Manx - Special TT

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Clydesdale Scot
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Manx - Special TT

Postby Clydesdale Scot » Sat Jun 24, 2017 4:40 pm

The next project has started (before the last has finished)

Ever since I did the New Look, I liked the style.
Skidstars are out there, but I like the more obscure.

Enter the Manx.
Image
It was recently for sale at Scammells Auctions, then appeared on local Gumtree.

Mine will not be a period correct restoration.
I think the design is more the 1930s streamlined style, and lends itself to some customising.
So if you don't like that then read no further.

On the off chance there is anyone left in the room, my current thoughts are to get inspiration from old Norton motorcyles
Image
using parts in the parts bin.
So black with silver trim
Major Taylor stem with flipped black celluloid covered North Road bars
big old light up front and old rear light both converted to run on LEDs
Shimano Nexus 8 speed hub.

Image



One day it may also get some electric motor assist. I need to do a lot more work on that.

The frame seems straight and sound, with only some surface rust to deal with. The tubes are very strong, so I have no concerns there.
The bottom bracket is having some Penetrene applied to make its removal a little easier.

I am open to suggestions on this project.

Now to find a fork.
Last edited by Clydesdale Scot on Tue Dec 12, 2017 10:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

old steel Bikes
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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby old steel Bikes » Sat Jun 24, 2017 6:43 pm

The old Norton's are great motor bikes so from the photo of the Norton. You are going to paint it silver with black decal and everything else will be chrome???

Look forward to the build and see what you come up with to meet your objective.

Danny

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Clydesdale Scot
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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby Clydesdale Scot » Sat Jun 24, 2017 8:36 pm

probably more black, with some silver.
I have two stainless steel bidons.
They might look good with one on the down tube and the other on the seat tube.

I am thinking about getting some fittings to braze on. Cable guides etc, so bidon mounts are likely.

When I picked up the frame, I showed it to Peter Giessauf at International Cycles.
I asked Peter if he knew anything about Manx bikes. We were chatting in the work room, he smiled and said the frame would have been bought into the room in which were were, stickered up, components added and then out to the showroom. The business operated as Manx Cycles before Peter's dad moved his business there.
Manx because the owner came from the Isle of Man.
Next time I will take some notes of Peter's recollections.

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QuangVuong
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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby QuangVuong » Sat Jun 24, 2017 8:57 pm

I have plenty of old braze on fittings and some crowns and fork blades from that era. Just let me know what you want, and I'll see what I do have.
VillaVelo, by the Vuong brothers

Blog: https://villaveloframes.wordpress.com/
FB & IG: @villaveloframes

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GaryF
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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby GaryF » Sun Jun 25, 2017 12:02 pm

Such a great, fun project. It will be nice to follow your progress with this bike. The frame is amazing.

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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby Roisin79 » Sun Jun 25, 2017 1:35 pm

Given your usual attention to detail Clydesdale, I would have thought you would post an actual picture of a Manx Norton.

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Clydesdale Scot
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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby Clydesdale Scot » Sun Jun 25, 2017 1:58 pm

Image
but the Norton Manx didn't exist until 1947, it had lost the streamline moderne styling of earlier Nortons.
When I was a kid, you bought old Nortons, BSA etc for $20 and used them as 'paddock bashers'
There was a great little track very near to where GrantW lives.
We had a great time as kids.

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Clydesdale Scot
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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby Clydesdale Scot » Thu Jun 29, 2017 5:43 pm

The frame has some issues and will need a new seat tube.
Last edited by Clydesdale Scot on Tue Dec 12, 2017 10:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby old steel Bikes » Thu Jun 29, 2017 8:48 pm

I think we had something thing like that but not as flash. It was called a card and it was attached with a peg on my bike. Was not to expensive but would have much the same noise.

Danny

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Clydesdale Scot
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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby Clydesdale Scot » Tue Dec 12, 2017 10:34 pm

woo woo
Image

Image

anyone else get a flashback?
OK, my brain works differently to most.

