And project #2...

Still got a lot to learn before moving up to seats and such...

Tryin my hand at leather tooling...

   Hoping to start doing some seats and bags eventually. Not really bike related just yet, but here's the first of my two attempts at this leather tooling endeavor.

Why we do what we do...

   Ever wonder what makes guys like us wanna cut up, chop, re-build, or otherwise "modify" things w/ wheels? I can't speak for the rest of you, but for me, it started as a kid. I can remember takin brand new Hot Wheels and drillin out the points where they mounted the body to the chassis and then spray paintin the body some wild metal flake color, changin the wheels, etc. to make them look "cool". As I got older, it was bicycles. I can remember gettin a new BMX bike for my birthday one year and within a week, I had stripped it down, repainted it, removed the safety features like chain guard and reflectors and reassembled it. Did it ride any better or increase the value? Not a bit, it just seemed like the thing to do. Fast forward to my late teens and it was dirt bikes, ATV's, then cars. Dad had a 71' VW Bug that a buddy of his repainted Corvette yellow ( the closet thing to "modifying" a vehicle he ever did I think), I took off the shift knob, drilled out and tapped a flourescent orange golf ball and put it on, w/o his approval of course. He didn't appreciate my efforts to say the least. Next up was an S-10 p/u. Pulled it in the shop where I worked and lowered it 4" front and rear. Cut the front coils, blocks in the rear, couldn't hardly drive it on anything but the smoothest of roads. Had an aquaintance do some crazy pin striping and I was proud as a peacock. The list goes on right up until today, 40+ years old and workin in my 10x10 shed on my latest obcession, the chopper build. Why? I honestly don't know. Is it the satisfaction of knowing you will have something unique, different than the rest of the crowd, built w/ your own hands, the sense of accomplishment you get when it's all done and take a step back and admire your work?  Whatever the reason, genetic defect, chracter flaw, or pure obscession, it's who I (and others) am, and I like to think we can't all be wrong! So, as we close out another year, keep choppin what ya got and buildin what ya like, it makes the world a more interesting place for all the others who don't share in our affliction...
          Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year...
                           PB

Merry Christmas to me...

   Workin on the artwork for a new seat to be tooled by my buddy Groovesdown over on TCU, details and pics to come...