I've Finished Cleaning This 1951 Fleet Wing (Before & After)

[Joseph FINN]

Great work Job Deb !!!

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk

 

[T1Callahan]

Agree with everyone, this looks great. Whats your secret to getting the spokes and also the aluminum fender braces looking that new? I tried still wool on mine but they didn't polish up as nice as yours. Also What was your method to get the rust off the headlamp, it also looks brand new now and shows no signs of any aging?

 

[hm.]

That is some outstanding rebuild and detail work there.

She"s a very lovely lady!

 

[TieDye]

Thanks!!

 

[TieDye]

Agree with everyone, this looks great. Whats your secret to getting the spokes and also the aluminum fender braces looking that new? I tried still wool on mine but they didn't polish up as nice as yours. Also What was your method to get the rust off the headlamp, it also looks brand new now and shows no signs of any aging?

Lots of love rubbing. Using the right method according to its' need. I delace the wheel, clean the hoop, and clean and service the hubs, and clean every spoke and nipple. The fender braces on this bike were in better shape than most. Steel wool with 3 different metal cleaners and lots of rubbing on those. Sometimes soaking the whole fender in OA and then proceeding with what it needs next. Each bike has different problem areas so you just tackle them one at a time. Some metal parts get soaked in OA, others in Evapo-rust, but they all get extra fine brass wire wheeling in a drill press, and then to a buffing wheel, then boiled linseed oil when done. The light took me the most time. Finished with a new lens

 

[TieDye]

Here's another one I did about a year ago. I've gotten better since this one. Here's some before and afters of that one.

 

[T1Callahan]

That green one came out so beautiful. Night and day difference, it almost looks like a different bike. I appreciate you taking the time to share your techniques. When you said metal parts that you soak, brush and polish, were you referring to parts that are bare unpainted or chromed? What does the linseed oil do? And what circumstances would you use evaporust instead OA.. sorry for all the questions, I’m new to the hobby and just trying to learn all I can.

Tom

 

[TieDye]

That green one came out so beautiful. Night and day difference, it almost looks like a different bike. I appreciate you taking the time to share your techniques. When you said metal parts that you soak, brush and polish, were you referring to parts that are bare unpainted or chromed? What does the linseed oil do? And what circumstances would you use evaporust instead OA.. sorry for all the questions, I’m new to the hobby and just trying to learn all I can.

Tom

Bare metal without paint usually gets EvapoRust, but sometimes OA. It depends on the individual piece and it's condition, etc. I do not like to put painted stuff in EvapoRust. I've had paint come off, like house paint sprayed over something like a light, so I don't trust paint with EvapoRust. Fenders, etc. get a swim in the kiddie pool of OA. Boiled linseed oil seals all the parts, painted, and not, and protects it from re rusting. I apply it thinly, let sit 20 minutes, wipe it off thoroughly, then repeat that process 2 more times. If you forget about it it'll gets real sticky, and you don't want that. A lot of people use a hard paste wax too. There's lots of methods you can search for here on the CABE. But, as I've encountered, each bike has it's needs, and are always different than the last one. Some bikes you may not want to remove all the patina, so you leave some of its "history" behind, and others, like this Fleet Wing was just too nice not to get her as close to "barely used" as possible.

 

[Junkman Bob]

Very nice job on both bikes
Bob