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LOOK 753, from frame prep to fnished build. An evolving pictorial.

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LOOK 753, from frame prep to fnished build. An evolving pictorial.

Old 07-01-10, 03:28 PM
  #1  
jan nikolajsen 
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LOOK 753, from frame prep to fnished build. An evolving pictorial.

Sitting around with 10 new screws and a titanium plate embedded in my left heel. The prognosis is 8 weeks of non load bearing.

In other words, I have lots of time to get this Look édition La Vie Claire on the road. So much of it that I decided to document the process, in all its tedium, with copious amounts of images.

The frame came to me via prolific C&V poster wkr101, and it is in rather good cosmetic shape. Just the usual scrapes in an amount that will make it less stressful to take the finished bike on the road.

It is made with Reynolds 753, a grade of steel I've yet to ride (although my unmarked 92 Gazelle is purportedly of same material, according to the seller Mr. Stone of the UK).

The Look is a 62cm cc, with a 59cm top tube and 42cm chain stays. The wheel base will likely end up being a relaxed 102.5cm. 126mm rear spacing, English threads throughout, and the usual 27.2mm seat tube ID.

The year is probably mid eighties. Did Look build this frame or, as have been suggested on the Web, some unconfirmed frame maker got the contract? Who knows?

Anyway, enough chatter:




I started out scrubbing the frame and fork with Simple Green. After drying I removed many shallow blemishes with Turtle white polishing compound and wax .


The English threaded BB shell was in good shape, with the taps just needed for general cleaning of old framesaver and cheese like grease deposits.


Then I cut the faces to remove a few little dings and again mostly just to clean things up.


The fork got the same treatment. Here the crown race under the knife..


..and the threads
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Old 07-01-10, 03:33 PM
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Sorry to hear about the injury, but the project is looking good at least
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Old 07-01-10, 03:37 PM
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I look forward to watching this thread Jan! Sorry to hear you will not be as mobile as you would like. I know that is extremely hard for active people like yourself.
Is this getting the Chorus group that you picked up on the bay?

Jake
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Old 07-01-10, 05:43 PM
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Sorry about the heel. I wish you a full & speedy recovery.

Good luck with the rebuild. Take your time with it, or you might just be tempted to test out your heel before it's ready. I'll be following the thread with interest!

A question: It appears there is a small hole on the inside of the left chain stay (which my LOOK does not have), or is that a just a smudge from the tire?
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Old 07-01-10, 05:50 PM
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Boy, I love that bb tool!!! By the way, the frameset is 753R, which is a little better than the 753.

There's a serial number on the fork, along with the one on the bottom bracket. As I recall, the bb number fit in pretty good with others that were 1986 vintage.

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Old 07-01-10, 06:03 PM
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Is that BB facing tool as fun to use at it looks? Also, on the crown race surface - what exactly is that honing - the step to a wider diameter?
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Old 07-01-10, 06:19 PM
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I was suspecting the tools would elicit more comments than the frame itself.. The fork tool cuts the diameter to ISO 26.4mm while facing the crown race, in one operation.

GAUCHO777: No hole there. That is a scratch.

wkr101: The fork ends with S14 - while the frame says S15. Probably just the way they did it.
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Old 07-01-10, 06:25 PM
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Jan,

Nice to have a project like that and excellent tools to work on it with. I've no doubt the end result will be outstanding.

Sorry to hear of your injury. Heal up, and feel free to share (or make up) the story.
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Old 07-01-10, 06:49 PM
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Originally Posted by jan nikolajsen
I was suspecting the tools would elicit more comments than the frame itself.. The fork tool cuts the diameter to ISO 26.4mm while facing the crown race, in one operation.

GAUCHO777: No hole there. That is a scratch.

wkr101: The fork ends with S14 - while the frame says S15. Probably just the way they did it.
1. Cool tools!

