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Archived: Restoration Tips





RESTORATION TIPS - MISC:   Headbadges & Ultrasonic cleaners posted by: Ken on 5/14/2004 at 6:48:45 PM
I have two questions for those more experienced folks. If I want to remove a headbadge prior to restoration, what type of fastener should I use to re-attach them? I can't seem to find the right size rivets.

Second question - I'm thinking about investing in a ultrasonic cleaning unit for those pieces with that hard crusty bearing grease. Anybody had any experience with these units? Any recommendations?

Thanks,
Ken in Arizona


   RE:RESTORATION TIPS - MISC:   Headbadges & Ultrasonic cleaners posted by JC on 5/22/2004 at 1:27:38 PM
I found that hobby shops sometimes carry small screws which are good for re-attaching headbadges.

JC

   RE:RESTORATION TIPS - MISC:   Headbadges & Ultrasonic cleaners posted by paul viner on 6/8/2004 at 9:44:13 AM
try using some of the smaller electrical threads,also discovered that they are actually M.E threads which are the same threads that Model Engineers use.




RESTORATION TIPS - MISC:   JC Higgins posted by: phil on 5/13/2004 at 10:09:44 PM
hi i have a 40's sears jc higgins bike with a with a whizzer h motor and i would like to know if it is worth restoring or play around with it thanks phil.





RESTORATION TIPS - PAINT:    posted by: James on 5/2/2004 at 3:31:03 AM
I've been fiddling with the Raleigh built Western Flyer 3 speed today and tried to go the headset but I can't get the stem out, I imagine the nut at the bottom of the stem bolt is rusted tight, any ideas?



   RE:RESTORATION TIPS - PAINT:    posted by john on 5/11/2004 at 9:15:58 PM
Have you tried Coke yet? I have a friend who couldn't get a seat post out of an old seat tube so he took out the bottom bracket and poured coca-cola down into the seat tube and that did the trick. Coke is pretty acidic stuff and will dissolve the oxidized steel (rust). I think he left it in there for about 4 hours. I'm not sure how you would keep the coke in the head tube area however, maybe a dip into a couple of liters, poured into a larger bin.
Good luck

   RE:RE:RESTORATION TIPS - PAINT:    posted by ziggy on 5/21/2004 at 12:20:54 PM
Coke does work well to get rid of rust. As a matter of fact you can use coke to polish chrome, remove battery acid, remove blood and it tastes good.

   RE:RE:RE:RESTORATION TIPS - PAINT:    posted by JC on 5/22/2004 at 1:28:30 PM
Pour a lot of WD-40 into the stem and let is sit overnight.

   RE:RESTORATION TIPS - PAINT:    posted by guy on 5/27/2004 at 3:24:40 PM
re:head set did u try to loosen the head set bolt about 5
to 10 turns, hit the bolt hard with hammer, this will brake
the screw in insert loose in the head set column




RESTORATION TIPS - PAINT:   colors posted by: Phil on 4/29/2004 at 12:58:24 AM
I am still working on restoring my 1970's schwinn stingray. All of the paint has been stripped and the little paint left on the bike is from a spray can. When i removed the fork i found a different color inside it is a matalic green. Is there any possible way i could have this color matched so i could paint the bike its origonal color?
Thanks
Phil


   RE:RESTORATION TIPS - PAINT:   colors posted by JimW. on 5/10/2004 at 10:49:05 PM
http://hyper-formance.com/
Carries paint matched to original Schwinn colors.




RESTORATION TIPS - MISC:   Schwinn Slick Chic posted by: sixties valley girl on 4/28/2004 at 7:58:32 PM
I now have my Slick Chic which my dad kept in storage, its awsum. My bro told me my handlebars are not the original ones...they were stolen off my bike in 1969, I was so little I couldn't remember. Scannin E-bay, I found a Lil Chic bike, would its handlebars work on mine? What other Schwinn bike handlebars of the sixties era would work to restore it back to the original? Also the Slik tire is the original but I think it's close to falling apart, any suggestions? Thanks!





RESTORATION TIPS - RUST:   Chrome posted by: Emily on 4/27/2004 at 6:00:29 PM
Hi, I'm new to this, and I have two specific questions. One, how do you get rust off chrome without damaging it? I used some steel wool on the underside of my fender, to see what it would do, and it scratched it up pretty bad. The rust is pretty heavy on the whole bike. Question two, how do you get an old registration sticker off of chrome without damaging the chrome? The sticker is obviously waterproof, it's from 1973. Thank you.


