Springhill Cycle Collection - Cleaning rust from plated parts

As I get older, I often wonder about whether there is a smarter way of doing things.  I look back on the way I have done things in the past and cringe.  The old saying that 'a man who never made mistakes, never made a thing' is certainly true.  We all make mistakes and the on the workbench is no different. There is nothing that beats learning by experience.

What is the best method for cleaning rust from plated bicycle parts? Anyone who has tried to restore an old steel bicycle will have come across this problem. I have to say from the out set, or get go, (US English), I am not a fan, or advocate, of the wire wheel in the bench grinder as a first resort. I cringe at the 'experts' on Youtube who confidently reach for the bench grinder first.

My approach to dealing with rusty parts has changed over time. Years ago I used a knife blade to scrape across the rust to remove the surface crust before treating the part with aluminium foil and Autosol or something similar. The problem is that the rust was never completely removed and always came back, so the option always seemed to be the most permanent was the expensive one of re-plating. Is there any method of tackling the rust which will not damage the plated finish or painted finish of the part?

Well I have to say, I have found a method that works. The problem of any restoration is balance. Do you destroy the original finish or do you have to refinish the part to preserve it? Is it financially viable to re-plate?

I have found a product that will clean rust from parts. It is bio-degradeable and non toxic. It was developed for NASA and is called Evaporust.  I had a problem trying to get my hands on some, because the UK supplier didn't supply the whole of the UK. My order was cancelled on ebay. So I had to get my initial order from Ireland. Slightly more expensive but delivery was not a problem and Kevin couldn't have been more helpful and friendly. The chemical is not cheap, but it is very effective.

I have used it to clean various parts, in various states of decay, to see how it coped. It works very well on plated parts and japanned parts. I can see how it can be used to restore a complete bicycle preserving the original finish. It does not prevent the part starting to rust again. Evaporust does have a product which will prevent rust again for up to 12 months, but I haven't seen this for sale outside the US. I have just wiped the parts over with WD40 after washing in soapy water, once they came out of the chemical. The cleaned parts are stored in airtight containers.

The one caveat that I would say is, I tried it to clean parts off an old Claud Butler bike which had been stored in damp and less than ideal conditions prior to purchase. There was a heavily corroded lamp bracket on the front fork. I put that in Evapo-rust and it cleaned a lot of the rust off, however there were several areas of pitting in the surface which still had rust. I attacked this with a brass brush and then put the part back into the solution. 24 hours is usually sufficient to clean parts, but the lamp bracket took a week and repeated use of the brass brush to dissolve the rust. I treated it with several coats of Kurust once clean. It should prevent further deterioration. I would not use Evaporust for heavily rusted parts again. It is no criticism of the product, I just find it is expecting too much of it. I would use another method to clean heavily rusted parts which I will detail in another blog post. The photos show some before and after shots and other parts that have been cleaned.

I have no connection to the manufacturers of Evaporust or their agents, other than as a satisfied customer. Any of the product I have used, I have purchased myself.

Absence explained

Where does time go to?  It is a question I pose more frequently these days with the passing of too many years.  It is now nearly 3 years ago since I lasted posted on my blog. Hard to believe.

Life took a turn in 2014 and having to deal with all that has been difficult to say the least. On top of that my health took a bit of a nose dive which has taken time to settle down and for me to come to terms with that. After over 2 years of hospital appointments I should be able to start cycling again within the next few months, weather permitting.  The lay off has not been welcome, but life is a journey and it doesn't always take you places you really want to go.

The absence of blog entries hasn't meant that I have been idle. Bicycles have had to take a bit of a back seat as I have tried to renovate somewhere to live, but my interest has still been there.

I am in the process of building shelving for the store of bicycle parts. I am however at the mercy of the weather, as I do not have a dry shed to work in. The work has had to be done outside, hence the need for dry weather.  I also need to empty the storage container, to build the shelving units in. I have done some work at organising parts into clear plastic boxes, so I can at least see what's inside. Organising the parts also give a better idea of what is there and what's in need of conservation and repair.

