Project Steel

cletus · 17-11-2021 9:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118182961#Comment_118182961

Yeah, but some fella already did all the fun stuff with it

CianRyan · 15-06-2022 7:10pm

Hey hey, it's been a while.

It is starting to look like a bike again, new head set, new bottom bracket bearings, front wheel is decent but the rear wheel isn't coming together so will probably try and pick one up, I'd love to have this ridable this summer, even if not perfect.

Rear stays are on odd/old size. Anyone got a single speed or fixed gear wheel in good shape with a 125mm hub?

Will also try and salvage the crank arms this weekend. Anyone know the threat pattern for a 90's Shimano 600?

cletus · 15-06-2022 7:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119207968#Comment_119207968

I presume you want thread size for the pedals?

Looking online, (link below) there are suggestions of "French" pedal sizes, which are M14x1.25

Standard pedals are 9/16x20

There are also suggestions that the thread pitch is close enough that you could tap the holes with an appropriate size.

The other option is drilling out and helicoils (unless you can source French pedals).

https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/57159/pedal-threads-too-big-for-crank

CianRyan · 15-06-2022 8:14pm

Yes, for the pedals!

The BB mechanism works perfectly, thankfully that was probably a little advanced for the last owner.

They are fairly fecking stripped but I'll pick up some taps this weekend and see how they cut. I'd like to fit SPD pedals so if needs be, I'll cut to standard I guess. If it doesn't work, helicoils it is. Although, I've had those come out on me before so I'm always sceptical.

hesker · 15-06-2022 11:04pm

You should be able to spread those stays to take a 130mm hub

magicbastarder · 16-06-2022 6:31am

It's called cold setting. When I faced the same issue, I was able to take the probably 5mm locknuts off a wheel I had and replace them with what were probably 3mm ones. It was enough to allow the wheel to fit.

hesker · 16-06-2022 8:35am

There’s not too much to cold setting but you will likely also have to change your derailleur hanger alignment. Not much to do that either.

After looking at those photos there seems to be something a little odd about the dropout brazing, almost like they skimped on the brazing. Got any more photos?

happytramp · 23-06-2022 8:23pm

Apologies for hijacking an existing thread but I just thought I'd ask here... Someone was throwing this old bike away and I decided to take it. It's pretty wrecked but I feel it used to be a nice bike back in the day. What are my options here? I've put some old vintage bikes together before but I've never dealt with something in such bad nick and have no experience with stripping paint, getting rid of rust or getting something repainted (but could potentially give it a bash)

cletus · 23-06-2022 8:44pm

My first step there would be get the frame sand blasted, and see what your dealing with

magicbastarder · 23-06-2022 11:35pm

what's the sticker on the head tube? my first instinct was if that's a genuine ti-raleigh, it could be interesting, but i see no sign of stickers which would tell you what tubes the frame is made from. it's not the traditional ti-raleigh colour scheme though.

hesker · 23-06-2022 11:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119240753#Comment_119240753

Can you post close up photos of the rear dropout area

happytramp · 24-06-2022 12:04am

Cheers guys, yeah I'll put up some clearer pics in the morning. I tried sanding the seat stays and the rust and paint came off but man, it's hard work 😂

magicbastarder · 24-06-2022 12:15am

You'd be better off with a wire brush attachment on a drill.

happytramp · 24-06-2022 12:21am

Good idea... Not sure I'm as hardcore as the OP.

cletus · 24-06-2022 8:58am

You'd be better off again with a wire brush attachment on an angle grinder.

Before you're offered more advice, what is your plan? Do you want to strip and repaint? Do you want to clean the frame a little and rebuild? Keep the patina? Make it look like new?

You're next steps very much depend on the goal

happytramp · 24-06-2022 9:44am

Good question. It's basically to replace a Dawes galaxy myself and my partner have been using on the school run, going into town etc. She wants a small light fast bike and I reckon this frame could fit the bill. Im sort of caught between two stools. Yes, it's a run around that's going to be left in my front garden so don't want to spend a huge about of money on it, but then I'd also like it to look good. I quite fancy repainting it in the team Raleigh colours.

