The Cargo Bay

I'm working on the cargo bay for the Long-Tom.  Tom thinks that only 24" wide is good for going through doorways.  I decided to go with 26" wide.  I only wasted a bit of EMT tubing in the process of figuring out  How to get each side 13" wide with two 90° angles and a total length of 23" (or 23-1/4").  Once I had two of those that matched, I put them on the floor and welded them together.  Then cleaned off the welds with the grinder.  I centered the frame, clamped it in place on the bicycle frame, and tack-welded it into place.

You'll notice that the cargo frame isn't exactly flush with the bicycle frame.

So there will be a slight backward slant to the floor.

However, it butts up against the bottom of the top tube

and firmly up against the headset tube in the rear.

It's not going anywhere.

This is looking at the bottom of the cargo frame ...

before 45° braces were installed.

There it is out in the sun with handlebars.

You can also see the 45° support bars that I welded to each end of the cargo floor.

Oh yes, I cleaned and re-greased the bearings for the bottom bracket and put the crank back in.

HOWEVER, I don't yet have the steering rod attached ...

Which makes the bike a little awkward to move around.

(the handlebars just spin 

and the front wheel goes any which way)

Steering Headset

 

Foundation for the cargo section. 

 

The top tube fits the headset cup.  But the headset extension tube is larger in diameter than this tube ... so I cut a piece of 1/2" EMT tubing and split it down one side, cut across to make two pieces, then spread them open to make 1/2-moon pieces to go around and shim the larger tube.  This centered the larger tub inside the headset extension tube.

 

Looking down inside the headset extension tube, you can see the end of the short piece of tubing that the cup fits into. 

 

Looking from the side ... what you can't see are that the shims were even with the top of the headset tube extension, while the inner tube protruded 1/8" above.  I then welded the inner tube to the outer tube.  And tapped the cup into place.  This allows for replacement of the cup and bearings as they wear. 

 

This is the extended tubing for the headset.

It was cut, and a 3/4" EMT tubing was welded in between the two pieces.

 

Upper end 

 

lower end. 

 

If you can differentiate it from the parts in the background ...

 There's the frame temporarily on wheels. 

 

Another view from a rearward angle. 

Gotta work on steering rod and brakes next.