The recent posts regarding touching-in and preserving original finish has prompted me to tell of my experiences with an Alcyon racer.
A couple of years ago, I bought an Alcyon frameset from Hilary. It had been repainted, badly, at some time past, and my intention was to have it resprayed, and to build it up.
I needed a back brake (it had the vertical brake bolt drilling not found on British machines) and I asked on the CR list whether anyone could oblige. I received an email from Nelson Miller, offering me a near-complete Alcyon, which had been retrieved from the dump, after having been run over by some vehicle.
I thought that the accessories - Alcyon pedals and chainset and other parts - would be ideal for building up the frame I'd already bought, and I did the deal with Nelson, buying the total remains of the bike.
When it arrived, I was so impressed with the original finish of the frame, that I decided to see whether the forks could be repaired, perhaps by having new legs fitted. I thought that I might then have them chromed, since the chance of matching the paintwork would be negligible.
I then had two strokes of luck. First, a pal of mine in the V-CC who doesn't like shiny restorations, and repaints his classic lightweights so that they look as though they have the patina of many years' careful use, offered to see whether he could paint the repaired forks to match the frame, not only in colour, but in wear and tear.
My second dose of good fortune came when Hilary took the forks to Argos, who said that they could straighten them, and that new blades would not be necessary - they would be safe to ride. I had them go ahead and they returned them to me with a coat of grey primer. (At a later stage, I found that there was a slight twist in the frame, which Argos sorted out, again with Hilary's help).
My pal then went to work, spending many hours blending paint, spraying, and then producing 70-odd years' worth of patina (I believe the frame to date from the 1930s), with such success, that people who have been told that it has had major restoration have been unable to see what has been done. I was so delighted with it, that I disposed of the original frameset I'd bought, and am now going to rebuild this one.
There was one further thing I was pleased to see: the frame has marks from having had an Osgear fitted at some time past, and I shall fit one when I rebuild it.
For photos of the pre- and post-restoration forks, see the link below. The middle photo is the one Nelson sent me originally, and if you click on it to enlarge, you'll see just how badly the fork legs were bent, particularly the left one!
http://smg.photobucket.com/
Neil Foddering
Weymouth, Dorset, England