I found an ad on Craigslist that showed only a partial view of what was a very rusty bicycle for a low low price.
I was lucky caller number one and the seller held it for me till the next day when I went there to pick it up. He said he had gotten up to 30 calls on it after I talked to him but held it for me, which was refreshing, in this county it's dog eat dog... first come and you get it most of the time. He also threw in a extra rim and crankset with it!
20160328_131125 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
20160328_131328 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
20160328_152838 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
20160416_154248 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
I spent a while peeling back a thick sheen of rust little by little trying more abrasive techniques till finally I was rubbing the frame wiith a medium sandpaper sponge I usually use to sand away the bits of paint normal sanding doesn't get off. It was then I was able to best determine somewhat confidently that what I had was a pre war Rollfast circa 1937. That is one or two years younger than my parents. Still even with the paint finally showing, it was clear that the rust was fully in control of the situation and I would have to deciide to just go with the flow or make the rust go.
20160330_013519 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
20160330_013710 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
20160330_175551 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
I decided to make it all go... and so I began with the rims.... and then piece by piece day by day... I worked on it...
20160402_131438 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
20160402_131505 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
20160402_131554 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
20160403_201435 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
20160403_215216 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
20160403_215404 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
20160407_194837 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
I didn't end up getting the look i was hoping for in the end though. I'm finishing it tonight and have a buyer coming by for it in the morning.
It riides nice. I made sure all the mechanical points were up par and like new. I'll post final pics of it after I take some in the morning sun. till then.. here is one last one taken a couple days ago when I was putting it back together.
20160414_145840 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
I was lucky caller number one and the seller held it for me till the next day when I went there to pick it up. He said he had gotten up to 30 calls on it after I talked to him but held it for me, which was refreshing, in this county it's dog eat dog... first come and you get it most of the time. He also threw in a extra rim and crankset with it!
20160328_131125 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
20160328_131328 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
20160328_152838 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
20160416_154248 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
I spent a while peeling back a thick sheen of rust little by little trying more abrasive techniques till finally I was rubbing the frame wiith a medium sandpaper sponge I usually use to sand away the bits of paint normal sanding doesn't get off. It was then I was able to best determine somewhat confidently that what I had was a pre war Rollfast circa 1937. That is one or two years younger than my parents. Still even with the paint finally showing, it was clear that the rust was fully in control of the situation and I would have to deciide to just go with the flow or make the rust go.
20160330_013519 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
20160330_013710 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
20160330_175551 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
I decided to make it all go... and so I began with the rims.... and then piece by piece day by day... I worked on it...
20160402_131438 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
20160402_131505 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
20160402_131554 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
20160403_201435 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
20160403_215216 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
20160403_215404 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
20160407_194837 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr
I didn't end up getting the look i was hoping for in the end though. I'm finishing it tonight and have a buyer coming by for it in the morning.
It riides nice. I made sure all the mechanical points were up par and like new. I'll post final pics of it after I take some in the morning sun. till then.. here is one last one taken a couple days ago when I was putting it back together.
20160414_145840 by shwsrvcs, on Flickr