What’s In The Stand Wednesday

Oh look, another Cunningham.  I really do enjoy each of the Cunninghams I get to work on.  This one arrived with its owner on vacation from Southern California for a frame restoration, new paint on the fork and stem, and some overall get-it-back-in-shape.  

First things first, the frame and stem (a later sourced Ibis made LD) went over to Charlie Cunningham to have a few of the cable stops replaced since they had cracked.  The original stem was a flat bar stem with a taper interface.  There is a tapered quill silver-brazed into the steerer tube.  A flat bar stem uses one bolt from the top to secure the stem.  An LD stem, however, needs to fit onto a non-tapered stub.  Charlie made a taper adapter allowing the LD stem to be secured.  

Once the cable stops and taper adapter were made, off went the fork and stem to Joe Bell for some fresh original silver paint.  While the fork and stem were off for repaint, the frame got stripped of its parts and old decals and restored using a method Charlie recommends to protect the bare aluminum frames.  New decals were applied after the frame was refinished, a sourced WTB/King headset installed, and brakes disassembled and cleaned before reinstalling.  And then the almost like new frameset, sans wheels, bars, seatpost was sent back to its owner to finish assembling (yeah, I wish I could have finished building it and dialing it in).  #007 back in action.

The parts after cleaning, before reassembling

Swiss cheese roller-cam

I left the original NORBA sticker on the frame – probably can’t find one of those these days.

I dremeled out the lip on the headset lock nut so it would thread fully over the fork’s threads and allow the taper adapter to seat fully engaged on the taper.

The grime on the frame before cleaning and refinishing

Another before

After

The after luster

Feathering the edge of the neoprene chainstay protector so it conforms better to the tight radius of the chainstay and stays adhered better.

A couple tools to help ensure the decals and overlays are aligned properly.

One of the brake pad holders was broken, so a replacement was sourced.

Ready to go home.

(What’s playing:  Led Zeppelin Black Dog)