Calling All Aluminum Silver King Collectors

[babyjesus]

hi Marc;
sorry... I should have been more clear. the good news is that it's not my bike. it's a frame for sale on ebay. mine is close to being ready for the first ride. I'll post some pix @ that time.
cheers
jerry

Oh thank god - yes I just saw it on ebay. It looks like somebody removed the badge and whacked it with a hammer. I wonder how exactly that damage occurred.

 

[bike]

I have seen 3

now 4
26 x with the heatube blown out- looks like a shotgun shell went off inside- must be a stress issue in the design

 

[scrubbinrims]

There are a couple of circular holes (different size diameters) behind the badge, from the casting I assume, so that pic looks worse than it is....but they did make the frame more susceptible as the cracks originate from these factory holes.
My 26x had a similar problem to a lesser degree caused by the worst springer fork ever designed, the '39 pencil springer from impact(s).
After removing the badge and righting with a rubber mallet, my welder fixed it up nicely...yes there are some small air pockets remaining, but you have to be up close to notice them and I have never seen a SK without scars anyway.
Chris

 

[Wing Your Heel]

Flo out, 26X in

Sold the Flocycle - being repatriated to Venice Beach.

So bought this as compensation...

...first stop when it arrives - my friend's aluminium welder.

I took the flocycle stem in there before packing it and he welded it on the spot.

He's just bought a new aluminium rolling machine and made all the bodywork on the car below

Will update pics when welded

 

[kingsilver]

Maybe there's a way of strengthening the inner head casting wall...depending on how much space there is around the fork tube on a 26x? It would be interesting to find out if silver king tested these stress points before the final production castings. perhaps if the head tube casting on the 26x was 1/16" thicker - it wouldn't have this problem. also, it was a good idea to put a spring front end to absorb road shock - but the weight of the springer puts more stress on the thin wall aluminum head casting.

 

[kingsilver]

 

[babyjesus]

Maybe there's a way of strengthening the inner head casting wall...depending on how much space there is around the fork tube on a 26x? It would be interesting to find out if silver king tested these stress points before the final production castings. perhaps if the head tube casting on the 26x was 1/16" thicker - it wouldn't have this problem. also, it was a good idea to put a spring front end to absorb road shock - but the weight of the springer puts more stress on the thin wall aluminum head casting.

.....argh more killer photos

I think that just making the repair - rewelding - will be so much stronger that it will do the trick. You could bore out the top or bottom of the head tube and fit a steel tube inside I suppose but I think if going at it with a welder anyway then just lay it on thick and on the inside if possible and sand it back to shape and it will be strong again. I have a feeling they were strong enough when made but it's just a long term failure of the metal composition that's caused this weakness.

 

[Wing Your Heel]

From Copake

These are my friend's Silver Kings; he bought them at Copake

 

[babyjesus]

These are my friend's Silver Kings; he bought them at Copake

Boys M1s don't get much better than that! - nice Flocycle too If he polishes them it will take a good ten years to get the patina back so it's worth a though before just launching into it if you 'eat patina for breakfast' - as some people do

Your friend did well

 

[kingsilver]

Nice flo and m1 !!! For me - "lite hand polishing" is fine - don't use a buffer - i would leave the deep scratches and metal stains as is.