good old fashioned brass bell. But I'd really like a horn.

A Clever English Bicycle Awareness Ad

2008-03-25T21:05:00.005-04:00

This is a very clever public service announcement from England on the subject of spotting those flitting about faerie creatures known as bicyclists. Just watch it. :)

Thanks to http://www.customfillari.fi

Homebuilt Tadpole Trike Field Test (Hill Climbing)

2008-03-25T08:30:00.013-04:00

So with new sprocket, front derailleur, chain and pedals we toured around a parking lot for about 90 minutes to test the new improved drive train version 6.87. ;p

All seems to work quite well. There is still the business of fashioning the perfect chain guard but that's a relatively minor detail. The trike works.

We had early on decided to give a good go to including a pillion seat on the back for a passenger (read: 115 pound Alan). If you look at the design of the trike you can spot the evidence- an elongated bar over the back wheel and extra support behind the seat. We abandoned the idea early because pedaling proved impossible but taking a second look at it we think it might have been more a fault of the misbehaving drive train than my lack of bike legs. Either way, I can pull Alan along with me much better now. So we're going to have another look at how to make a pillion seat workable. Where do we put pegs for the passenger's hands and feet? I mention this as it may delay the finishing of the trike a tad. Otherwise with the drive train now working we'd be ready for paint! But patience is a virtue, and I trust the final result will prove worthwhile.

Here's a nice seven minute thirty second video featuring some decent hill climbing, something trikes aren't known for being good at because you can't stand on the pedals with your weight forward.

Seeing The Light

2008-03-24T10:11:00.008-04:00

We've been working on a new drive train, and now the trike has a new front derailleur, shiny new chain, and as depicted in the photo a sprocket off a bmx bike for drive side chain management.

We rode for about three hours on what was a picture perfect Easter Sunday. Forty-nine degrees and pure sun. We had worked up a new chain guard for the sprocket much like the chain guard for the old pulley. But it would move and the chain grind against it after awhile. So there's still work to be done there. The trike rides fine without a chain guard, it's just that on some lateral bounces in grass or on rough terrain the chain tends to come off the sprocket making it necessary to stop and reset it. We also added on some new wider pedals, and at night we decided to go for a second ride with the help of new LED headlights we acquired figuring on stuffing the electronic innards and lights into old bicycle lamps. Below there is a short video featuring the bike lights at night.

Antique Bicycle Lamp

2008-03-21T07:20:00.009-04:00

I finally managed to win an auction on ebay for a vintage bicycle lamp from the 19th century, when bicycle lights were oil lamps or had carbide batteries. They seem quite popular for collectors as there is always a few on ebay and the bidding is always active.

This one ain't too pretty, one reason I didn't have much competition for it. It's also nickel plated instead of brass but I like it none the less. A little polish and elbow grease and the lamp will shine fine. The lamp has no lens but we can salvage one from another (modern) light or even fashion a lens.

As you can see in the photo the old reflector (the little round bit on the ground)normally in the back of the lamp is quite corroded. It may be salvageable but I might also replace it with the brass door slide handles you see pictured below with the lamp. The size and shape are perfect, and brass would give a warm glow.
I may also stuff the lamp with the battery pack, electronic innards and light array of a modern LED bike light, without modifying or harming the original lamp.

Rogues Gallery

2008-03-18T04:38:00.009-04:00

Onward!

So I've been experimenting with different Rustoleum rattle can spray paints. Sure it would be nice to always use real brass, wrought iron etcetera, but that's not always practical. Weight and tensile strength are two important considerations. But there might be some frugality involved as well- if I'm going to have something powder coated I might as well not build things myself. ;)

Just don't tell anyone at the country club.

Here's a rogues gallery of Rustoleum paints. I've cut up some cardboard to serve as sample tabs. I primed and clear coated them as well. In fact I'll be testing different coatings- enamel, urethane and so on. My favorite paints I will test on square bar.

I know I'm not the only one who uses the occasional rattle can so hopefully my ongoing paint experiments will prove useful to my compatriots.

Groove Thing (or That Ain't Right Pt. 2)

2008-03-16T11:25:00.008-04:00

Methinks there's a little wear between the chain and the idler pulley.

I guess we're going to try a different wider pulley, a one eighth inch chain, a twenty-five dollar TerraTrike pulley or some combination thereof. None of which address what made the chain do that anyway (I don't know).

