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'47 Hextube

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I've finally got the stainless fenders polished to a reasonable finish. That is, the front fender. I've got the ugly scratches out by sanding up to #600 and then buffing. Talk about miserable work, yuk!
I then went to work on the sloppy Monark suspension. Using 0.015 Mylar shims from the hardware store, I took out all the slop in the two pivots at the front axle. And then there is the poor interface between the fender stays and the fender. I made some leather shims that were tapered to buffer the inaccurate interface. The rivets were starting to suck a crater into the fender. Lastly, don't get weird children, I made four small stainless washers that keep the pivot bolt nuts from scratching the forks. Very small. Hard to see they're even there.
These minor modifications should make this Silver King up to today's super tolerances! Maybe I'll fill the hex tubes with helium to make the bike lighter! Perhaps I'm going too far, but I want this bike to ride smoothly.and quietly.
 
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You can see the little washer behind the pivot nuts, but the Mylar spacers don't show. They are only 0.015"
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The stainless polished up pretty nicely.
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The leather shim filled the gap. On the one that goes to the top, I sanded the leather to a taper since the fender stay doesn't touch flat.
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This pic shows the fender stay meeting the fender at an odd angle. When tightening the rivets, the stainless was starting to dimple. The leather fixed this problem.
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All that is left before the maiden voyage is to polish the rear fender, mount it, and the rear wheel. Then, it's off to the local café with my grandson for that long awaited hot chocolate. He's only 13, so I don't know what he thinks about riding a 70 year old bike. Hopefully he'll love it!
 
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When I say all that's left, it's a lot. I have just finished sanding with #320 wet with soap. Minimum for me will be 400, 600, 800. Basically all day. I'm trying to get that "Silverware" look. The reflection that is so good, you can see the image of a monkey!
 
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I got it. Definitely not easy like aluminum. After the hours of sanding, a soft wheel with stainless compound showed tons of hazy LIGHT scratches, almost like a fog. I went to a firmer wheel with a cutting compound and Voila! No more haze. Back to the soft wheel and polishing rouge. Like new money! Time to go back to the front fender and remove the haze. But, it's a big day. Air up the tires and move this thread/post to "What Bike Did You Ride Today?"
 
With the amount of time, mixed with the pain and suffering you've put in, this bike is an absolute KNOCKOUT!!!!!!!! FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!! How about a nice clear shot of the entire bike? And thanks for passing your polishing knowledge along.
 
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With the amount of time mixed, with your pain and suffering you've put in, this bike is an absolute KNOCKOUT!!!!!!!! FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!! How about a nice clear shot of the entire bike? And thanks for passing your polishing knowledge along.
Thank you. I need about a week or so. I'm bringing the front fender up to the quality of the rear. Also, the seat post on these is 7/8, but I've got a 13/16. The Wald spacer isn't helping. The correct seat posts seem to be scarce, so I'm making an aluminum one. Also, the springs aren't holding my weight, so I'm fiddling with spacers. Once I can ride it without a wrench, I'll post some fotos.
 
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