Ooh, that some day he'd be a star
(A superstar, but he didn't get far)
But he sure found out the hard way
That dreams don't always come true, oh no, uh uh
(Dreams don't always come true, uh uh, no, uh uh)


Last edited by Clydesdale Scot on Sat Feb 03, 2018 9:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby Clydesdale Scot » Sat Feb 03, 2018 8:57 pm

Been doing some searching for inspiration for this project
mainly at The CABE

Image

I rather like the stylised Elgin fork. I think it suits the frame shape. The dropouts are in the same position as a regular fork, and are cut from a steel plate slotted into the fork end.

Up to me to try to gently bend the blades before they get brazed into the crown.
I have 'borrowed' the script from the Norton Manx. I find it curious that the Manx name is stylised into a cat with a long tail; but the Manx cat is known for its stub tail. So rather fanciful and as such, it is entirely consistent with this project!

The image above is a composite of a number of layers in Photoshop. This allows me to add decoration, change colours, swap over forks etc without destroying other elements of the image.
I will come back to this over the next few months, fiddling and meddling until I am ready to make it happen. It needs some fine lines to accentuate the frame design.

I am thinking of making the headbadge by electro-etching brass and then painting the detail. A good opportunity to acquire a new skill.
The old lights will probably be refitted with LED globes but I would like to have them flash for daytime running. There is a controller from China which I will need to import. The front light will be attached to the Major Taylor stem with its own headlamp clip. The rear light may have a custom fitting in the Rene Herse style.
The Shimano Nexus hub with will require a spreading of the rear stays. I will ask if I need to get new bridges brazed in to accommodate the new width.
Some cable guides to keep it tidy.
Comments and suggestions are always welcomed.

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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby QuantumMechanic » Fri Apr 27, 2018 2:56 pm

So Hillson was just another sticker applied to this frame? Mine is the same blue colour as the one pictured but I assumed someone spray painted it because there are no stickers and there's evidence of yellow underneath. Do we know a timeframe for these bikes?

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Clydesdale Scot
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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby Clydesdale Scot » Sat Apr 28, 2018 6:11 am

I think it is safe to assume that they were all produced in some as yet unidentified workshop and then stickered up.
I would think they were around the same period as the Skidstars, but that needs to be checked.

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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby QuantumMechanic » Sun Apr 29, 2018 10:29 pm

I think it may pre-date the Skidstar. Original examples have guards of the style common in earlier years and I can't find advertisements for new ones after 1954. The cantilever frame has been made since the late 30's which makes me think it's a good candidate for making a version of the Schwinn Autocycle.

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Clydesdale Scot
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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby Clydesdale Scot » Sat Jun 22, 2019 5:44 pm

After much consideration, pondering, procrastination there is movement.

I will get this going first and then maybe do the special forks.
Handlebars are going to be a set of GB Maes bars. The Major Taylor stem has been wire brushed and will be given a cold blue treatment. Brake levers from the 'spares' pile.
The lamps have been refurbished and now have been updated with flashing LEDs. The front lamp has had the cold blue finish, and the rear has the paint removed and the brass polished.
The Shimano twist gear shifter was not to my taste, but there is an aftermarket bar end shifter that will work.
And I will need some appropriate non-turn washers
The vinyl decals have arrived and they are being used as a mask for saltwater electro-etching to make custom brass badges for the downtube and the headbadge.
One down, one bubbling away as I write, the third one tomorrow.
Then to anneal and form them to fit flush around the tubing, and apply a patina.
The forks are off to have more thread cut before fitting. Some minor work on the frame then the frame and forks are off for powercoating.
The Brooks saddle frame has been found in my 'spares' pile, and it will be a good opportunity to try out my new scroll saw to cut the leather.
No cable clamps or bands. There was some discussion a few years ago on the type of tape used (old cloth electricians type) and I have bought some hockey stick tape and will apply some shellac to seal it up. It should look close enough.

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WyvernRH
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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby WyvernRH » Sun Jun 23, 2019 2:13 pm

Sucked in again.... :roll:
Every time I see this thread I open it expecting to see one of these....

Image

Richard

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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby P!N20 » Sun Jun 23, 2019 9:35 pm

Clydesdale Scot wrote:The vinyl decals have arrived and they are being used as a mask for saltwater electro-etching to make custom brass badges for the downtube and the headbadge.
One down, one bubbling away as I write, the third one tomorrow.
Then to anneal and form them to fit flush around the tubing, and apply a patina.
Well this sounds interesting, tell me more!