   RE:RESTORATION TIPS - RUST:   Chrome posted by Elvis on 4/28/2004 at 3:05:26 PM
Hi. I had a similar problem with rusty chrome, but with me it was the whole bike! [chromed frame] Fortuneately, it was just surface rust. It depends if the rust goes into the chrome or not, if it's on the surface you can scrub it away and not damage the chrome much. Noxon metal polish shines up the chrome afterwards, and there are chrome specific products out there, too.

As to old stickers, I have heard heating them [such as with a hair dryer] will melt the glue and make it easy to get them off. I dunno, never tried it, I don't own a hairdryer! But I have tried those green scrub pads used for dishes. They get off sticker residue and don't usually damage paint or chrome. Try peeling the sticker [with a fingernail, etc.] then use one of these pads to scrub off the gunk that's left. Wet it alittle and it shouldn't damge the bike.

Failing that, another otion is simply replacing the fenders [assuming the sticker is ont he fender and not the frame].

Good luck!

   RE:RE:RESTORATION TIPS - RUST:   Chrome posted by JimW. on 5/10/2004 at 10:51:49 PM
Heat will do a good job on stickers. I normally use a heat gun, but a hair dryer should do the job okay, too.

   RE:RE:RE:RESTORATION TIPS - RUST:   Chrome posted by ziggy on 5/21/2004 at 12:25:27 PM
Never ever use steel wool on chrome! The strands of steel are so fine and packed together that it can take teflon off of frying pans! You should of used copper wool instead. The copper isn't as close together so it won't scratch it. Menotomy makes a special cleaning kit that includes a bottle of special cleaner and copper wool for about five bucks.

   RE:RE:RE:RE:RESTORATION TIPS - RUST:   Chrome posted by JC on 5/22/2004 at 1:33:10 PM
Ditto on the cleaning kit they sell here at oldroads. I've been using their kits for 3 years now and have doen about 40 bikes with them. It works and it doesn't wreck the chrome.

JC

   RE:RESTORATION TIPS - RUST:   Chrome posted by Tom on 5/30/2004 at 1:34:31 PM
WD-40 will take the sticker off. Try saturating the sticker with it and peeling the edge to get the WD-40 under it. WD-40 also works for getting adhesive off of wooden cabinets. I used to frame prints as a hobby, and it works to remove the universal price code stickers, and the adhesive. It will not hurt the chrome nor woood. T.C

   RE:RESTORATION TIPS - RUST:   Chrome posted by dennis on 7/4/2004 at 3:23:54 PM
A brass brush and "Mothers Aluminum Polish" will remove the rust and the brass brush won't scratch the chrome. I've been using these on my KZ900 for the same thing.

   RE:RESTORATION TIPS - RUST:   Chrome posted by myo on 7/7/2004 at 7:38:11 PM
it all sucks, just throw the bike away. get a new one or someting, i fix up bikes all the time, use alluminum foil, it takes rust off, but ur gonna need a new paint job after that, good luck, oh, and dont put tape on a bike overnight!laterr-

   RE:RE:RESTORATION TIPS - RUST:   Chrome posted by anti-myo on 7/30/2004 at 2:27:24 PM
Pessimist.

   RE:RESTORATION TIPS - RUST:   Chrome posted by mike on 12/12/2004 at 7:21:46 PM
Don't throw the bike away. Soak a rag in coca cola douse the rust with it then rub the rust with aluiminum foil until it dissapears. This doesnt wreck the chrome.




RESTORATION TIPS - MISC:   1983 Ross Mt. Hood? posted by: Elvis on 4/26/2004 at 2:12:10 PM
Hello. Just picked up an OLD mountainbike. I think it's a Ross Mt Hood at least as far as i coudl tell by comparing it to pictures at FirstFlightBicycles old mountainbike site. It's all chrome and has two water bottle mounts on the inside of the downtube. Fork has a crown and bend like a road bike with a yellow tange sticker on it. Cantilever brakes, old school. Quick release seat, aluminum cranks. It does not have the original wheel as the ones on it are cheap bolted wheels my guess is it had quick release wheels. My question is, can anyone tell me how to find the original specs on this bike? Maybe an old catalog?
Second Question: And tips for waterproofing chrome to prevent rust? I intend to ride the bike but do not want it to deteriorate once restored.
Thanks.
---Elvis


   RE:RESTORATION TIPS - MISC:   1983 Ross Mt. Hood? posted by Andy on 6/8/2004 at 9:28:41 PM
Mt Hood have Suntour cam brakes, the rear is mounted under the BB. I used mine for commuting in Manhattan for years, it is still going strong with all MOE.

