Rebuilding the frame

The frame looked very rusted & pitted to me but the boys thought it would come up a treat with some love.

Step 1 was to tap it with a hammer to knock the loose rust from inside the tubing. A lot came out.

Step 2 was to file off some pieces of metal that had been added to the frame.

We noticed some hairline cracks on the top tube going into the headstock. I had to carefully file down the bronze. After getting a better idea of the problem we decided to

cut the frame & tap out the spigots from the head stock.

It was clear that the frame had been badly repaired in the past. We cleaned out the tubing & head stock & eventually re bronzed new spigots into the frame after checking that the tank would fit.

Pic of Wayne & Chris bronzing the frame tubing into the head stock ...

Next step was to file all the bronzing smooth & then off to the blasters in Malaga.

When the frames came back we gave them a quick spray of enamel primer to protect the steel.

I took the frame & forks home began the process of filling the rust pits with blade putty.

After weeks of pasting on & sanding off bogg I thought the frame was ready for spray putty. On it went & it bubbled straight away. I had mixed acrylic primer with enamel putty ... or something !!!!! #$$%%$

So I took the frame & forks back to the blaster & started again.

This time I would use 2 pack filler directly onto the steel. I filled the worst of the dents, scuffs & rust pits. It worked much better. Then I sprayed on an etch primer & lightly sanded it back.

In the meantime we decided to look at the leaf spring.

It looked ok to me but the guys thought we should take it apart as it was missing a leaf & seemed different to the other 101 6 leafs.

After drilling out the rivit we found one of the springs wasn't spring steel. I made a template for 3 leafs & found a shop that would supply steel that was nearly right. Unfortunately slightly thinner & a tad thicker. They wouldnt cut it.

So I will have to shape it cut the holes & then take it back to have it tempered.

Hopefully it will turn out ok & look like this 101 leaf spring.

Back to the frame ... the first coat of spray putty has gone onto the frame .... it will take forever to sand. 360 wet & dry then 600 & then 1200 when we get to the black paint.

I am going to paint it myself using aerosol cans. So it wont be a professional job ! Here's a pic of the frame with the wrong primer before I re blasted it.

Today I got a couple of layers of black paint onto the leaf stays. They look good.