There have been some additions to the Springhill Cycle Collection and some machines have been removed by my estranged wife. The collection has changed focus somewhat, with more attention being paid to locally made bikes and those with a local history.  There is still an interest in French bikes however, with three further acquisitions, another Lyon made bicycle, one from Paris, and one from Grenoble. The Collection has been asked to photograph the Lyon made bicycle for a French website. I will post about that, once it has been done.

The collection was also fortunate to acquire a Copenhagen Pedersen locally, in County Down. The owner is originally from a stone's throw from where the collection currently resides, and the bike was bought new in Germany. It came with her when she moved back and she sold the bike following a back injury.

So time and opportunity permitting I hope to start posting again on the blog. There are a number of projects in the pipeline, which includes a new 650B Randonneuse.  I have the frame already, but I have decided to change the fork. That is in hand as I type this.  I have some equipment, but not all to build the bike. I intend to develop some of the ideas I had for the 650A bike that I built a number of years back.  The Springhill Collection has a 650B Goeland which is a real joy to ride.  I would like something comparable that I can use without the worry of wearing out old parts which would destroy the authenticity and character of an old machine. I will write about the build in due course. 

1982 Peugeot PH12E Centenary Model

I was recently very kindly given a Peugeot frame – a PH12E Centenary model with some of the original parts still fitted. Unlike a lot of the similar survivors on the internet, this example has been used and obviously had an active life. Paintwork is tired and transfers are rubbed. The question arises, is it worth restoring? My answer is a resounding “Yes”, firstly because the bike rather than been put away, “because it is a centenary model and might be worth something”, was actually ridden as intended. It has a history of use and shows signs of that use. Secondly, Peugeot embraced the 'aerodynamic' culture of the time and fitted some now rare parts to the bike. The great French rider Bernard Hinault, 5 times winner of the Tour de France had ridden a specially built Reynolds tubed aerodynamic Gitane time trial bike in the late 1970s. Cycling Weekly (UK) coverage of the time featured riders in skinsuits riding time trials which was to lead to the development of low profile time trial bikes with smaller front wheels. These would see use in the professional peloton time trials, until banned by the UCI. Greg Lemond pioneered the use of Tri-bars to obtain a more rider aerodynamic position in the professional peloton. Shimano produced it's 'aero' AX600 and AX Dura Ace between 1981 and 1984 according to the Velobase website.

The frame I was given was missing the wheels, Simplex SLJ6600 rear mech and the top mounted down tube levers. The orginal parts fitted would obviously stay, but could I find the correct replacement parts? The most serious challenge would be the Simplex rear mech. I believe the SLJ6600 was introduced in 1982 and was the first mech to to have an angled parallogram like Suntour and Shimano. The original rear mech was branded 'aérodynamic'. Apart from the scarcity of the mechs, the other factor would be price and condition. According to to Disraeli Gears page entry for the Simplex SLJ6600, the springs lost tension very quickly rendering the mech less than effective. This probably explains why the original rear mech was missing. A search on French ebay over several weeks identified a few examples for sale. Some were the later 'SPIDEL' branded version and other examples looked to be in poor condition from the seller's photographs, but not reflected in their asking price. I eventually located what appeared to be a good example and managed to secure it by auction including delivery for a fraction of some of the asking prices on ebay in the UK. Probably one of the biggest hurdles in terms of sourcing original parts had been overcome. I was also gifted boxes of parts along with the Peugeot frame. During the sorting process, I came across a set of Maeda Suntour top mounting down tube levers carefully bagged up. A quick check proved these were off the Peugeot, so another major headache in terms of original parts, was thankfully overcome.

The Peugeot PH12 model was usually made from steel Carbolite tubing, the frame having the appearance of being lugless, but in fact the lugs are internal. Whilst a carbolite tubed frame is not as light as one built with Reynolds or Columbus tubing, fitted with a decent set of wheels, these Peugeot bikes ride very well indeed. Probably a lot to do with the French frame geometry. The 1982 Carbolite tubed Centenary PH12E has an 'aero' seat tube and down tube. The gear cables are routed internally through the down tube from the top mounted friction levers. The other significant thing is, the down tube friction levers and chainset are Japanese, not French. The chainset is an alloy SR Custom model with detachable alloy chainrings, a change from the usual Stronglight alloy crank with swaged steel chainrings.

