Well, the Hopper is finished and back at the Bike Exchange getting ready to be featured in a future "Bike of the Month" article in our newsletter (bikex.org).
You can tell a lot about what kind of care a bike had when you dismantle it. You also get a glimpse into the mind of the designer / builder as you inspect the Geometry, materials used, types of fasteners. paint, chrome etc.
This bike has had loving care since the previous owner bought it new as a child.
Built as a commemorative edition celebrating the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953, it is in excellent condition. Except for new tires, cables, and grips, it only needed a modest amount of TLC to get It ready for its photo shoot.
The bike is painted in a black enamel. It’s pretty tough and all I had to do was clean it well, rub it out with white polishing compound, and wax it. Mostly, it shined up but there were spots that wouldn’t buff well. Over all the pint looked good. It should hold up well in the future. The bright work was pretty rusty and this was dealt with in varying ways.
A cup type wire brush attached to my bench mount drill press is great for a quick clean up. Lots of bolt ends, chain rings and cranks, basically anything that will fit between the drill bit and the base table is fair game and frequently a good burnishing is all that is required.
Small chrome and aluminum parts are dunked in a large container of white vinegar, usually overnight, then cleaned and burnished / polished as required.
Large items, like steel rims, handlebars, fenders etc. are cleaned and often lightly rubbed with 0000 steel wool to clean off scale and loose rust then painted with Naval jelly.
Handle bars and rims are often rubbed with crushed aluminum foil and the old stand-by Brasso metal polish.
When warranted ( or I just feel like it) I have a buffing wheel to give aluminum parts a mellow shine.
So here it is in all its glory, a 1953 Elswick Hopper.