how do you like your nuts? nickel, bzp or stainless nuts?

[robbsa]

1929 bike - what replacement nuts should i be using? I want to keep the bike as authentic as possible - stainless nuts that i've found have been expensive, would nickel plated nuts have been used in this period?

Anybody know of well priced suppliers?

[robbsa]

ment to put.. I feel BZP look a bit modern and cheap, anyone disagree?

[cardan]

I recall that BSA went to chrome for the DeLuxe models only in 1930, so I suspect the fanciest finish in 1929 was nickel. A number of the major fasteners were nickel plated, but I suspect many of the smaller ones were black. Someone may know for sure, but I think they may have been just painted black (maybe dipped) rather than chemical blacked.

It's worth studying photos of old bikes to see how plated fasteners were used. Rarely were small polished-and-plated fasteners used in an expanse of black enamel; something common on restored bikes. Try to keep polished plated fasteners to those that were originally plated. Touching up heads of bolts with black enamel after assembly is OK for me, but I'm no concours nut.

Leon

[Rex]

BZP is cheap, stainless is crap, rusty nuts are poor, painted nuts look like your paint brush was too big, so nickel it is....

[johnnyboy-wonder57]

Rex,
Why is stainless crap?


JBW

[Rex]

Because it looks so out of place on an old bike. Does anyone really ride old bikes hard through winter that non-rusting fasteners are so essential?

Fair enough on your work-a-day Jap, but not for anything good.

[rosko]

unpolished stainless will pass for nickel if you are less fussy, a lot of bikes in the vintage period used chemical blacking; you can get a kit for this from Frost automotive.
very little nickel plate in the vintage era on nuts bolts etc Often just the larger nuts only were plated.
cadmium,never ever zinc plate,did not come into general use till wartime.
Half of the charm of nickel plate is that it does NOT stay shiny but mellows to a white-ish colour.

riders in that era would piant over or grease the nickel, even to the extent of wrapping the handlebars in insulating tape;old style cloth of course.

why are you replacing the nuts anyway?  many vintage era fasteners are quite distinctive to the marque.

[robbsa]

thanks, some good mixed advice. I think i will need a few different sorts so I will experiment with a few finishes in different places to see whats the most fitting.

Not really at the finishing stage yet, but am replacing a lot of the fasteners because a lot of them were too far gone to refit. some of the nuts had been completely rounded and some of them were so rusty they had lost any shape and are unusable. I am keeping whatever original parts I can, no matter of the size and no matter of the elbow grease required! however, some are sadly just not recoverable.

On the note of finishing detail, the majority of the cables and cable sleeves need replacing, I was just going to use made up cable from some later model bikes that are of similar sizes in black sleeves (not sure of material, but think its not too different from modern cable). The originals are very corroded but seem to have a woven pattern to them. Any thoughts....?

[Goldy]

Have a word with JJ Cables, they make them. I don,t think they have a web site, they not that advanced in the wilds of Warwick, but they do know about cables.
JJ Cables, Hillfields Farm, Warwick. tel 01926 651470

[rosko]

from the sound of it what you have is the remains of original Bowden cable.
you cant get it any more but now and again it will turn up at a jumble.

beware of modern inners, often the cable is stainless and cant be soldered, and the outers are nylon lined.

Its not difficult to make your own cables from new old stock .
you can buy the components from Vehicle Wiring Products.

distance made cables rarely fit properly.

whats the bike?

[robbsa]

the bike is a bsa l29, I have all the correct dimensions in the parts catalougue, so making up own would be better. ive seen a couple of videos on youtube to do this. what sort of soldering equipment would i need to get a good bond? would a simple blow torch give enough heat?

cheers,
Rob

[rosko]

don't use a blow torch if the cable gets too hot it is effed up and will break.
you need a BIG electric iron or a pot of solder which is best.
I will try and find an article I saved re cable making and post it later.

apart from boxes of mixed readymades for reuse  I find at jumbles etc I haven't bought a control cable in 40 years. I make all my own its simple as long as you follow the rules.

[robbsa]

cheers, that article would be great if you can find it.

[Rex]

I agree with the above. Home-made is guaranteed to fit and cheaper too. Even the much praised Venhills seem to add 10mm "just for luck..." and they sure ain't cheap either.

[robbsa]

Rosko,

when you say a BIG soldering iron, what sort of power do you mean? ive seen ones on ebay up to 150Watt, but is this still only sufficient for electrical wiring. i'll be needing to make up brake cables, so obviously want a good bond.

Thanks,
Rob