   RE:RESTORATION TIPS - MISC:   1983 Ross Mt. Hood? posted by John on 6/21/2004 at 7:36:48 PM
Hi,

My Ross Mt. Hood "Hi-Tech" has its original Shimano U-brakes (as Andy says, the rear is mounted below the bottom bracket/chainstay). The bearings and races on it have been kind of poor over the years. I had some trouble with the crank bearings, and while the bearings in there now are round, the race is not perfect and makes for a compromise, with a little more play than I'd like, but without the play, it doesn't turn smoothly. Maybe yours will be better. The original wheels on this one were Araya aluminum wheels, with quick release axles. I replaced my rear skewer axle with a solid one after the original bent. The front is also now solid after the original front wheel was lost. I still ride it; it's the only mountain bike I've ever had.




RESTORATION TIPS - MISC:   help posted by: Phil on 4/24/2004 at 4:13:20 PM
Hello I need help i started to restore an early 1970's schwinn stingray. I have gotten far but i cant figure out how to take the fork off. I tried everything if someone could help me that would be great Thanks Phil


   Stringray fork --   help posted by Elvis on 4/26/2004 at 2:27:52 PM
The handlebars are held on by a bar clamp with goes down into the fork. The Head tube [front part of the bike] is hollow. The fork comes up thru this and the bar stem goes down into the fork. At the top of the bar stem are two bolts. One hold sthe handlebars in, one tightens the bar stem. Loosen the one for the bar stem. You should be ale to pull it straight up and out of the front of the bike.

Next you have to get the fork out. At the top where the fork sticks out of the head tube there are soem large washers and a huge nut that screws on. Find a huge wrench [pipe wrench will work, be careful not to wreck the bike] and loosen it. It isn't threaded much you should be able to unscrew it by hand once you free it.

After that, slip the big washers off and pull the fork out from the bottom.

NOTE: Be careful because the top and bottom of the head tube where the fork goes in and comes out, have ball bearings. On stingrays I've seen [I have 1976 single speed coaster and a schwinn tornado i turned into a ray for backwoods ridign during my school years], the bearings are inside rings. But on some old bikes they may be loose! Be careful not to lose the ball bearins you need to replace them once you are ready to put the bike back together.
Good luck! --Elvis

   RE:RESTORATION TIPS - MISC:   help posted by Matthew Montgomery on 6/9/2004 at 11:22:11 AM
Do you know any site where I could find how old a Schwinn Sting-ray is, but I dont know what kind of Sting-ray it is and its a 1 speed.

   RE:RESTORATION TIPS - MISC:   help posted by Matthew Montgomery on 6/9/2004 at 11:22:20 AM
Do you know any site where I could find how old a Schwinn Sting-ray is, but I dont know what kind of Sting-ray it is and its a 1 speed.




RESTORATION TIPS - PAINT:   finding paint supplier posted by: reggie on 4/11/2004 at 7:18:57 PM
i am restoring a 1965 schwinn coppertone tandem 5spd model w/ rear drum hub. i am looking for original paint or nearest or closest match. it will probably take approx. 4 pints of paint to cover frame and fork. if anyone knows where to find it please e-mail me thanks, reggie





RESTORATION TIPS - PAINT:    posted by: gary phelps on 4/1/2004 at 6:19:41 PM
I have an original monark super deluxe 1948,its got original paint exceptthe tank,paints fairly good.i have a complete original decal set,should i paint it?also need original pedals.would like to find some crown tank inserts as mine are not the best.any help or tips would be greatly appreciated.





RESTORATION TIPS - PAINT:   Painting over chrome posted by: David Poston on 3/24/2004 at 7:07:22 AM
What's the word on painting chrome? Do I need to use a special "etching" primer? I don't have any access to power tools. I was just going to wet sand and then prime with a basic metal primer.

I also need advice on selecting paint. Would it be worthwhile to have a paint supplier make me up a batch of automotive paint (I have NOS touch-up paint in small bottles for sampling)? I need to do some touch-up work on some of my bikes as well.

Thanks,
David.


   RE:RESTORATION TIPS - PAINT:   Painting over chrome posted by Steve Ringlee on 4/1/2004 at 12:20:39 AM
While I've yet to do it, I am told that using muriatic acid in a dilute mixture will "etch" the chrome sufficient to apply primer. The chrome plate itself is very thin and cosmetic: beneath is a nickel and then copper plate for corrosion protection.
Take a look at the POR-15 website for unique products for car restorers that deal with these issues.




