So those alloy Meca Dural frames are not bonded or welded, they have expanders in the ends of the tubes like a quill stem to make them friction fit. Access to the expanders is through holes in the tubes and by taking the head badge off. Completely crackers!
So those alloy Meca Dural frames are not bonded or welded, they have expanders in the ends of the tubes like a quill stem to make them friction fit. Access to the expanders is through holes in the tubes and by taking the head badge off. Completely crackers!
Dujardin randonneur saved and restored for use. A lovely bike, as always translation of owners words below.
Hello everyone. Some of you may remember this famous ‘top of the range’ Dujardin racer that I discovered on my way to my favourite local scrap dealer.
It was a Sunday in June, I think. This bike had been put aside for me and I discovered it hanging from the main beam of this excellent chap's shed It's true that not owning one and not knowing this discipline, I was a bit adrift and finding it ‘curious’, I decided to buy it back. On the way back, I couldn't hold back and stopped with my camera to get a shot of the machine. In the afternoon, I submitted it to you and that same evening received your enthusiastic responses, which confirmed my choice.
The handlebars, stem and brake levers came together without a hitch. As did the rest of the bike. There were no particular problems with the entire disassembly. It's true that this is a ‘modern’ bike that has been abused, but never abandoned for years outside, under a gutter. When I removed the black fabric handlebars, I discovered shreds of old red Tressorex, jammed under the brake levers. When it came time to reassemble the bike, I'd have to choose between black, red and ... green, as the toe straps and the paintwork on the frame are in that colour.
The superb Maxicar wheels, I believe the name is correct, with red bearing cups. So no problem with dismantling, all I had to do was clean the frame and fork. And that was no mean feat. The former owner must not have been very careful, and the sponge certainly wasn't his trademark. I didn't have enough time in one day to remove the grime that had solidified over decades in every nook and cranny of the frame. Behind the brake studs, on and under the rear chainstays for hardened grease. The same goes for the bottom bracket, fortunately the paint is black. I'll certainly need another two or three hours of cleaning and polishing next week to get a satisfactory result. I say satisfactory because the paintwork is very damaged, scratched and corroded, and it's clear that this bike was more likely to be placed against a plastered wall than against a wooden fence. But hey, most of the nets and green bands are still there, as are the brand's side stickers. I'm just surprised that there's no brand plate on the stem tube at the front of the bike. A brand making prestige touring bikes must have had one at the time. There's no fixing hole, no transfer or sticker left. I'll just have to varnish it to protect what's still there from the ravages of time.
Here's the work of art at the rear of this bike. The junction between the chainstay and the right-hand chainstay supporting the right-hand rear wheel clamping system. It has an engraving that reads ‘Superchampion, Nivex licence’. Of course, everything was hidden under this thick layer of congealed grease and this invisible mention. This system, which I didn't know about, is obviously designed to keep the butterfly straight. This should make it easier to remove the wheel in the event of a puncture, while the panniers were on the rear luggage rack. Or maybe, I don't know... I don't know what the purpose of the ball visible on the butterfly is either. Maybe to use it to turn the butterfly? On the subject of questions, what was the purpose of the two hollow spacers welded to the right-hand chain stay? To attach a chain guard? (Rubber band chain slap protector GIGFY)
Good evening everyone. Despite the late hour, I can't resist sharing with you the latest developments over the last two days. Yesterday was devoted to the final preparation phase of the frame and fork assembly. It was the end of the cleaning, or rather the stripping off, because the old grease that had congealed over time had really taken its toll. Even steel wool had little effect on them. I ended up using a cutter to attack them, then finishing them off with a triple 0 Abel V.O. polish. The result was decent. I also managed to redo the lines by hand that had disappeared, but not having the ‘touch’ of the professional painters of the time and not being satisfied with the result, I put the whole thing to dry overnight. in the corner of my wood-burning cooker. Wood-fired paint, I'm going to have to think about a bio patent.This morning, the night having paid off, I polished the result, removing the excess paint and giving the whole thing a lived-in patina. And now I'm happy with the result. Yes, I know, the naysayers are going to say: yes, it's fake old, make-up, etc., etc.. But frankly, in some places, the paint and metal were really badly damaged.