That Ain't Right

2008-03-15T16:20:00.012-04:00

We were having problems with our thumb shifter of choice and the front derailleur gears, so we switched back to its original twist grip shifter. We also made true the rear wheel. I had a spill taking a tight turn at speed which seemed to make the back wheel off center but thankfully didn't "taco" the wheel. We also finally got around to installing the front brakes. All those cables now have made for a cable management nightmare. The tension on the collective cables is actually interfering with the Ackerman steering, preventing the wheels from righting themselves when in forward motion. So there's work to be done there.

We don't know if any of the above is related but I had a spectacular failure of the drive train today during more extensive tests, ranging further on the trike than before. I was pedaling up a slight incline feeling what would be a typical amount of resistance. I never felt the front derailleur or chain fail but one dragged the other into the crankset (which I don't know). I only noticed a problem when I could no longer pedal because a link of chain had become unriveted and was bent perpendicular to the rest of the chain and stuck fast in the chainring.

So a wee bit more work to be done on the drive train. I wish I knew what to ask advice about but neither of us knows how such a thing could happen. Anyway, here's the horror show. :)

Brass pRon

2008-03-15T13:15:00.009-04:00

This is what happens when I go to the hardware store. Just one more brass doo dad I may use. Someday. See that brass coat hook? I want to make a brake lever with it. Maybe a thumb shifter.

To Wit: Steampunk

2008-03-14T11:10:00.006-04:00

No, this is not another attempt to define Steampunk. You may find such scholarly work elsewhere should you wish it.

Now that our tadpole trike is mechanically all but finished I must begin in earnest to define how it may be transformed into a Victorian Lady of some refinement. I allow myself some conceit there- it will never be a Fine Lady. But it may through diligent work and divine temperance become at least a daring middle class adventure seeker!

With apologies for the distress it may cause, I must inform you the trike may not be photographed for a time. Know that the hours spent debating its character will only sweeten the debut of what can only be a technological and artistic marvel for our time.

There are matters to discuss. Which seat is best, button upholstery or Victorian print? Is it acceptable to mention spray paint in polite society? Will I ever win an ebay auction for an authentic brass bicycle lamp? How much brass can be fitted to the trike anyway and still maintain a constant speed of three miles per hour? How much choice is available for white bicycle tyres? Which law governs steam driven vehicles on bicycle paths- bicycle, moped, motorcycle or automobile law? How can I work in some vacuum tubes, and is my horn too big?

Field Test

2008-03-13T12:52:00.009-04:00

As promised, here is video of a little field testing of the tadpole trike.
The drive train was still giving us trouble during what is the first part of the video. The problems are ironed out by the second half of the video.

Potential

2008-03-12T20:55:00.016-04:00

With the tadpole trike now operational I hope you, dear reader, can see within the following photographs potential for the trike to be Steampunked.

Moving pictures tomorrow!

Drive Train In Vain

2008-03-11T22:18:00.021-04:00

The time came for one of the most meaty parts of building the trike, the drive train.
We cut a bottom bracket from an old bike with as much connected tube as we could so we have plenty to work with (it can always be shortened). Tabs are welded to the bottom bracket with tube at a precise angle, and holes drilled in the tabs so the whole apparatus can by bolted to the main boom of the trike. This approach has the advantage of making the trike adjustable for different lengths of rider. We fudged a little on the above photo as it is more recent. We forgot to take any pictures of certain parts of the build including this crankset assemblage. Processing photographs for this blog has taught me how useful photography is at spotting things that may have gone unnoticed. Observe the shiny new red synthetic axle grease visible inside the bottom bracket, the brass horn, and the mud. While we're at it, shouldn't that horizontal line drawn on the bottom bracket tabs be parallel with the boom? Pip. -_0

An axle for a pulley with bearing is welded to the side of the main boom to guide the drive side of the chain underneath the cross boom to which the front wheels are attached. Otherwise the chain would rub against the cross boom and that would be unpleasant as well as inefficient.

We've had a number of problems with the drive train, not least with the pulley. Within ten feet of the maiden test ride of the newly trike-like trike the pulley was sheered upward breaking the apparently not so great weld as you can see in these images:

Know, good fellows, we record our foibles as well as our triumphs.

A stronger axle was masterfully welded into place. Another problem we were having was the chain would leave the pulley in hard turns at slow speeds (In first gear). With some help from the Atomic Zombie forums, we affected a cunning solution. A pliable ribbon of steel is affixed around the pulley to act as a chain guard so the chain cannot escape. We added our own extra touch- a little wriggle room is left on the axle between pulley and securing nuts, and a spring inserted so the pulley remains taught but can move wherever the chain wishes it. The new guide pulley looks thus:

Continuing with the drive train, part of a rear derailleur is attached to the back of the main boom behind the seat to pick up slack and help guide the return side of the chain.