RESTORATION TIPS - WHEELS:   tires and speedometer posted by: Niels on 3/19/2004 at 1:00:04 AM
Hi everyone; two questions. First, does anyone know of a way to soften up old tires? It's already got a little crack on the tread, and I'd like to avoid any more. Also, for the mechanical speedometers, when it says it's for a 20", 26" or whatever wheel, what does that mean? Is it the gearing at the driver, or the gearing in the speedometer? Or it is just cable length? Thanks!!


   RE:RESTORATION TIPS - WHEELS:   tires and speedometer posted by metlhed on 3/20/2004 at 8:09:49 PM
i have no idea if it would work, but i believe castor oil softens rubber, i have no idea how or if it would work to soften up your bike tire though. and for the speedometer, whatever wheel sixe ir says, it is made for that size wheel, so it can accuratly tell you the speed

   RE:RE:RESTORATION TIPS - WHEELS:   tires and speedometer posted by Niels on 3/21/2004 at 1:09:42 AM
Thanks, I'll give it a shot on an old tire. So the mechanism in the speedometer is specific to each wheel size?

   RE:RESTORATION TIPS - WHEELS:   tires and speedometer posted by metlhed on 3/23/2004 at 10:33:23 PM
i believe so, yes




RESTORATION TIPS - MISC:   Looking for information on the bike posted by: Tino on 3/10/2004 at 8:57:23 AM
Hello All,
This post may be under the wrong topic, but it was closest. We have recently aquired this bike and are trying to determine whether it is a project to take on or just an imposter. I have posted a couple of pictures on an external sight if anyone might be able to offer a couple of words.
http://www.all3com.com/T_auction/schwinn.htm
1.) Why we might not find any signs of a serial number?
2.) How to determine model?
3.) How to dertermine if original or replicate?
Any other thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Tino


   RE:RESTORATION TIPS - MISC:   Looking for information on the bike posted by metlhed on 3/12/2004 at 1:35:20 AM
i definetly dont think the fork is original...for a serial #, look either under the crank housing, or on the rear dropouts, then compare it with the serial number chart on this site, it is probably from the late 50's or mid 60's...personally, i would customize it.

   RE:RE:RESTORATION TIPS - MISC:   Looking for information on the bike posted by Stacey on 3/12/2004 at 2:27:29 AM
I can hear you striking a spark already Metlhed LOL :-)

   RE:RESTORATION TIPS - MISC:   Looking for information on the bike posted by z on 3/13/2004 at 4:32:30 AM
some bikes dont have serial numbers beacause they were made in europe and not ment for export so they didnt put serial numbers on them. Also take on the project any time u can restore a bike it's a time to learn and have fun.

   RE:RE:RESTORATION TIPS - MISC:   Looking for information on the bike posted by Joel on 3/30/2004 at 5:10:05 PM
It is possible that the serial number was filled when it was repainted, or that it wasn't stamped well. It might also be one of the many Schwinn copys that have been made over the years. The parts (except maybe the crank) look like reproduction or aftermarket stuff.




RESTORATION TIPS - PAINT:   serial # on columbia tandum posted by: Art on 3/7/2004 at 7:02:24 PM
Where do i find the serial # on an old columbia tandum bicycle. Can you give me some history on this bike? I know that the brake are from Germany.


   RE:RESTORATION TIPS - PAINT:   serial # on columbia tandum posted by Tom on 4/27/2004 at 7:14:10 PM
The serial number for your bike can be found on the bottom of the bottom bracket shell, (the frame tube that houses the inner workings of your crank). As for the history behind Colubia bicycles, Columbia is based in Westfeild Massachusetts and has been around scince the late 1800s. Columbia is still building bikes right up to the present day. Best of luck!!!

   RE:RE:RESTORATION TIPS - PAINT:   serial # on columbia tandum posted by Tom on 4/27/2004 at 7:23:25 PM
I forgot something, sorry about that. Another place to look for your serial number is on the side of the head tube, (the frame tube which your fork runs through to attach to you handlebars).




RESTORATION TIPS - PAINT:   serial number posted by: chris on 3/2/2004 at 3:07:43 AM
Where can I find the serial # on old schwinn suburban?


   RE:RESTORATION TIPS - PAINT:   serial number posted by JC on 3/3/2004 at 1:50:08 PM
Next to the headbadge or on the left rear dropout.

   RE:RESTORATION TIPS - PAINT:   serial number posted by z on 3/13/2004 at 4:34:26 AM
look for the serial number under the crank housing as well as the back dropout and next to the head badge.