Old Ned
Old School Grand Master
Thought I would show a few photos of the two front mechs I've had refurbished for me by a friend. One of them is very early with the unslotted cable stop and is (I think) the very first one I owned going back to around '63/64. The other came to me quite recently but both had corroded and sheared off adjusting screws. My friend has an extensive machine shop of smaller machine tools (lathes, millers etc.) and is quite adept with them - and he also has an interest in biking - so he was happy to help. I also gave him a short length of seat tube which was faced off square in a lathe and then mounted vertically in a vice on the bed of a vertical mill. The front mechs were mounted on this and with small milling cutters and drills the old screws were machined out and the threads retapped. New screws and springs completed the operation. He also gave them a good clean. Note that the clamp bolts are replacements that need substituting for the correct ones .
I now need to source the correct style of cage - without the 'safety' lip on the front edge.
It is noticeable how different the two castings are even though they are probably not all that far apart in age. The older one is 'fatter' and various 'edges' have been removed on the later model. The lower pivot pin for the cage is also different with just a 'notch' on one and a full groove on the other. Over the years many differences can be seen between models even though they are nominally all 'Record' mechs.
I now need to source the correct style of cage - without the 'safety' lip on the front edge.
It is noticeable how different the two castings are even though they are probably not all that far apart in age. The older one is 'fatter' and various 'edges' have been removed on the later model. The lower pivot pin for the cage is also different with just a 'notch' on one and a full groove on the other. Over the years many differences can be seen between models even though they are nominally all 'Record' mechs.