2. Cool frame, I love driving the Reynolds 531 with the Gitane TDF.

3. What happened!??! I may have read about it here quickly, but steel plates in the body; WOW! Get well soon just doesn't quite say it.
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Old 07-01-10, 08:17 PM
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What happened to my foot was not biking related, nor had it anything to with rock climbing which is the other passion.

I was building our house, a low budget solo project, when I had to jump off a ladder as some trusses came adrift. Without the jump things would probably have gotten worse, but my 47 year bones are not like rubber anymore. The drop was 10' and the landing concrete. Not a scratch anywhere except a fractured heel bone.

Click here for the gory pic

The surgeon cut this incision and screwed the bone back together.

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Old 07-01-10, 08:26 PM
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Ouch! Heal up, and very interesting thread.

I sure wish my LBS back in the '70s had that crown race tool. My RRA needed a new fork and was set for a Stronglight headset. I was using a NR headset. Unfortunately, the machine shop I took it too took the crown diameter down a bit too far, and I've always needed some shim stock in there for the race. Seems to work fine, but not exactly kosher. As others have noted, cool tools!
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Old 07-02-10, 08:11 AM
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Jan-

Sorry to hear about your injury. I was tempted to buy that frame from Thrifty Bill earlier this year. Looks like it's going to get excellent treatment from you. I look forward to your updates. House looks like a cool project too. Good luck and hope you recover quickly!
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Old 07-02-10, 12:19 PM
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Jan: Are those cottonwood trees in your backyard? In collage we went to Moab all the time. Camped under the cottonwoods on the banks of the colorado river--right outside of town. I haven't been to Moab in about 15 years, but living in Moab with a big grove of cottonwoods seems like it would be a dream come true.

Jared
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Old 07-02-10, 12:21 PM
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Jan, somehow yesterday I followed a Forum link to your bikes, browsed my way through your bikes on Velospace, then found my way over to your pages at CoyoteCottage, your climbing site, and then your boatmaking site.

You are an individual of many fascinating facets. I'm a climber too, though I've been away from it for a couple years, and I'm a huge fan of simple living/sustainable homebuilding...though I'm currently too young and poor to own my own place...

Since this thread came up, I just wanted to give you an internet high five. You're an interesting man with a killer bike collection. Thanks for sharing the progress on the new ride.
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Old 07-02-10, 03:42 PM
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Goodness, that sounds painful.

I love the Campagnolo tools! I hope I can use those again, one day.
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Old 07-02-10, 08:16 PM
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I was <> to buying an 86 753 Look with C-Record and Cobalto brakes at the first Cirque in Leesburg for $650. I decided to give myself 10 minutes to ponder and by the time I went back it had just been sold. I've regretted not picking that bike up ever since.
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Old 07-02-10, 10:43 PM
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Thanks for all the kind comments about the darn heel. But now let's forget that for the rest of this thread and return to the bike.

BTW, weighed the frame/fork and it comes in at 2750 grams.

Continued messing with my luscious Campy tools for more frame prep, and then as the build started for real with the headset cups I switched to the $12 home made all-thread press. And guess what? It worked just fine. But crudely, and without the irresistible need to fondle & caress.


This guy faces the headtube lugs and cuts a small chamfer on the inside. The latter helps the cups get started when pressing them in.


Stuck the fork alignment tools on the rear. The drops measured a few mm wider than 126 (just fine, considering the current plans), but also slightly skewed. The 753 stuff yielded only very reluctantly to my efforts. I got it close, but not perfect.
These things also work on the front fork and different spacings.


A length of 5/8" all-thread, nuts, big washers and 2 rubber discs make up a simple tool to gently press the headset cups in.
Velo Orange $20 el cheapo. I like this one. Pretty, no frills, durable.

Last edited by jan nikolajsen; 07-02-10 at 10:47 PM.
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Old 07-02-10, 11:21 PM
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Originally Posted by pcfxer
3. What happened!??! I may have read about it here quickly, but steel plates in the body; WOW! Get well soon just doesn't quite say it.
They actually aren't steel, metal plates for medical use are most often Titanium, I've got two in my arm, and they don't set off metal detectors. Those are a nice set of tools though, always thought they cost 1 arm + 2 legs and a first born male child though...