The chain was far too long, as you can see in the photograph below, so it was shortened. The chain no longer droops on the ground.

Handlebars and goosenecks were hastily hacked and welded to serve as temporary steerage. The seat long since bent and secured.

The gears and such still need some fine tuning over time, but the drive train is essentially finished. The tadpole trike is now ready for field tests!

Fun With Seats

2008-03-10T15:55:00.017-04:00

We received a seat we're considering for the tadpole trike. It's actually a motorcycle seat of the King Cobra style, I believe.

Many bike and trike builders seem to regard the seat as an afterthought, using clunky self-made seats or kitchen chairs both of which look like crap. Some construct tubular and mesh seats which look much better, weigh less, and prevent sweaty backs on long rides. Others buy an existing commercial seat, often fiberglass or carbon fiber with a nice lumbar curve. We're too cheap for that.

So, we looked at many sources, bicycle and otherwise. Lambretta seats for example, and motorcycle seats. With a particular eye for seats that would lend themselves to the Steampunk theme, or at least not impede it. The most traditional bicycle seat would be most historically correct if you look at old boneshaker photographs and the first trikes. But we decided to make both a stylistic concession and a concession to comfort (hopefully). A mesh seat seemed inappropriate for the theme.

The above seat with its buttoned pattern is at least old-fashioned. In our searches for various parts and inspiration I realized just how much motorcycles and scooters of all kinds harken back to at least the golden age of art deco if not the Steam Age.
You can't get an automobile new like the Doble steam car or a Duesenberg, but you can get a motorcycle with an old soul.

The seat is quite comfortable, though neither of us has yet sat on it for three hours in one go. More comfortable than you might think to see it but the foam is quite firm so you don't rub against the buttons. We goofed off a wee bit to take a break from serious building and strapped the seat to another little gearless delta trike we have around. Here's the video evidence:

Yes, the seat will be bent at some point for a nice curve. While we're on the subject, here is the seat to the ol' Triton Pro delta play-thingie:

Hermes In Repose

2008-03-09T16:38:00.008-04:00

Man, we just went cycling for the first time in more than a month. Winter laxity combined with most free time of late spent learning new skills and building cool stuff has lead to the loss of what bike legs this chronicler and company had.

No matter. The magnificent new beastie will whip us into shape like a drill sergeant. Eighty-five pounds of magnificent gleaming steel rolling roughshod over neglected branch covered pathways, calories burning with the hum of the rear derailleur.

I exagerate slightly about the weight.

The Tadpole Trike Takes Shape

2008-03-09T05:30:00.012-04:00

Alrighty! Lots of welding goes on behind the scene not documented here. You see the UV light welding gives off makes it impossible to photograph without risking your camera (UV from arc welding can actually give you a tan and ruin your eyes, kids).

But here we see the seat bar and a support beam welded into place. We had the wacky idea to add a pillion seat to the design, hence the support beam. It is otherwise unnecessary. The suspension attaches to the beam with a couple of welded on tabs.
Gaze upon the awful beauty of our welds and tremble, mere mortal! Did I mention we only took up welding for this project?

The steering is finished, and even a few welds cleaned up.

Here's a close up of one of the brake arms. Caliper brakes will attach to the arm behind the wheel.

The trike has really taken shape, and I've devoted considerable time to what the finished design will look like. I'm not quite happy yet with the design in my minds eye. We've ordered a few parts and such and begun testing paints. But more about that later.

Two Wheels Are Better Than None

2008-03-08T08:11:00.010-05:00

Okay! Now the trike is really starting to take shape. The cross beam the two front wheel head tubes will be attached to has been chopped and welded and we get to have more fun with steering geometry. The head tubes have to be mounted to the cross beam at just the right angle so the wheels turn on a single point, and with a wee front leading tendency so the wheels automatically track forward. This is the hardest part of the trike build.

Here's the cross beam ready to go:

Here is the cross beam clamped to the main boom, with wheels leaning against it just for show. The seat tube has also been welded in place.

Wee! Imagination Tricycle!

The Rear Triangle

2008-03-07T17:36:00.011-05:00

Now it's time to cannibalize the mountain bike with a suspended rear triangle we purchased from Walmart for less than eighty bucks. That's one donor we didn't find on Craiglist (I could do an article on why bikes via Craigslist ain't worth the time). We'll also harvest other parts- it was money well spent.

Here's the bike:

The triangle lies naked with the other wheels.

