My Rollfast project - Completed

[John D. Williams]

Actually, I take it back about the headbadge-- too intricate to mess with.

 

[Ernbar]

Awesome work (from another amateur restorer)! Nice work on the front fork. If it was me, I would mask around the rear fender reflector and lightly spray white to cover the scratching; this can be blended in. And I've restored headbadges by cleaning and then using sharpies to detail the paint; I think they make burgundy. Anyway, the bike looks great!

Thanks John for your input, really appreciated. I think the scratches and dings tell a story and add character so I decided to leave them. The steel wool and WD40 removed years of crud and oxidation and the light wiping with boiled linseed oil returned life and sheen to the paint.

 

[Ernbar]

Now I can call it really complete. I located the truss rods and rear fender decal from fellow cabers szhthmarig and sm2501 so thanks to both. It’s a shame the original fender decal was a good 98% gone, just showing a hint of the bottom corner.

 

[JimRoy]

Nice work. Love it.

 

[1817cent]

Great job on a very, very nice bicycle!

 

[Bike from the Dead]

That Rollfast is looking good once more! Great job!

 

[PLERR]

That's really outstanding. A wonderful bike and I agree that the tires really set it apart. I never would have guessed that you could use steel wool on paint. I'm assuming a light touch and patience? I find the linseed oil really interesting. Does it leave a coating on the paint? Does it fill in fine scratches the way a polishing compound would? Is it something that needs to be reapplied from time to time? Does it rub off on hands or clothes? Sorry for peppering you with questions, but it's a solution that I can really relate to. The sheen on the paint in that last pic is really eye catching.

 

[Ernbar]

That's really outstanding. A wonderful bike and I agree that the tires really set it apart. I never would have guessed that you could use steel wool on paint. I'm assuming a light touch and patience? I find the linseed oil really interesting. Does it leave a coating on the paint? Does it fill in fine scratches the way a polishing compound would? Is it something that needs to be reapplied from time to time? Does it rub off on hands or clothes? Sorry for peppering you with questions, but it's a solution that I can really relate to. The sheen on the paint in that last pic is really eye catching.

Thanks for the positive comments. Like you I was surprised when another member suggested steel wool and WD40 for cleaning up the paint. Yes a light touch and nice and easy as the wool will polish things smooth and the WD40 helps in removing the gunk and surface rust. I would not use it over decals cuz the steel wool may damage them but not painted pin stripes.
The blo is wiped on liberally then using a clean rag remove most of it by wiping till you get the desired effect. It dries in a day or two and leaves a protective clear film. As far as re application, I don’t see a need if the bike is kept indoors.
A word of caution when disposing of rags used to apply blo, they may ignite the cloth as the blo dries and generates heat so it’s best to soak them in a water bucket or burn them. I use an old coffee can to place the small rag pieces to be burned. Better safe than sorry.

 

[GTs58]

Very nice resurrection! You are the third member that I know of (not counting myself) that's not against doing a BLO coating. All the nahsayers think it comes out looking to oily. LOL Great job Ernbar.

 

[Ernbar]

Very nice resurrection! You are the third member that I know of (not counting myself) that's not against doing a BLO coating. All the nahsayers think it comes out looking to oily. LOL Great job Ernbar.

Thanks GT. I really like how the blo brings back the paint and how it protects both plated and painted metal. Leaving a very light coat on doesn’t make it look oily or too shiny, less is more.