The 'aero' style seat tube means the seatpin, from necessity, is very short. The top of the seat tube is round to accept the seatpin, but as the seat tube quickly changes profile, the seatpin has to be much shorter than would be found on a bicycle with a full round seat tube. Again, Peugeot use a much smaller diameter seatpin than found on other bicycles. The original seat post is a plain model, necked in at the top, the original saddle being retained by a steel seat clamp bolt arrangement. In amongst, the various store of parts within the Springhill Cycle Collection, there was an alloy one piece seatpin with an integral seat clamp. It has been in the store for a number of years and although not original to the Peugeot it will be used on the bike as a nice finishing touch. It is an unusual and certainly period correct part. The upshot of all this is, the 57cm frame will not suit a tall rider because of the short seatpin. 

It is my intention to restore the bike as close as I can using period correct parts. I still have to source the correct Mavic rims and a small flange Q/R rear hub with a 1982 date code to complete the wheels.  The fact some parts are missing may have more to do with their lack of durability/suitability as the bike was heavily used. I will probably fit a pre-owned Concor saddle and replace the Lyotard flat steel touring pedals that have been fitted in lieu of the 'aero' type pedals that were original to the bike. Although the Shimano PD-1050 105 are 5 years later than the bike, they will make a reasonable substitute. They are in keeping with the 'aero' theme and could represent a likely modification during the bike's working life. The Springhill Cycle Collection is happy to restore the bike in an as used condition. It means the collection now holds a 1982 Peugeot Centenary model along with a similar, used, 1987 Raleigh Centenary edition bike.

V-CC Rides 2016

As the summer slips past and cooler shorter days take hold it gives time to reflect on the years rides with the Veteran-Cycle Club. This is not a cycling club, although many members are cyclists. The club is for people interested in old cycles and encourages members to meet and ride these old machines. I was not able to attend all local section rides this year, but I did make the effort to attend as many as I could.  The summer in this part of the world has been wet and often windy.

Events take place across the province of Ulster, the last ride of the summer season was in County Donegal on the Fanad Peninsular. The route afforded some spectacular views of Lough Swilly on reasonably lightly trafficked roads starting and finishing on the quayside at Ramelton. There are buildings on the quayside with a date stone above the door 'L & L S R 1864'. The interesting thing is the Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway never had a station at Ramelton!

The route went via Rathmullan on the shores of Lough Swilly. A short detour was made to Rathmullan House, now a country hotel. This 18^th Century house was bought by Robert Batt who was the youngest son of Narcissus Batt (1760 – 1840) , a founder of the Belfast Bank. The Batt family had property at Ozier Hill, in Co. Wexford and at Purdysburn, Co. Down. Rathmullan House was part of a 4,377 acre estate in 1876. Robert Batt purchased Rathmullan House in 1837 and it remained in family ownership through the generations until 1939. The associated land was bought by the tenant farmers under the various land acts passed by the Liberal Government between 1870 and 1906.

Rathmullan is also notable for seeing the end of the Gaelic Order with the 'flight of the Earls' to the continent of Europe. There is a statue on the foreshore below the Victorian Coastguard cottages at Rathmullan, to commemorate the event.

One of joys of taking part in the V-CC rides is to see a newly restored machine make it's debut back on the road.  Cycles which made an appearance this year are a Sunbeam roadster, Claud Butler Lady's bike and an early Leader of Croydon.

The weather was kind for the last summer run and the food bought in Rathmullan was excellent.  A pleasant ride back to the start followed as the clouds cleared. The tide had come in at Ramelton by the time of our return.  The run ended with a lovely sunset to round off a great day.

Winter Bike

As the evenings draw down and the days shorten, thoughts turn to unearthing the winter bike. We have not had much of a summer here, generally very wet. The trees started losing their leaves at the end of July, to the point, a maple in the garden is nearly in winter mode apart from the seeds still on the tree.