Last edited by Wogster; 07-02-10 at 11:25 PM.
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Old 07-02-10, 11:52 PM
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Wow, that toolset is really something. As unfortunate as your injury may be, I'm grateful that you are now able to show your efforts in building this excellent LOOK frame. Get well soon, and try to enjoy your "forced leisure".
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Old 07-03-10, 05:23 AM
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Originally Posted by Wogsterca
They actually aren't steel, metal plates for medical use are most often Titanium, I've got two in my arm, and they don't set off metal detectors. Those are a nice set of tools though, always thought they cost 1 arm + 2 legs and a first born male child though...
Somewhat funny story on plates. I had a plate inserted in my arm after a bad break in 1974. A year later, after successful rehab, and everything was working well, I get a call from the surgeon.

The manufacturer had a RECALL on the plate, and it had to come out, or I risked breaking the arm again... Ugh...
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Old 07-03-10, 05:27 AM
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Jan: a little side history on that frameset. I bought it from a seller on Craigs List. He had already sold it to a guy in NYC, who only wanted him to ship the FORK to NYC, and keep the frame. Seller didn't feel too good about splitting it up, so he sold it to me instead. Bike would not look right with some generic replacement fork.
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Old 07-03-10, 09:43 AM
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Love that frame. This is probably the best way you could spend your rest time.
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Old 07-04-10, 06:43 PM
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Moved on with the project today, as the foot was feeling quite agreeable.


I've found that when installing the sealed BB unit, with its delicate splined alloy cups, it's safer with something keeping the tool firmly in place to prevent slipping. An old skewer has worked for me.


The little spring steel clamp keeps the wrenches from slipping and rounding the corners of the nut.

My idea for this project have gone around a bit. It will be a bi-weekly rider, but to avoid redundancy (yes, a concept unknown to many here!) I was wanting something different that the other regulars. The original plan was to make it my dedicated climbing bike, since in these parts the hills are steep and upwards of 4000 vertical, and I love to ride there. While my current line-up scale these obstacles with some degree of success, the gearing in particular could be improved upon.



But now that I see the frame with wheels in place I realize that it may not go any faster or otherwise be better suited to hill climbing compared to my existing rides. First off the wheels base is 102.5 cm, hardly aggressive by today's standards, or even back in 1986. It is also a cm or two taller than I first thought.

So the new idea is the 'Century Rider'. The size will afford a relatively comfortable position (albeit not as laxed as the two 65cm frames in the stable), and the modernistic drive train/group I have in mind should give trouble free index shifting.


It's time to tinker with the components, a mix of 10 speed Chorus and Record from before the little carbon tidbits crept in.




Record hubs with Mavic Open Pro 32H and DT butted spokes. A quality wheelset with a traditional feel, and certainly strong. Remember Cav's front rim in Tour de Suisse? Will be a while before I go carbon...

Last edited by jan nikolajsen; 07-04-10 at 08:23 PM.
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Old 07-05-10, 07:10 AM
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i cannot believe he didn't hurt himself in that crash, it looked brutal...and did anyone see yest'ys TDF stage sprint with the EPIC crash at the end? holy c..c...crap
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Old 07-05-10, 11:10 PM
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The front derailleur I got a hold off for a little more the change in my pocket has a 35mm clamp. Mighty big. Must be for one of those alloy frames.

I figured it would be all right if I came up with some spacer material. A few minutes of limping around in the hardware store brought me to the plumbing aisle. A PVC sleeve for connecting 3/4" pipe seemed about right in size.



After sawing off a narrow section and splitting the resulting ring in two I went ahead and lined the derailleur clamp with the pieces.



It looks a little awkward, but it works. I thought the FD might move out too far for the inside limit, but it'll be fine.

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