Orange P7 1995

[ishay]

Re: Orange P7 (1995, I think... TBC)

Thanks to some evening sunshine I've made a lot of progress with the frame tonight. I'm not going to pretend the finish is completely perfect but I've not blown fully through the nickel anywhere and the rust is gone.

For a 25 year old bike and a build I'm trying to do with almost no new purchases it's going to be fine.

 

[Paul R]

Re: Orange P7 (1995, I think... TBC)

Nice what polish are you using? Mothers alumumium polish is nice fine stuff that will get it to a mirror finish

 

[ishay]

Re: Orange P7 (1995, I think... TBC)

I finished it with Brasso, but by the time it had been scrubbed with GT85 and Spontex scourers I'm not sure there was much left for it to do anyway

 

[2manyoranges]

Re: Orange P7 (1995, I think... TBC)

Fabulous

Great job

 

[ishay]

Re: Orange P7 (1995, I think... TBC)

Some before/afters...

 

[Paul R]

Re: Orange P7 (1995, I think... TBC)

looks good

 

[ishay]

Re: Orange P7 (1995, I think... TBC)

I'm determined to rebuild everything I possibly can on this bike. I think the seat post is beyond hope and I'll use fresh cables and bearings which I already have 'in stock'. With that in mind I didn't even want to order new headset cartridge bearings (which aren't exactly 'essential' right now) so I worked out how to split them open (slightly damaging one seal in the process of learning how, but not critically). The lower bearings were trashed but I had spares. The rest was ok, so a whole lot of fresh grease and they run lovely again.

 

[2manyoranges]

Re: Orange P7 (1995, I think... TBC)

what's your seat post diameter on this one? I have a drawer of orange seat posts......

 

[ishay]

Re: Orange P7 (1995, I think... TBC)

what's your seat post diameter on this one? I have a drawer of orange seat posts......

Well, I’m not sure yet. I think it might be 27.2 but it has a shim down to 26.4 that seems to be stuck in (not tried that hard yet). I have a USE post I really want to use but it has a 26.8 shim down to whatever it is 25/25.4, I think, but a Googling of that didn’t help, it’s not stamped and I don’t have measuring callipers.

So this one is on the back burner for now

 

[2manyoranges]

Re: Orange P7 (1995, I think... TBC)

OK that makes sense, my nickel P7 is 27.2.

Re the shim which is stuck in, I sense a palaver in the making. Stuck seat posts and shims are a painful part of restorations. I would immediately put a load of GT85 or PlusGas onto the shim, leaving it to soak if you are not in a rush, and applying it every day for a week....and each time giving it a wiggle somehow if you can.

I always use the time travel method (method 3) which involves going back in time to the point at which a seat post or shim was inserted and greasing it properly.

27.2 shims for the USE (which is a lovely example) are readily available - use the USE ones though, they are much more precisely engineered.