I suppose it is a left over of my cycling apprenticeship of decades ago, where you had a heavier winter, or hack bike, equipped with mudguards, on which to maintain fitness, keeping your prize machine in good trim for the following racing season. The other reason was using your heavier hack bike would give you an advantage when you changed to your lighter race bike at the start of the new race season.

I started off my cycling career a Hi-Ten Raleigh sports bike and covered thousands of miles on this humble machine. My winter bike was purchased secondhand in the 1980s as a complete bike. Bike was stripped and frame painted by hand. It was a cheap sports bike, confirmed when I stripped the frame to reveal seamed frame tubes. It has had a number of repaints since and still going strong. The bike originally was fitted with a double chainset and Suntour derailleur gears. I had the frame professionally re-enamelled by Bob Jackson years ago, taking advantage of their £50 re-enamelling offer. I chose to have the frame painted black with a maroon headtube, reminiscent of the 1930s BSA Sports.

Around 2009 I rebuilt the bike as a fixed gear machine. It rode well enough in this trim except for the fact my arthritic knees protested at the fixed gear. I liked the fact there was no derailleur gears and freewheel block to attract road dirt and the workings affected by winter road salt. I needed a freewheel to ease the workload on my knees and would like a few gears, but keeping the simple drive train. The solution suggested itself when I rescued a 1960s Sturmey-Archer AW3 wheel dumped in a local bog. The challenge was, could I strip it down and get it going again? I managed to achieve the first and following a thorough clean achieved the second, however the left hand ball cup was badly worn. The hub was the Mk3 with the pressed in ball cup and the bottom gear would never work. I aimed to have a middle gear of around 60 inches, with a top gear under 80 inches. Sturmey-Archer 3 speed hubs tended to be fitted to bikes with too high a gear in my opinion. I ended up fitting a 22T sprocket to my hub gear.

I also took the opportunity when converting the bike to hub gear operation, to build a new front wheel too, incorporating a Novatec hub dynamo. These were getting long in the tooth when I bought mine and could be bought cheaply on ebay. The downside of the hub was the resistance in the dynamo when riding with lights off. It is not actually such a drawback riding with the lights permanently on as the short days and overcast weather mean you are more easily noticed by motor vehicles. Whether they actually make room for you on the road is another matter…..

I used Busch and Muller LED lights on the bike and routed the twin wire cables on the outside of the plastic mudguards. I used pieces of plastic tube glued to the mudguard with epoxy to retain the wires. The tubing came from used liquid soap bottles, being the bottom part of the soap dispenser assembly. Not very elegant, but it works and is in keeping with my bargain basement ethos for my winter bike. I still have the adapted Ever Ready plastic rear light fitted to my old 1970s Carradice Nelson longflap saddlebag. The light was fitted to a custom made aluminium bracket which fits into the offside side pocket of the saddlebag. I always found it useful to have a rear light on the offside of the bike as well as the central rear light. No excuse for a motor vehicle not to give you enough room when passing.

The parts fitted to my bike have all been cascaded down from other bikes over the years, except the wheels and mudguards. The seatpost is an old alloy SR Laprade fluted model. The headset is an old 'Red S' sold by Freewheel in their mail order catalogue. It was actually a Stronglight A9 needle bearing alloy and plastic copy. The cranks are odd cranks, the right being an SR Custom fitted with a single chain ring and the left a Stronglight. They are the same length though! Bars were a modern replacement 44cm for the old narrow SR bars. The stem is 3T. The saddle is an old Cinelli off my MKM racing bike and is now worth too much to leave it on my bike. I have an old Brooks B17 to replace it with. The Cinelli will be re-used in a restoration.

I always like the idea of the old Sturmey-Archer 3 speed quadrant lever mounted on the top tube of bikes in the 1930s. I couldn't get any modern lever to fit onto the top tube of my bike. Instead I used a lever designed for use on 22mm handlebars on the handlebar stem of my bike, with a cable stop on the top tube and the cable routed via a pulley wheel down the seat stay to the dropout. An old fashioned idea, which works well and looks neat on the bike. I will rebuild the back wheel with a new Sturmey-Archer 3 speed hub gear in the next few weeks, so the bike will be ready for when BST ends.