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~ FORK SERVICE for Balloon Tire Bicycles ~ Re Threading & Re Sizing Etc!

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Mail order Fork & Frame Services offered for American Balloon tire bicycles 1935 through 1955!

Featured Service:

I can rework your donor fork for a perfect fit in your application!

Basic re threading and re sizing of ladies headtube length fork to men's length or desired under sizing with keyway cut for lockwasher, with standard 1" x 24 tpi threading. $40 plus return shipping, about $25.

If I source the fork for you there is only a $30 upcharge for the same service.

I can assist you in determining what the correct fork for your given year/model is if the fork is missing or you're unsure. I have been endeavoring to familiarize myself with the many different variations of the more than 1/2 dozen different manufacturers. I currently have a variety of forks in stock and can also assist in sourcing a correct one for you.

Other services are available on a case by case and workload basis. Typically these would be special, rare or unique pieces where replacement parts are not obtainable and include:

Stem and wedge extraction
Broken fender bolt extraction
Fork thread repair
Fork straightening
Frame alignment
Headtube and bottom bracket facing
Kinked/bent/dented tube reforming
Kickstand squash remediation
Rear dropout repairs
Rear adjuster extraction
Welding repair solutions based on suitability and aim of usage.

Please feel free to PM or contact me regarding your small or large project needs!

Nate Russell
Bellows Falls VT
401-548-9082

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Nate, that's an interesting bending die(the large aluminum one your work is on). what's it for and what do you swing it in?
 
Nate, that's an interesting bending die(the large aluminum one your work is on). what's it for and what do you swing it in?

It's a custom die used for a top tube on a previous project but could be used for something new!
 
I guess you could call this a customer testimonial to the outstanding work performed by Krakatoa(Nate) on my fork. The bike is a 1938 Schwinn BA107 motorbike which I am the second owner. So this bike is kinda special to me and preserving it is important. The fork was pushed back-legs probably bent at the shoulders and the steer tube had a wonderful curve that must have been rubbing the inside of the headtube. There was perhaps a side to side tweak as well. Like most owners I did the next best thing-find a straight fork-same color and replace the original fork that left the factory on the bike. This always bothered me. Although it looked back to original-I kept the original fork knowing one day I would want to return it to the bike it came with. Then I found Krakatoa's fork straightening service offered here on the CABE. I could just tell by looking at the steps he showed repairing other forks I had the guy I could completely trust with my fork. He had the tools and the experience and best of all he is a bike person-just the person to entrust my fork for repair. Before I even packed up my fork I was completely confident in Nate's work. He sent pictures of the various steps of the repair-I didn't realize the many aspects of a proper repair-fantastic! There was a fast turn around-pictures of the repaired fork really made me feel great. I was putting the original fork back on the bike-the way it should be. When it arrived I re-installed it on the bike and took it for a ride-WOW-what a difference and I feel great I have preserved this bike the best I can. Any doubts about fork repair-have no fear-don't scrap your fork or dump it at the next swap meet-have it preserved(repaired) and put it back on the bike it came with! Don't hesitate to send your fork to Krakatoa for repair-you'll be glad you did! Thanks Nate for job well done. -mr.cycleplane
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Mail order Fork & Frame Services offered for American Balloon tire bicycles 1935 through 1955!

Featured Service:

I can rework your donor fork for a perfect fit in your application!

Basic re threading and re sizing of ladies headtube length fork to men's length or desired under sizing with keyway cut for lockwasher, with standard 1" x 24 tpi threading. $40 plus return shipping, about $25.

If I source the fork for you there is only a $30 upcharge for the same service.

I can assist you in determining what the correct fork for your given year/model is if the fork is missing or you're unsure. I have been endeavoring to familiarize myself with the many different variations of the more than 1/2 dozen different manufacturers. I currently have a variety of forks in stock and can also assist in sourcing a correct one for you.

Other services are available on a case by case and workload basis. Typically these would be special, rare or unique pieces where replacement parts are not obtainable and include:

Stem and wedge extraction
Broken fender bolt extraction
Fork thread repair
Fork straightening
Frame alignment
Headtube and bottom bracket facing
Kinked/bent/dented tube reforming
Kickstand squash remediation
Rear dropout repairs
Rear adjuster extraction
Welding repair solutions based on suitability and aim of usage.

Please feel free to PM or contact me regarding your small or large project needs!

Nate Russell
Bellows Falls VT
401-548-9082

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I can attest to the quality of his converting a girl's fork to fit a boy's bike. That might even be my red fork in the process pictured above. I've put many miles on it with no problems.
 
I have this 36 Dayton that was battered and pretty much toast ( at least that’s what I thought).
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I sent it off to Nate and let him work some magic on it.
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Left out all of the details but this is what it’s like now. Back on the road and rolls like a dream. Amazing work and am so happy with the work done. Would highly recommend for anyone needing any sort of frame or fork work. Nate is the “Man”! Thank you!
 
2021 KRAKATOA NEWS FLASH!

Greetings and salutations to all of you out there in Cabe Land!

To ring in this New Year I'd like to share some of the more memorable fork jobs to come through my shop here in VT this past year!

It was a wide variety of types and all with different kinds of issues. It's really fun and challenging to work on these relics! I've been developing new and more accurate techniques and honing the old proven ones. Happy to report I am getting some surprisingly good results starting with some pretty distressed materials!

You can save that original fork!

A warm thank you is due to all my valued Cabe contacts, customers & clients!

Please feel free to contact me in this New Year regarding any fork and frame alignment and repair needs you may have.

Nate VT
401-548-9082

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