# <----------------The 1950 J.C Higgins Restoration Thread---====<<<<<<



## Heather Keay Babecki (Dec 30, 2011)

Well, It's that time. To start of my first "Classic" bike restoration. Oh, I have "Fixed Up" some older bikes, 70's stuff. This will be my first go at a real classic bike.
It's winter, the boat restoration business is slow this time of year so I have a great project lined up. Here, the first installment. The Deconstruction.
[video=youtube;epuPpp2zrSI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epuPpp2zrSI&feature=player_embedded[/video]


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## 37fleetwood (Dec 30, 2011)

Great video! love the epic music, should be a fairly straight forward restore. not much paint detail on these models to contend with. some of the bikes of this vintage have lots of silk screening on them and are difficult to restore right.
I'll be watching this one for sure!


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## Pauliemon (Dec 30, 2011)

*Awesome!*

That's a great bike to restore. Can't wait to see it.


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## Nickinator (Dec 30, 2011)

Looking good, do you plan on getting a bat-wing light or are you just going to leave it?

Nick.


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## tobytyler (Dec 31, 2011)

looking good i did a 1940 roadmaster for my wife last summer had a lot of fun looking forward to your next video thanks toby t.


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## Heather Keay Babecki (Dec 31, 2011)

*Todays work.*

Thank you so much.

Some of the progress of today. 
[video=youtube;JfctDygZ96A]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfctDygZ96A&list=UU0TuCFf32k97qMdo-Ab9Riw&index=1&feature=plcp[/video]

61 years ago she was new for a new year of 1951.
61 years later she makes the transformation to be come new again for 2012.
Happy 62 My Fair Lady.


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## Nickinator (Dec 31, 2011)

Fantastic!


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## militarymonark (Dec 31, 2011)

nice gas mask! hope to see a finished product soon!


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## Heather Keay Babecki (Dec 31, 2011)

We do this at the shop for most of our marine re-plate work.

  This old paint will not strip with most modern strippers strangely enough. 
The acid cleans the steel well but often this aged paint will not all let go. It's then into a backing soda & water bath to stop the reaction on all the parts. If the paint is stubborn, Your dad and grand father always told you one thing. Never let brake fluid get on the paint. Well back then pretty much every thing was Lacquer paint or high lead enamel. Regardless brake fluid would take both to metal in about 2 min or so. I give away the potential next step. But lets see how the Acid salts bath works out... Then onward and upward.


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## tobytyler (Jan 1, 2012)

it's coming along nicely waiting to watch your next step thanks. toby t


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## Heather Keay Babecki (Jan 1, 2012)

*This is cool*

As the acid eats away about 3 layers of paint I noticed this starting to show through. I took it out of the vat for a photo before it's gone for good.
Pretty neat how softly such an aggressive process can be.


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## frankster41 (Jan 1, 2012)

What kind of acid are you using? Thanks frankster41


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## cyclebuster (Jan 1, 2012)

o have the same bike in back, maybe a year or 2 newer, i should give it a  new paint job also. I really only want the triple drop rims, but the bike is nice. Its worth a refinish, but the wheels will mysteriously disappear


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## Heather Keay Babecki (Jan 1, 2012)

frankster41 said:


> What kind of acid are you using? Thanks frankster41




Hydrochloric.  If your asking because you want to try it in your garage,,,,*STOP*!!!!!! There is some research you need to do first. It can kill you or worse............

I have been using this process for about 20+ years now... And I almost f*ed up early on... lucky I was young and did not mess up to bad.


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## frankster41 (Jan 1, 2012)

Why not sand blasting? I get the whole bike blasted for $35.00


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## Heather Keay Babecki (Jan 1, 2012)

frankster41 said:


> Why not sand blasting? I get the whole bike blasted for $35.00



regardless of medium, sand blasting can effect the shape of the tins. I have a 200LBS sand blaster and will do that for the frame but the tins, Acid is the best. IMHO.


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## 66TigerCat (Jan 2, 2012)

Nice work Heather ! It's cool to watch the resto project done by a professional. I'm learning alot. Thanks.

Jim


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## Heather Keay Babecki (Jan 3, 2012)

Updates for 1-3-2012.
[video=youtube;n8yj_40vHBA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8yj_40vHBA&feature=g-upl&context=G2fafae2AUAAAAAAAAAA[/video]
BTW,,, YES MY SHOP IS ON A FARM.... CHICKENS AND TURKEYS AND HORSES AND DONKEYS AND LAMAS... and on and on and on.


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## JOEL (Jan 4, 2012)

Nice job. Do you do your own chrome work?


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## Heather Keay Babecki (Jan 4, 2012)

JOEL said:


> Nice job. Do you do your own chrome work?




No, I send it out to a chrome shop. It's just not cost effective to do it my self.


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## JOEL (Jan 4, 2012)

I need to have a couple of small pieces done. Is there someone local you deal with?


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## Heather Keay Babecki (Jan 4, 2012)

JOEL said:


> I need to have a couple of small pieces done. Is there someone local you deal with?




http://www.smithplating.com/montgomery_alabama_plating/contact_montgomery_alabama_plating_index.htm
These guys are close to me. maybe 40 miles?


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## Heather Keay Babecki (Jan 17, 2012)

*Wow*

I laced my first set of wheels today and I must tell you it was not easy for my first time........ What a Chinese Puzzle.
But after about the 4th try I managed to get it and start to understand it.

Some photos of the new rims, spokes and white wall tires. Hubs are original.


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## jd56 (Jan 17, 2012)

*Great thread of the process*

Heather,
Nice job so far and am looking forward to the next step video.
Wish I had a shop on a farm and you must have been up real early for the rooster to be so vocal. 
Truly impressive work on the videos. It's a wonder why there aren't more of these step by step done for us few that are on the learning curve. 
John


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## 37fleetwood (Jan 18, 2012)

finally got back to check in on your build. I must admit I'm impressed at how fast you are moving on this! the bike is looking great, and you're doing a bang up job (no pun intended). I've tried to impress upon members here the importance of doing at least one mock up build before paint. once you paint, you can't manhandle it like you can, if needed, before paint. can't wait to see you riding it! these old bikes are heavy, but they roll pretty nice, and they're not a race bike, mostly you get them up to about 8mph and just maintain speed from there.
can't wait to see the next instalment!


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## Larmo63 (Jan 23, 2012)

Wow, you have long (spoke) nipples!


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## AsenathPaneah (Mar 14, 2012)

Awesome video. Very cool.


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