Hello Suzy ,
I hope you will forgive my over-enthusiasm , if I set it free for just a moment . You are too cool for words , where have you been all my life , sorry to hear you have a fiancé ( but congratulations anyway ! ) . . .
And what a TERRIFIC web page !
I'm only an enthusiast , not an expert , when it comes to wonderful old bicycles from the U.K. , or from the Antipodes !
But , I have indeed heard good things about Malvern Star ! What a wonderful machine you have there !
The rims indeed were welded and machined so well that the seam is fairly invisible . Amazing technology for that time .
Think carefully about re-finishing , re-plating , and "restoring" .
I would disassemble everything , and clean everything . Then , if it were mine , I'd find some very-fine steel wool , and some very-very-very-fine steel wool , and some very-best-quality metal polish .
For the frame and front fork , I would use a very-very soft brush , warm water , and mild liquid dish-washing detergent ( designed to cut grease and to leave no residue ! ) . Buy the expensive brand of detergent at the store . Spend a tiny bit extra . It's worth it to cut the old grime , without taking off too much original paint . Do NOT try too hard to get it too clean . You can start taking off the paint before you know it ! Dry the frame and front fork carefully and fully . Perhaps let it sit for a day or two , to allow the paint to fully dry . Get a quantity of very soft cloth , or very-very soft paper towels , and plenty of soft ( liquid ) "polishing wax" designed for automobiles or motorbikes . Sit down and have at it ! :^) Remember , you are now doing the final cleaning ! The polishing is good too ! The wax protection is merely an automatically included extra benefit !
For all of the parts , I personally use 00000 steel wool ( extra-extra-exta fine ) with Simichrome brand polish . On aluminium , it produces a true "mirror-shine" . On steel , it makes things look as lovely as they can look . :^)
If the parts are extra-rough , I'll start out with another grade of steel wool , a bit less ultra-fine . And if they are really in bad shape , I might begin with very fine emery cloth , or aluminum oxide cloth ( perhaps called carborundum cloth where you are ? ) . Be careful . Stick with the finer & smoother grades . Be gentle . This stuff can cut deeply into a plated finish .
Now then , once everything is clean and smooth , and looking like a fine vintage survivor of decades of history , with many untold stories to tell , if only it could . . .
You have to ask yourself , do you want to spoil all of that by destroying the record of its history , and putting on an entirely new finish ?
A perfectly restored machine , truly restored to the way it was formerly , can be a sparkling beauty to all . But it has nothing to say about where it has been , or how it arrived here . An original machine has a richer story to tell .
Sparkling new looking is very appealing .
A machine is only original once .
It's a tough choice .
Raoul Delmare
Marysville Kansas U.S.A.
Hi,
I've been a bike nut for as long as I can remember. Until recently, my nicest bike has been my Colnago, made from recycled beer cans and which, though I race it most weekends in club crits is altogether too modern for a list such as this.
Whilst walking to the shops between Christmas and New Year (we don't own a car, so walk or ride everywhere) my fiancé and I came across an old bike that had been left on the kerb for council rubbish collection. I rescued it from this ungainly predicament, and took it home to be loved and nurtured.
In any case, it would appear that the bike is something of a rarity. My investigations so far (thanks heaps to Rolf Lunsmann) have revealed that it's a fillet brazed 1947 Malvern Star "Five Star". I'm still trying to find out more about the bike, and plan on showing photos of it to a few of the old racing types around Sydney to see if they recognise it.
I've got a few photos on the web, as well as lots of boring details, at:
http://www.atnf.csiro.au/
Being a track bike, there's not much in the way of components on it. The saddle is a narrow Brooks one (in reasonable condition). The stem and bars are chrome plated, and have no discernible makers marks. The cranks are chromed steel, labelled "Utility - British Made". Is Utility a brand, or a model within some brand? The pedals have "Prior" on the dustcaps, and are also chromed steel.
The wheels intrigue me. There were a number of spokes missing, and the remaining spokes were falling apart, so I'm endeavouring to clean them up and re-spoke them. I've been working on the rear one the last couple of days. The hubs are stamped "Bayliss Wiley made in England". The hubs are three piece, with aluminium flanges and a chromed steel barrel. The barrels are fairly rusty, so I'd like to have them re-chromed. Is there a trick involved in separating the flanges from the barrels?
Finally, the rims are 27x1.25" aluminium HPs, made by Dunlop. They're a simple U profile. After lots of cleaning and polishing, I've made the rear one gleam nicely. However, I'm flummoxed if I can work out how they were made, as there's no discernible seam. Does anyone have any info on this?
My plan of attack for the bike is first to rebuild the wheels so that it's rideable, then to strip the chrome from the cranks, stem, handlebars etc, and have them re-chromed. Are there any tips on removing the chrome, or simple elbow grease appropriate? Finally, after everything else is done, I' ll repaint the frame. It has a really unique paint-job, with lots of pin-striping, that I fear is going to be very difficult to recreate. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
Suzy