I'm having a bit of difficulty finding the right area for the Auntra sign that I've completed, because it is pretty big, and needs to hang out from a wall in order for both legs to rotate freely (this is the "before" picture below).
The first step in the repair process was to measure the opening for the wheel and cut a circle from 1/2" plywood in the appropriate size. There was one leg piece that remained hanging from the sign when we claimed it, and I traced it onto some quality 1/4" plywood and cut it with a jigsaw.
Matching the beige color was difficult because weathering had changed the original shade, and everything I tried looked too bright. I chose an eggnog color and very lightly sprayed some gray primer over that to "dirty it up" a bit - the end result was pretty close!
I purchased a bunch of nylon bolts and spacers of different lengths, as well as some washers. Here is the old leg, which needed a bit of touching up, and the back side of the new leg, showing a bit of the assembly.
I had planned to paint the wheel spokes and tire, but I knew that the straight lines were going to be a challenge. I thought that a better method would be to use a wide tip Sharpie marker to draw the lines. While drawing I used a T-square, thankful that it featured raised edges to keep the ink from seeping under them and messing up my work. I found that my hand was still steady enough to paint the curve of the tire. As each side dried, I sprayed on a clear coat to protect the work.
I had to come up with an idea for the pedal assembly - something rigid, but not too thick, or the hip pieces would flex out from the body and not rotate smoothly. I wish I could explain how popsicle sticks came to mind, but I can't. I drilled 1/4 holes at each end of the sticks, one for the dowel that would provide the pedal axle and one for the dowel that would go through the wheel.
To create the fork, I glued and tacked a piece of 1/2" square dowel to both sides of the "head tube" on the bicycle sign. Previously I had tapered the bottom ends with a file and drilled a 9/32" hole in each to allow the wheel axle to rotate freely through them.
Putting the whole thing together was tricky, and I realized that I couldn't just slide the dowel through everything, because I needed to secure the wheel to the dowel to make it turn when the pedals moved. Any glue put on the axle dowel beforehand would be spread through the washers and holes in the fork, and be stuck as well.
I decided to split the axle in two halves, put the glue in the wheel hole and then push the two parts into the middle. To help stabilize the connection, I put a small pin in one end of the axle half, and test fit them before applying the glue. I touched up the exposed wood in the pedal area with black paint, and then fit the legs onto the sign.
The sign is hung here temporarily, but it can't stay, since it would waste the storage space for pegboard hooks, etc. There is also a dartboard nearby, and I certainly wouldn't want to risk any stray shots!
Now if I could only find all the parts I need to finish the Atala bicycle!
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