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1910 Vega Path Racer Project

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in my opinion, the saddle should be an older model and the handlebars should be nickle plated
I agree with you on the handlebar - I should have bought nickle plated instead (that was available from the source I bought it from). The saddle, in my opinion, will do for the moment. It's not easy to find an original saddle in good condition. Any suggestions?

I like it the condition it is in looks cool the way it is
Thanks! Do you mean it's cool without the tool bag, carrying handle and the homemade brass number plate?
 
I agree with you on the handlebar - I should have bought nickle plated instead (that was available from the source I bought it from). The saddle, in my opinion, will do for the moment. It's not easy to find an original saddle in good condition. Any suggestions?


Thanks! Do you mean it's cool without the tool bag, carrying handle and the homemade brass number plate?
 
No I like the brass plate ,tool bag and carrying handle adds character to the vibe of the bike. Don’t strip it it's cool and nostalgic and educational to new cabers and younger enthusiasts ( next-gen)
 
You can rebuild the original saddle- there are lots of tutorials on the web. A new plywood core can be made. A sewing machine is needed for the cover, or maybe a local shoe repair man or your source in Serbia could help?
 
You can rebuild the original saddle- there are lots of tutorials on the web. A new plywood core can be made. A sewing machine is needed for the cover, or maybe a local shoe repair man or your source in Serbia could help?
Of course, that's a good suggestion - thanks! But in this case I think the original saddle is too far gone. It's completely rusted out. And to be honest, I like my current saddle, which has been built together with parts from two defect saddles. I have no ambition for this bike to be period correct. I'm happy if the result will be a pastiche of a 1910 path racer.
 
I have tried to create some patina on my brass number plate the last few days. I also bought a new lamp bracket in brass from eBay (unfortunately with ridiculously bad fitting, so I had to file it down here and there for it to fit). My goal was to achieve the same level of patina as on the manufacturer badge and the carbide lamp. That wasn't an easy task.

First, I created some base patina, using a few drops of liver of sulfur in hot water. Then I boiled the brass items in sodium bicarbonate and potassium chloride (thanks for the tip, Andrew!) for almost two hours, but it was still not patinated enough. Next step of creating patina, I put the brass in a sealed container with hardboiled eggs for 8 hours. That didn't do it. Then I tried the fumes of vinegar and salt for 8 hours. That wasn't to my satisfaction either. Finally, I tried the fumes of ammonia for 2 hours - and it came out great and I'm very pleased with the result.

Some pics before and after:

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