Claud Butler help please

[Swanny]

Thanks gents. Some great tips. I'll take a closer look at the mudguard stay eyes. As for the oiler you are quite correct:

 

[Piperdave]

Re:

Nice....very lucky chap, and a great find.

 

[keithglos]

Re:

Mudguard fittings are for Bluemels quick release mudguards. A bolt and small wingnut, the bolt was flatted so that it could be pushed through the hole and turned 90 degrees, To remove just undo the wingnut a couple of turns and release the bolt. Handy for riding out to a timetrial where the mudguards would be removed, the bolts remained in the stays.

Keith

 

[Swanny]

Sounds as easy as quick release guards these days.

BTW the photos above of the oiler came from a site http://classiccycleus.com/home/repair/bikes/

The bike discussed with the same oil reservoir and dispenser as on my bike is a 1937 Claud Butler Tour d'Angleterre which I hadn't heard of before. The rear end drop out is different though and I guess such oil dispensers would have been available on other models?

Nigel

 

[Losgaintir]

Re:

Any news on the frame number and date.
We are all waiting with baited breath
Colin

 

[Swanny]

Re:

Colin I'm afraid I'm away with my french in laws and not back till after Christmas when I will have a go at some paint scraping! Sorry for the suspense. Will post though when I know.
A great Christmas to all.
Nigel

 

[Swanny]

Hi everyone. Back at home now so today I tried to strip the paint off the underside of the frame to expose the frame number.
Out of interest I used Starchem Synstryp on recommendation - it was useless. Applied it thickly and wrapped it in cling film. An hour later no bubbling or anything. Anyone recommend a better paint stripper?
In the end I got the dremmel out and sanded it off. Unfortunately the numbers can't be read easily. So I took the headset apart and removed the forks. There are two sets of numbers on the fork: what looks like a 33 under a 3 and then: 872689. Hope that's not 1987!
If you have any idea what that might indicate then I'd be keen to know.

BTW the red paint is inside the head tube as well which makes me think it might be original?

Pictures of the numbers below.

Nigel

 

[OldTel]

Re:

Hi Nigel,
the first digit, pre 1950, is the year, and the second/third digit is the month, so looking assuming it is pre war, it is July 1938. Terry

 

[keithglos]

Re:

Hi Nigel

I can't help with the frame number,but it looks to me as if the frame was repainted and reassembled with new parts perhaps early 1960s. The Williams C45 chainset sometimes carries a date code on cranks and chainring.
Not much help dating the frame, but I still think 1938/39.

Keith

 

[Swanny]

Re:

Thanks gents for all your help
That helps to establish the date