Stem removal the hard way

[oldtimer]

I have managed today to remove the stem from my 47 year old SJH after about three weeks of intermittent effort.
With the use of heating with a heat gun and cooling with ice (not at the same time) I managed to get a bit of movement between the stem and the fork tube. Then using penetrating oil, I managed to get it to move a bit more. After another two weeks of twisting and turning each day for about an hour it finally decided to give up and parted company with the fork tube. It is a V.E.W. brand stem, probably the makers initials.
Unless the stem is valued highly, I wouldn't recommend going to the trouble I have gone to.
oldtimer

[MountGower]

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[europa]

It looks clean enough. Have you worked on it since removing it?

Tell me, at any stage did you consider just leaving it there?

Richard

[Kid_Carbine]

V.E.W. stands for Velox Engineering Works & the company is still owned by the Bazzano family. They were among the earliest producers of alloy bicycle components in the world starting as early as 1935 & alloy components was all that they did.

They are still located near Sutherland in the southern part of Sydney.
They originally had a shop in Parramatta Rd & sold the 'Velox' bicycle, but closed that up & went into cycle component manufacture.

The hub range included, ....
The 'Roadster' A lower cost hub in Standard flange only
The 'Light' which came as a Standard flange, a Medium Flange & a Wide flange. There were two versions, simply defined as early & late.
The 'Continental' This was intended for racing & i have seen them in both the early & late version. Wide flange only.
The 'Special Continental' This was the companies premium hub & from what i can tell, it first went into production after the war.
I have a pair of these, given to me by Charlie Bazzano back in the early 80's, all polished up & ready to go onto my 1949 Carbine Union Racer. Wide flange only.
[The terms 'Standard, Medium & Wide' flange are drawn from original 1947 advertising]

They also made at least 3 different head stems, & two different brakes, although the first version lasted only a year or two. The second version was generally seen from about 1938, but my '37 Carbine had these 'VEW Continental' brakes in August 1937

I had heard that they also made handlebars & seat pins, but a private conversation with Charlie Bazzano some years back failed to get confirmation, & he should know, he was the main machinist making these things in the 30's & 40's. His brother Leo was the metalurgist while their father Jack, ran the whole show.
Charlie, by the way, was a menber of the Australian Cycle Team at the 1948 London Olympics & family members have been prominant in Australian cycling for decades.
Even the Boss Cockey at Shimano Australia is a Bazzano

So, Oldtimer, treasure your VEW headstem, as it is rich with Australian cycling herritage & if you wish to replace that stem, then drop me a line as I would like to add it to my VEW component collection, but personally, I think you should polish it & refit it with a smear of anti sieze to prevent further problems.

[oldtimer]

Mount Gower wrote;
"You should get rid of that thing since it's caused you so much trouble."
To MountGower
Yes, I felt like sawing it off and throwing it away a few times.

europa wrote
It looks clean enough. Have you worked on it since removing it?

Tell me, at any stage did you consider just leaving it there?
To europa,
I cleaned the head stem with Ajax and steel wool, then polished it with aluminium cleaner.
The forks were never painted the same colour as the frame so I thought it would be easier to paint them after they were removed.

Thanks Kid Carbine for that information.
I will hang on to the head stem and it will be installed in the SJH when it is being put back together.

oldtimer

[s-s-a]

Really interesting bit of cycling/family history there KC!

Steph

[Kid_Carbine]

A strong & fit rider I will never be again, so I try to be good at something, & history is where it's at for me, particularly Aussie industrial history wherever possible.

Glad you liked it.

[kukamunga]

Ok KC. I've got some vintage Aus bike questions for you. Will post in appropriate thread.....

[oldtimer]

Kid Carbine,
Thanks again for passing on your knowledge so freely.
I know of another old bike which is coming to light soon due to all the "aged" bike rejuvenation in this forum.
oldtimer

[Kid_Carbine]

Ok KC. I've got some vintage Aus bike questions for you. Will post in appropriate thread.....

Happy to help wherever I can, but hopefully, nobody sees me as the font of all knowledge.

Oldtimer
You have my undivided attention already.