Next!

[paul-kent]

collected my next project this week, another Raleigh
Plans for this one is to strip all paint and lacquer the bare metal.
Black brooks seat, new tyres, new cables, done !

love this old leather strap. It will be staying

 

[mjr]

I think that seat post may be slightly corroded

 

[paul-kent]

Extreme patina as it's known

 

[raleighnut]

Nice.

 

[paul-kent]

Well it's stripped!
I met a huge spider that was living in the steerer tube I thought it was just an old cobweb

Looking at this, I'd guess it sat a while
But 50+ years of oil and grease has kept it in good order overall

Even that seatpost came out easily

Anyone got a clue what this decal was, I'm guessing it was the supplier but I can't make anything of it

More over the weekend as the project goes on, that's if I don't go out on the motorbike

 

[paul-kent]

Paint is now off the frame and forks. Just have to do the rear mudguard, chain guard and rack

In between coats of paint stripper I worked on other parts.
The shifter had seized so some wd40 and brake cleaner eventually did the trick

Couldn't believe how much muck came out of it

Tomorrow I should have the rest stripped and possibly some lacquer on

 

[paul-kent]

Finally got it done!
After loosing the gear cable support I put the bike on the back burner but I found a replacement in my old tool box.
Also found this lovely reflector

It rides very nicely, shifter is still a bit stiff but it's had a dose of wd40 and is freeing up. It'll be fine once I've ridden it to work a few times.
I did have one casualty in the rebuild

The hub was a little gummed up and first shift killed the toggle chain.

Finished article

 

[robsa]

Like it

 

[Illaveago]

Did that seat post come up like new?

You have been busy, a nice job , well done.

 

[Illaveago]

I was wondering if you could heat the frame with a heat gun before lacquering to blue the metal like the hands on old watches. I thought it might look different.

 

[paul-kent]

I was wondering if you could heat the frame with a heat gun before lacquering to blue the metal like the hands on old watches. I thought it might look different.

Sounds like I'll have to try that on the next one

 

[robsa]

Try rubbing back to bare metal then soaking a rag in kurust and wiping the frame down. I did this on my rudge before I sprayed it , it did look quite good .
Or, like illaveago said try heat bluing, we used to rub oil on then heat steel ti get a nice blue finish

 

[robsa]

Id also rub the kurust rag on the wheel rims as well.
Also, get some neat's-foot oil from horse tack shop and rub it into that strap

 

[paul-kent]

I've never heard of kurust , I'll google it now

 

[robsa]

Kurust, made by hammerite. Its phosphoric acid o believe. It reacts with the rust and makes it inert. If you put enough coats on it goes a deep blue/black colour, ive restored old guns what have gone rusty and aren't valuable enough to be professionally re-blued with it