# 1953 Hercules enclosed chainguard,  help / advise needed



## John Ebert (Jun 4, 2018)

I have been trying to remove the enclosed chain guard on my 1953 Churchill / Hercules and it has me baffled.
In an effort to tweak the crank to keep it from rubbing the chain guard I figured the best way is to remove the guard.  Thing is I can't figure out how it come apart.  Looks like the seam is top and bottom but I don't want to damage it by forcing it.  Any ideas, advise and pictures?   

Thanks
John in Texas


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## John Ebert (Jun 5, 2018)

OK, I started to run a utility knife along the seam to see if there was a way to easily separate the halves.  Started to see solder which explains a lot.  Used my small butane torch to heat the seam and melt the solder.  I'm about 3/4 of the way around.  All I can say is WOW!  Talk about a labor intensive way to do something. The chain wheel chain and rear wheel would have to be in place to assemble and solder the haves together before it was painted.  If you look at it there are seams around the outside and also in the open space in the middle.  The crank was never serviced for obvious reasons and the chain was a lump of rust.  
It is an adventure that's for sure.

John in Texas


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## Oilit (Jun 8, 2018)

John Ebert said:


> OK, I started to run a utility knife along the seam to see if there was a way to easily separate the halves.  Started to see solder which explains a lot.  Used my small butane torch to heat the seam and melt the solder.  I'm about 3/4 of the way around.  All I can say is WOW!  Talk about a labor intensive way to do something. The chain wheel chain and rear wheel would have to be in place to assemble and solder the haves together before it was painted.  If you look at it there are seams around the outside and also in the open space in the middle.  The crank was never serviced for obvious reasons and the chain was a lump of rust.
> It is an adventure that's for sure.
> 
> John in Texas



Was that done at the factory? I know labor was cheap in the old days, but that sounds over the top by any standard!


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## John Ebert (Jun 9, 2018)

Oilit said:


> Was that done at the factory? I know labor was cheap in the old days, but that sounds over the top by any standard!



 Well it sure looks like it was done at the factory.  I figure that enclosed chain guards were more of a luxury item and that you paid more for that.

John in Texas


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## Oilit (Jun 9, 2018)

Well, you have 100% of the Churchill bicycles I've ever seen, so that makes you the expert!


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## John Ebert (Jun 9, 2018)

Oilit said:


> Well, you have 100% of the Churchill bicycles I've ever seen, so that makes you the expert!



By all the parts on it, it looks to be a variation of a Hercules. Side stand, shifter, rear hub all Hercules. 
I love a puzzle and researching old bikes, I guess I love the hunt.


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