Anyway here are a few closer pics. The head badge means nothing to me. But my guess was it was some local club/team that had Raleigh paint up the bike in their colours.

magicbastarder · 24-06-2022 9:50am

that dropout seems to have 'campagnolo' stamped into it? you can see 'PAGNO' in the lettering that still has some paint.

you say you don't want to spend a lot of money on it, just wondering what your budget is; i restored a bike a year or two ago and probably spent €200 all in, and i had more parts to hand. i could have easily added another €100 on top had i been missing the same number of parts.

happytramp · 24-06-2022 10:06am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119242325#Comment_119242325

Yeah, I'd say about 200 would be okay... Like I couldn't get much to replace my Dawes for 200 at any rate. I can salvage some stuff off my old bike. Will probably just need brake calipers and an old 10sp derailleur. (possibly a BB or headset depending on if they're salvageable)

I'm guessing my budget won't extend to getting it both sand blasted and painted.. is repainting yourself doable or will it always be a bit crappy?

magicbastarder · 24-06-2022 10:25am

i did it myself, stripped it back to bare metal and rattlecanned it. probably about €25 for the paint, i just used cans bought in the local motor factors. etch primer, then paint, then some cheapo laquer from aldi which was floating around the shed.

happytramp · 24-06-2022 10:54am

Oh cool. How did it look? Is it still holding up?...and what was your process for stripping the paint?

Mefistofelino · 24-06-2022 11:03am

@ happytramp

I wouldn't be taking a wire brush on an axle grinder to that just yet. The serial number "SB 2162" means that it came from Raleigh's Specialist Bicycle Development Unit in Ilkeston around 1978. The SBDU did all the custom building for Raleigh, including the full-on Ti Raleigh frames. Unfortunately, its not possible to relate the serial number to an actual model, so you'd have to do some detective work to try to determine what it actually is, but it may be quite decent.

It doesn't have the drilled drop-outs or extended fork crown lugs that some of top-line 753 frames had but it could well be a 531 frame like this one (main difference I see is that the red frame has the cable guides below the top tube, yours appears to have them above.

https://steel-vintage.com/team-t-i-raleigh-sbdu-frame-3035-detail

Your paint, particularly if the "Chase Tri Club" head badge is part of the paint job, is probably a later addition. I don't think tri clubs would have been a "thing" in '78.

Rear drops out will be 126mm so you may have to cold set the frame for newer wheels

magicbastarder · 24-06-2022 11:04am

wire brushes and sandpaper. the bike is still holding up, you easily can tell the paint is not as thick as a factory finish though. it's stored in a garage though, not sure how it would hold up if stored outside.

magicbastarder · 24-06-2022 11:12am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119242618#Comment_119242618

this was it soon after finishing it (have since added mudguards and a carrier)

cletus · 24-06-2022 11:15am

I tried looking up TI-Raleigh when I saw the first pictures. I couldn't tie the colour scheme to any model or year. Custom paint job makes sense.

It could indeed be a quite decent frame, but the reality is, it's in pretty poor condition. Sections of the rust on it look to be gone past surface rust, and I'd imagine that there's some putting on the frame.

My first suggestion of sandblasting is still the easiest and cleanest way to bring the frame back completely to bare metal, ready for priming and painting. I've had a frame sand blasted for 50 quid

If you don't want to go down that route, and you want to take care, hand sanding is your other option. There's a lot of work in that

Mefistofelino · 24-06-2022 11:23am

If you are getting it blasted, do mention to them that the tubes are very thin. I was getting one done some years back and the guy assumed that the tubing must be 3-4mm thick and was getting out the "headstone-blasting" grit, as he called it. It would have gone clean through the tube.

The rust pattern looks a little like the one you get on a turbo bike, from long-term sweat salt exposure.

cletus · 24-06-2022 11:24am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119242764#Comment_119242764

Yep, there's all sorts of blasting media, from fine sand up to lead balls. Don't get it lead blasted

hesker · 24-06-2022 11:59am

Thanks for the extra photos. I wanted to see how the stay ends were finished.

That is quite a valuable frame potentially so go easy with the wire brush. In fact I would stop what you’re doing until a proper assessment is done.

Pity about the level of rust but hopefully it’s not too deep.

PM me if you want to know more.

cletus · 24-06-2022 12:10pm

There's more spots where the pitting looks to be as deep as the picture of the bottom bracket above. In that picture it looks like it's starting to flake too (the rust, not the paint).

Fixing that up as a runaround is simple as strip, prime and paint.

If the bike is worth money, as you suggest, then high etch primer would be needed to fill the pitting, possibly a touch of filler depending how deep it goes

magicbastarder · 24-06-2022 12:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119242943#Comment_119242943

out of curiosity, what damage could be done by having the rust removed with a less aggressive blasting? i assume it's going to have to come off anyway...

Kaisr Sose · 24-06-2022 12:21pm

Nice find and project. Hopefully the rust is not too deep where it looks caked. Sand blasting may be best if the tubes are in good shape.

Drop outs are Brev Campagnolo so decent frame, Reynolds 531 I would say. It's a pity it has no Raleigh head badge.

Watch the rear wheel width with modern wheels (126 v 130mm). If you spread it too much the stress goes on the brake bridge and it can fail.

Good luck with it.

Project Steel

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