With limited resources I only have a few parts and want to make a SS out of a 7 speed wheel.
Has anyone ever just removed a freewheel derailleur and put on a freewheel single cog?

Fixed Gear Conversions

Just use a single FW instead and leave both brakes on.

-Bandera

I plan on leaving on the brakes, decent XT cantis to use it as a 700c/29r SS all round MTB.

Most MTBs have vertical drop outs, that make conversions more work (still do-able). Also you will need to re-space and re-dish the rear wheel (SS freewheel much narrower than 7 speed freewheel).

Leave it in one gear and don't shift?

Use the current 7-speed freehub body and replace all but the one chosen cog with spacers arranged to give a good chainline. As noted, unless you have horizontal dropouts, getting the proper chain tension will be a matter of luck, a fortuitous gear choice or using a half link.

Not a freehub but has horizontal dropouts. In its former iteration it was a Hybrid, I am changing it to a SS MTB. I will take the wheel to my local wheel builder and have him center the hub in the rim and replace the spokes and true the wheel, total cost is $5. I already have the SS freewheel, cost me $3. I have removed the RD and the FD cables because 2 of the cable housing stops were trashed and the crankset was toast. bike was a mess when my friend gave it to me. I have had to rebend the fork, replace the brake handles 9one was broken), new Canti brake shoes, new handlebars (bent), Grips, Bottom bracket, crankset (ridden while loose and trashed), Removed rusted FD, Replacing rusted chain and did not have a RD, mismatched wheels. It will be fun to rebuild it once I get the rattle can paint job done and have the wheels respoked.

this is what I started with...


And this is what I ended with after a bit of work

I had to re-curve the fork, I removed the cheap claw derailleur and the freewheel which I replaced with a single freewheel, I removed the FD, the trashed triple chain ring and the bottom bracket and replaced it with an old single front chainring and new bottom bracket, I replaced the cheap V brakes with some Deore LX Canti's with some new Tektro levers. Prior to the repaint, I had the gear housing stops removed for use on another bike. I also had a newer set of grips and handlebars with a recovered seat. The wheel set I respoked to center the rim on the hub after I removed an old freewheel 7 speed and also did the front wheel to match, the original front wheel was a trashed SS rim and the rear was a lightly tacoed 7 speed that really needed help. The seat post is original

I'm thinking something like that with some self studded tires would make a nice Ohio,USA winter bike :-). Thinking more of a SA 3 speed hub though :-).

screw on freewheel? substituting a single cog freewheel has worked , I re tensioned the spokes and shuffeled axle spacers
to Move the single cog to the right , to start the chainline adjustment ,

then adjust the crank end to line it up . via BB spindle length selection and crank choice ..

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S-A drum brake 3 speed is a great winter hub choice .. with a Drum brake up front..