Weather delays
The 1952 Raleigh is slowly coming along, but there are delays. I have rebuilt the rear wheel, but then I discovered that the generator on the AG hub has a loose connection. Current will flow through the hub if you press down on the terminal post, but as soon as you tighten the nut, as you would to connect a wire, the current stops. I spent untold hours trying to get it to jam in place and/or complete the connection by slipping wire along the side of the terminal into the hub, but it just isn't going to work. Right now, I'm on the prowl for an old parts hub I can use the armature from.
I also sanded off some surface rust, and the bike builder who closed up the gap on the rear dropout had to sand off some paint down there, so I'm trying to touch up with spray paint. I'm finding that I am not a steady hand with the spray paint. It's hard to get just where you sanded, so the bike is sort of spackled with spray can primer, and my first coat of black didn't get all of that, and there was some orange peel effect, so I've sanded that down. However, now the daytime temperatures are dipping below fifty on the weekend, so I'm going to have to wait for a weekend where the temperature is back up.
The next time around, I'll have a cheap respirator, so I'm not trying to do it in a hurry to minimize my exposure to VOCs.
And it is also true that I am spray painting over a spray can paint job that wasn't perfect to begin with. I want it to look like a great, utilitarian bicycle - not necessarily a meticulous restoration that may be more attractive to a thief.
But, I'm in no hurry. The Happy Little Three Speed Bicycle is getting up to work and back down just fine.
I also sanded off some surface rust, and the bike builder who closed up the gap on the rear dropout had to sand off some paint down there, so I'm trying to touch up with spray paint. I'm finding that I am not a steady hand with the spray paint. It's hard to get just where you sanded, so the bike is sort of spackled with spray can primer, and my first coat of black didn't get all of that, and there was some orange peel effect, so I've sanded that down. However, now the daytime temperatures are dipping below fifty on the weekend, so I'm going to have to wait for a weekend where the temperature is back up.
The next time around, I'll have a cheap respirator, so I'm not trying to do it in a hurry to minimize my exposure to VOCs.
And it is also true that I am spray painting over a spray can paint job that wasn't perfect to begin with. I want it to look like a great, utilitarian bicycle - not necessarily a meticulous restoration that may be more attractive to a thief.
But, I'm in no hurry. The Happy Little Three Speed Bicycle is getting up to work and back down just fine.
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