So that's the solution I adopted to preserve the original patina and save what could still be saved. And besides, it was a new paint job, and the Dujardin stickers were impossible to redo by hand... with an airbrush for example. I then spent the rest of the morning preparing the saddle, its tube and carriage, as well as the fixing bolts. Do you remember its condition?
Hello everyone, a little follow-up and significant progress today on my Dujardin. I started the day by cleaning the steering cups and their balls.
However, before reassembling them, I had to replace the piece of electric cable running through the top tube of the frame, i.e. the one that connects the dynamo to the headlight. I had to use a bent piece of spoke to grab the end of the cable, to get it out of the top tube, and guide it with a pair of needle-nose pliers into the steering sleeve, to pass it through the tiny hole in the bottom of the sleeve. There really is nothing simple about life. I was then able to fit the fork and refit the top nut and locknut.
I then had to clean the cranks, pedals and crankset. Total dismantling of the crankset and a big cleaning bath. Nothing too complicated, but it sure takes a long time! The hours went by, the day went by, and in the evening, the same thing happened. That's all I did!
Good evening everyone. After two days at home, I was only able to spend half a day today on my Dujardin. Yesterday I had some urgent masonry work to do, including setting up my new mini-workshop. But it was necessary for my restorations and I needed somewhere to store my tools. So, as I was saying, a little progress, still a lot of cleaning, polishing and a little reassembly of the front of the Dujardin. In fact, it took me almost three hours to untwist, clean, polish and refit the front mudguard. It was really damaged, with a nasty crease in the second third behind the fork. And aluminium is soft, so it's best to go easy on the hammer to get it back into shape. But then again, that's its own story and its own scars. As a reminder, here it is in its previous state, before yours truly took a look at it.
Then I put the Michelin tyre on the front, cleaned it thoroughly and put it back on its wheel. However, looking at the first photos before dismantling showed me that I'd made a small mistake with the headlight. It should have been in the first hole at the edge of the mudguard, but it's the wire feed-through that fills the second hole. This needs to be rectified urgently during the next reassembly phase, next week.
Hello, just a quick look at this post to give you the latest news on the Dujardin. After a day and a half of work disrupted by the snow, it's starting to take shape. I've still managed to get the rear luggage rack back into shape and finished. But working with aluminium is really very difficult. The slightest misjudgement in the pressure on the areas to be straightened, and it's cash payment, everything marks. The hammer is even worse. And cracks or broken parts are irrecoverable, at least I think so. The back end is cracked, and apart from a patch glued on with two-component glue, I can't see any other way of fixing it. In the meantime, I've got time to think about it, and I'm pleased with this latest development:
First of all, the same method as for the front mudguard, cleaning with a burner cleaner, then rinsing with Abel VO, then dry-cleaning. Finally, a dry cloth to remove any remaining polish. For the aluminium rod, the same as for the front.
However, it was during the cleaning that I noticed an anomaly that I'll have to repair later: a break in the hub flange at the head of a spoke. Welding and re-drilling? I hope I won't have to change the hub, because to find a new one, I'd have to weld it.
Well, my Dujardin has made good progress, it's almost finished. Maybe another half day's work, rear pannier holder, finishing the lighting, identity plate, various accessories to clean, repair and fit. And then I could go and... TRY it out Phew, I've done my bit. But three short days of work, three short posts. More next week.
Hello everyone. As promised, and despite a slight -7°C this morning when I started work, I've got on with it, and my Dujardin is finally wearing the outfit it's going to wear on the Singer ride. All the components that are essential for proper operation are in place and adjusted, and the accessories have been chosen and fitted. After a few days of waiting to maintain the suspense, I can finally reveal it to you in broad daylight, as I left it this evening while waiting for slightly milder temperatures which should help me to try it out.
I simply found the two red Paturaud footrest straps in a wreck at home that I hadn't thought of. A quick clean-up, and putting them in place, followed by a treatment with ox foot oil, in order to prevent these very dry straps from breaking.