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Clydesdale Scot
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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby Clydesdale Scot » Mon Jun 24, 2019 9:25 am

There are many resources online for saltwater etching. I googled a few and followed that system. Just rock salt and demineralised water with a power supply running low (2 volts).
I used cut vinyl as a resist. The idea was for a brass headbadge and then some downtube badges.
The headbadge had some very fine detail and if I couldn't get the vinyl to work then I would go for the laser etching of a painted surface.
I was delighted that the detail of the headbadge survived the process.
"Weeding" the vinyl to remove the cut sections required to be etched whilst leaving the vinyl to act as the resist was the most challenging time. Then to transfer to the 'transfer tape' and applying to the cleaned brass took patience.
Image
Always hard to photograph shiny surfaces.
I used a hole saw to cut the forms used to press the shape to fit around the tubes. Annealing the brass prior to forming allowed this to be easily done.
The downtube badges will have some salt and ammonia fuming to fake the patina and then the letters buffed to shine.
The headbadge will have some red and black paint applied to the area etched.

I did this as a proof that it can be done for bike restorations. Setup costs are low and with a little time and application it can be done, even by someone as practically challenged as me.
Inspiration came from the Board Tracker replica thread
The etching can be done on a number of metals and can replicate pantographs if you want.
Last edited by Clydesdale Scot on Wed Jun 26, 2019 5:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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uart
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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby uart » Mon Jun 24, 2019 12:35 pm

Clydesdale Scot wrote:There are many resources online for saltwater etching. I googled a few and followed that system. Just rock salt and demineralised water with a power supply running low (2 volts).
They turned out great CS. Very neat. :D

I hadn't seen this before, but I assume it's a little bit like electrolysis de-rusting in reverse. That is, where the part to be etched forms the sacrificial electrode (positive). Is that correct?

I'm guessing that the slightly textured look of the etched regions comes "for free" (as in kind of unavoidable) as part of the etching process. It's great though, without that there would be no contrast.

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Clydesdale Scot
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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby Clydesdale Scot » Mon Jun 24, 2019 2:20 pm

Yes positive to be etched.
Dimples are apparently more apparent if you crank up the volts.
As the etched area will be painted or subjected to accelerated patination the texture is of little concern to me. The contrast is more important.
I kept the volts low as I didn't want to risk too violent a reaction lifting off the vinyl mask.

Someone might find it useful. And this process avoids using some unpleasant chemicals. I did explain to the Woolies checkout operator that the rocksalt and the bottle of demineralised water were not part of some weird diet.

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familyguy
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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby familyguy » Tue Jun 25, 2019 5:31 pm

Pity, you could've had a Pete Evans moment:
"I ONLY take my salt with demineralised water, it's way better than activated almonds, but you wouldn't know that, PLEB, cause you're not PETE EVANS!"

This process is very cool. Might have to try it for some bits and pieces upcoming...

Jim

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Clydesdale Scot
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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby Clydesdale Scot » Tue Jun 25, 2019 6:45 pm

I had to Google "Pete Evans".

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familyguy
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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby familyguy » Tue Jun 25, 2019 7:48 pm

I don't know if that says good or bad things about you? 8)

Looing at some aluminium plate to try this on. Seems to work with most metals, most success on brass or stainless.

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Clydesdale Scot
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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby Clydesdale Scot » Tue Jun 25, 2019 7:57 pm

Reflects my "contrarian" disposition. When I googled his name I was pleased I wasn't aware of him or why he thought he was important.

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uart
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Re: Manx - Special TT

Postby uart » Tue Jun 25, 2019 8:24 pm

Clydesdale Scot wrote:Yes positive to be etched.
Dimples are apparently more apparent if you crank up the volts.
Yeah I recognized the dimpled appearance from the look of the sacrificial anodes after I've done some electrolysis rust cleaning. I just use washing soda as the electrolyte in that case, and a 12V battery charger. So yeah it's a lot more aggressive.
I kept the volts low as I didn't want to risk too violent a reaction lifting off the vinyl mask.
That was something I was wondering about. How strong a glue do you need to attach the etch resist?

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