We've attached the suspended rear triangle to the new main boom of the trike. Previously a bottom bracket was attached to the square bar that comprises the boom.

One is careful to insure the triangle is parallel with the main boom.

That's all for now!

Finding the Center Point

2008-03-07T02:53:00.014-05:00

Newly manufactured metal tabs in hand, it's time to figure out the center point of the front wheels so they can turn correctly on their axles. We want the wheels to turn directly on their centers. This process (as we did it anyway) is as much "eye- balling" it as making any measurements.

The tabs are welded to steerer tubes (only tack welded in the photo).

Sorted!

Now With Moving Pictures

2008-03-06T16:46:00.017-05:00

And sound!

The following videos cover the same territory as the previous post. Which is to say the slaughter of innocent bike forks for their precious head tubes, and also the manufacture of chunky metal slabs to turn into holed tabs for the steering system.

Warning! This first video is very LOUD!
Here we grind off the fork legs to harvest the headtubes. Grinding is very loud and smelly. Apologies for the volume. I could have muted the sound or lowered the volume but it's important for would- be builders to know just how loud grinding is.

In this next moving picture we see the drilling of the metal tabs used as part of the steering system.

More About Our First Project

2008-03-05T14:51:00.023-05:00

Our first project as mentioned in the introduction is a tadpole trike with a Steampunk theme. For the uninitiated, a "tadpole" trike has two wheels in front and one trailing tail of a third wheel. A "delta" trike is the opposite- one sexy wheel out front. Supposedly a tadpole with two wheels in front is more stable in turns and such. I must say though there's a certain fly by the seat of your pants charm to a delta.

Our budding interest in all things bicycle started fairly recently, just this past October, 2007. Since then we've looked at and read so much bike related info our collective eyes have ceased to function for short periods. This includes a great deal of DIY stuff, because it sounded like a fun project to do together. A couple of good resources are The Human- Powered Vehicle Association and Atomic Zombie.

The HPVA's labyrinthine website contains a wealth of builder's info including plans, photos, and theory such as steering geometry. Atomiczombie.com is home to Brad Graham, a longtime DIY bike guy who sells plans and has a few books under his belt. The support forum there is friendly and responsive. Our tadpole trike is based on Brad's Streetfox plans.

But enough chitter- chatter! Here's some photos of the beginning of our trike build.

In the photo at the top of this post head tubes are extracted from old bikes with the help of a grinder. Sorry for the lack of focus- the flash failed to go off.

Below, the head tubes are ground clean.

Tabs of metal plate are welded together as part of the steering system.
In the photo the tabs have only been tack welded. They were completely welded after the photo.

That's all for now, tune in tomorrow for the next exciting chapter!

Ahoy Hoy

2008-03-04T21:12:00.035-05:00

Welcome to our humble blog, dear reader. We are Misters Eric and Alan respectively, and herein we will be documenting our bicycle building efforts as a rule, but other interests and adventures as well.

I say bicycles but by no means will they be limited to two wheels. In fact, as a rule they will have more than two. Our first project is a tadpole trike, which we intend to have a Steampunk theme. Steampunk is something we've always enjoyed and the trike as planned has more ground clearance than the typical tadpole trike. Something about that tall off-the-ground profile reminded me of the first bicycles, trikes and automobiles such as the 1886 Benz.

We both have early memories of old fashioned tech. I (Eric) remember my father sending me down to Murphy's General Store in Fountain Square in Indianapolis, vacuum tube or three in my hand. The store had a vacuum tube testing machine, rather like the blood pressure machine you might find in a drug store today. My father was an amateur inventor and had all sorts of fans, radios and other gadgetry and old tools lying around. He never possessed a single power tool. Alan remembers a neighbor with lots of old audio equipment and a big brass organ in his garage. His grandmother would give him radios to fix. He also fondly remembers
going to the state fair from the earliest age and seeing the variety of
old steam powered tractors and mills. While some of this old tech is not of the Steam Age the early exposure gave us an appreciation of old fashioned tech.

Steampunk is only one expression of a wider appreciation of all things mechanical, handcrafted, fine and fun. Much of what we blog about will not be particularly Steampunk, but hopefully can be appreciated by the same audience.

We live in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania and when attempting to come up with a name for ourselves and our blog we wanted something old timey feeling. We settled on naming ourselves after a prominent figure in Valley Forge history. Wilhelm Von Steuben trained the Continental Army at Valley Forge in the art of drill and warfare as the Prussians saw it.
Hence Steuben's Wheelmen!