Doing It Euro Style

The Dutchie' hooked it up with "Big Twin" mag from the Netherlands.

Always a good time when Maurice comes down! Good enough reason for all the Homies to get together,throw some Asada on the grill and have a few brew's. Take care Maurice!

MOUNT UP

Finally got a new chuck for my lathe! Actually,it's from the 50's,but it's new to Me. The old one was too wobbly. It made centering your work piece a real bitch! First pieces I made with the new chuck were the sissy bar mounts for the Born Free bike. Worked great!

Started out with two pieces of 3/4"x 2" roundstock. Drilled out the center for the 9/16" roundstock I'm using for the sissy bar and rounded off the edge.

flipped the piece around and rounded off the end

almost done

cut a 3/8'' x1'' section out. A cut off wheel on a 4" grinder works good.

cut a 2'' long piece of 1/4" x 1" flat stock. weld and blend it and your good to go!!

The portion that's welded to the frame is 3/8" x 1" flatstock.

3/8" is good because you can tap it and have plenty of threads. 

                                 Born Free's coming fast........And I still got aloooot of work to do.
                                Sometime's you need a little pressure to let you know your still alive!!

A DAY OF REFLECTION IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL

A big Sorry for the lack of post's to all the Cat's that stop by here every now and then to kill some time!
But Man,I've super busy!!

I did get a chance to break away and visit the "Vietnam Wall Tribute" that was displayed at Rose Hills Cemetery this past week,Along with my Son and Father in law.

I gotta say,as I did expect it to be interesting and educational,I didn't expect it to be so moving!
As you approach this replica,you can only imagine the size and magnitude of the real wall.

all the time your there,a Veteran stands at the podium reading the the names that are listed on the wall.
there's a sort of somber silence and reverence among all the people there. While I was walking in front of the wall with my son,there was a Man dressed in an old Army fatigue shirt. He had one hand on his cane and the other in front of his mouth,masking his sob's. I could only imagine that He was thinking of his brother's that He lost there. My eye's welled up and I had a lump in My throat,and also on a few more occasions during my walk across the wall as I read the notes left by Friends and family of those on the Wall. Most of the notes were for local kid's that had just graduated from the surrounding High schools in 67' to 69',only to die in Vietnam less than year later.

I am too young to know what it was like for the Vet's that were coming home from Vietnam. But from what I've seen in movies and documentaries,read in book's and have heard from their own mouths,it wasn't too pleasant.  It seems they would have been happy with a just Big hug and a thank you!

Next time you come across a Veteran,young or old,a small gesture like a handshake and a Thank You could mean the world to them!

Be There Or Be Square!!!

BORN FREE BOUND

Grant and Mike were kind enough to ask Me to be a part of the show this year and build a Bike for their builder showcase.
It's exciting and nerve racking at the same time. Look's like there's gonna be a few busy months ahead! Luckily,For Me,I have the love and support of My family backing Me up! I was really looking forward to attending and having a good time at the show this year,so this is just icing on the cake!!
There's some super talented Dudes that are going to be building scooter's for the show as well. I gotta say,it's humbling to be included with all those Guy's. I think the best part about it is going to be the difference in the styles of bikes that we're all putting together. Good luck to you all!
Don't forget to get your raffle tickets for the give away bike's!!
Go to the website for more info on that.....http://bornfreeshow.blogspot.com/

East Los Veterano's Reunion

For the past 8 years,there's been a reunion of sorts going on down in East Los. It started as a small get together by a group of  friends that grew up in the same Barrio in East LA and hung out at a place known as "THE WALL". Most of these Cat's are in their early sixties and pretty mellow now. But you can tell by talking with em' and listening to the stories they tell and the old pictures that they pull out of the shoeboxes and old albums,that these were some crazy Mother Fucker's that were living in a time and place that We all wish We could travel back to! Just remember,when most of the Whiteboy's were cruising Bellflower and  Downey,these Homies were holding it down in the East Side!!

    This is Joe Cypert. Who by all accounts,was the craziest of em' all!! The reunion is held every year at his furniture shop on Whittier Blvd.in East Los. Super cool dude that would give you the shirt off his back! Builds some kick ass custom furniture,too. I sold him a 57' Coupe DeVille a few years back that I wish I would have kept!

That's Joe in the black shirt standing next to the Marine that was getting ready to head to Nam'.

A pic of my Buddy Walt's Dad,Walter Sr. and Joe.

Here's Big Walt kicking it next to his firme panel!

If you look back at some of the earlier posts on the blog,I've mentioned Walt Sr.before.I don't know if alot of people realize that there were alot of different ethnicities that made up East Los Angeles in the early days.

Italians,Russians,Jews,Mexicans,Yugoslavians,Japanese

Walter is full blooded Yugoslavian who's parent's migrated to U.S. and eventually ended up in East Los .

Back then,just as it is now,it didn't' matter what backround you were...If you were down,you were down!!

Some rides at the party