1980 Raleigh ‘Denim’ Eighteen

[Andy_R]

The Dibble wouldn't let me take my Cycling Proficiency on my Raleigh Chopper. They'd banned them for being able to take part because they were too unstable and dangerous. What a crock - when I crashed my chopper in 1976 I didn't break my pelvis that badly.

Anyway, this meant I had to do it on my sisters Raleigh Denim. Even worse, it had been adorned with flowery stickers. 45 years on I'm still traumatised by the experience.

Quit your macho posturing, get your lace hanky out of your handbag and have a good blub

 

[Survivor Bikes]

Yes! The Commando was a Raleigh Eighteen, but it had a little knife sticker on the seat tube, and a go-faster dimpled chainguard

Re the projects; I’m sort of semi-retired, semi-professional and semi-skilled.

15 years in the RN followed by a further 15 years in the old bill, where I lost a leg (careless I know, but the blue badge is great!); and now I potter around with small wheeled bikes 😊

 

[Drago]

Right on bro. 4 years in the infantry, almost 28 in the dibble. Broke my elbow quite badly on duty, lost some movement in the arm and the feeling in my 2 outside fingers and thumb. Retired rather than risk being f****d over by that idiot Tom Winsor.

Alas, I don't get to powder coat anything though.

 

[Survivor Bikes]

Right on bro. 4 years in the infantry, almost 28 in the dibble. Broke my elbow quite badly on duty, lost some movement in the arm and the feeling in my 2 outside fingers and thumb. Retired rather than risk being f****d over by that idiot Tom Winsor.

Alas, I don't get to powder coat anything though.

Who’d of thunk it?! Well I never. My injury was on duty too, and as a result Mr Winsor probably wants me bumped off 😊. I retired last April after spending 18 months doing the jobs they usually give to pregnant officers. I think it was when they put me in charge of ‘hate crime investigative standards’, that I decided there may be more to the world !

Well, if you’re ever in Hampshire, pop in and you can powder coat something

 

[EltonFrog]

Smashing colour on that 18.

 

[Survivor Bikes]

Smashing colour on that 18.

Thanks, I’m looking forward to having it back together soon.

 

[FrankCrank]

Superb looking paint job - really nice colour. I've never had the patience to do something like this - oily rag resto is about it for me. Will you be re-chroming bits as well?

 

[Survivor Bikes]

Superb looking paint job - really nice colour. I've never had the patience to do something like this - oily rag resto is about it for me. Will you be re-chroming bits as well?

Alas no, there’s really no substitute for genuine re-chroming, and owing to ever restrictive environmental legislation, that whole industry is becoming a very costly endeavour.

Powder coat can produce a ‘chrome’ effect, but on its own is not very convincing unfortunately.

I’ll restore as much of the original brightwork as I can, just with hand polishing and sealing. I’ve also got new-old-stock parts, and replacement polished alloy parts.

I shall attempt to reuse the rims by acid bathing them down to the nickel, and then preparing them for powder coat. I could fail miserably, but nothing ventured and all that. TTFN

 

[EltonFrog]

Alas no, there’s really no substitute for genuine re-chroming, and owing to ever restrictive environmental legislation, that whole industry is becoming a very costly endeavour.

Powder coat can produce a ‘chrome’ effect, but on its own is not very convincing unfortunately.

I’ll restore as much of the original brightwork as I can, just with hand polishing and sealing. I’ve also got new-old-stock parts, and replacement polished alloy parts.

I shall attempt to reuse the rims by acid bathing them down to the nickel, and then preparing them for powder coat. I could fail miserably, but nothing ventured and all that. TTFN

I'm very much looking forward to seeing the results of that endeavour.

 

[Survivor Bikes]

Day 4. Only a bit of progress today due to homeschooling duty (basically, my ten-year-old teaches me trigonometry!)

I've also coated the guards with flat metallic white, and rebuilt the bottom bracket. Tomorrow is only half a day too unfortunately, but it will get there :-)

 

[EltonFrog]

What did you do to the chrome? Just polish it?

 

[Survivor Bikes]

What did you do to the chrome? Just polish it?

Evening, yes just hand polished and finished with a sealing wax. It’s not perfect and it will always require a bit of TLC in the future; but there’s good quality British steel under there, and it’s original.

 

[Drago]

Blimey, if I lived nearer I'd be round your gaff every 3 minutes begging you to powder coat stuff for me! My local refinisher is very good, but your work looks flawless.

 

[Survivor Bikes]

Blimey, if I lived nearer I'd be round your gaff every 3 minutes begging you to powder coat stuff for me! My local refinisher is very good, but your work looks flawless.

Aw thanks Drago, you're a gent. Speaking of flawless, the front mudguard for this project is mullered (and even worse after tried to panel beat it!); so I'm off to my secret lock up in darkest Southampton, to rob a straighter one off another 18.

 

[Survivor Bikes]

Day 5. Only got a couple of hours in today. The few jobs I did, weren’t particularly photo-worthy. So instead here’s a picture depicting an attractive young woman on a Raleigh Twenty...

And in the interests of modernity, here’s Steve McQueen with a Peugeot and his top off...

Tata for now team 👍