Help identifying old Claud Butler

[Losgaintir]

Re:

Chain ring and crank are stll fixed together by one daft set screw. WD-40 and a bit of a saok will hopefully help.
I have cleaned both sides of the chain ring, with no stampings or numbers visible, unless ther are under the mating surfaces.
Would this indicate that it is not a "Williams"?
The teeth on the ring are very slight hooked and worn.
Would any appropriately toothed, 5 point connection chain ring, fit the crank?
More potential problems with the frame.
When the wheels were installed, I measured the front and rear drop outs.
Front was 95mm, which is unchanged with the wheel removed.
The rear measured 115 mm with the SA 3 speed hubbed wheel in place, tightish to remove and the rear drop out now measures some 110/111mm. The distance across the lock nuts of the SA hub also measure 110mm, with the differece of 4 mm, being taken up by two large, repair type washers, fitted inside the rear drop out lugs.
I suspect that they were there, becouse of the distorted rear portions of the drop outs, the SA hub nuts, being smaller than the enlarged drop outs, and would have passed through!
Am I correct in thinking that with my 110/111mm, I am limited to a single sprocket (fixed or freewheel) hub?
Ideally, I would like to fit a 3 or 4 speed set up to the frame, to make riding less of a chore
Colin

 

[keithglos]

Colin,
Would have been 4.5 inches, we used to run 5 speed in this. It can mean that the rear wheel gear side spokes are near vertical, another reason why tubular tyres were commonly used on geared bikes, the rims were far stronger.
Just use all the space you can, run the gear like I did to touch the spokes.

Keith

 

[Losgaintir]

Re:

I am now at the point of taking the wheels apart and need a good spoke key or wrench.
Can any of the more experienced Forum members make a suggestion as to what is a good item to buy.
Also how are spokes sized ? The recommendation when re-building the wheel was 15/17, but what does that mean?
One final ask, Any good wheel builders within a 100 mile radius of the Noth Essex Coast, preferably in the U.K.
Colin

 

[keithglos]

Re:

In the 50s /60s I used mostly 15/17 G spokes double butted, so 17G in the middle. 15 is near enough 1.8mm You can look up SWG Standard Wire Gauge.
Now it seems people prefer to use tree trunks.

Keith

 

[Losgaintir]

Re:

Keith, Excuse my ignorance but what does double butted mean?
My existing spokes look quite thin and measure some 1.5mm dia
Colin

 

[Jonny69]

I've got one of these Park Tool spoke keys:

There are three sizes of spoke nipple, but the red one here is the most common and is slightly tapered so it also fits the size below. The triangular type spoke key with all three sizes in one are ok for the occasional adjustment but they will give you sore fingers if you have to do a whole wheel with one.

 

[COUPES]

Re:

Mick at Madget Cycles in Diss, Norfolk, I would recommend for your wheels. He's on 01379650419 he carries spokes and period parts for restoration. You would have to ask if he can polish rims. Double butted spokes are fatter (slightly) at the ends and thinner in the middle, they look right on a wheel and lighter than straight gauge spokes. Will your hubs clean up or rusted and pitted?

Simon

 

[Losgaintir]

Re:

I have just take my front wheel apart, cutting out all the spokes , bar 3 or 4 which I removed intact.
Strangely, there were two different spoke diameters in the wheel, 1.5mm and 1.8/1.9ish, with the slimmer ones appearing newer and less tarnished. A bit of internet research indicates that my rims are almost certainly Conloy Constrictor, #4 standard. Weight 18oz.
The Constrictor catalague of 1938 shows the nipples as being special no 4, with fibre washer ( see earlier post re. fibre washers)
My wheel had no fibre washers and the reason I could not turn the nipples to loosen the spokes, was that the brass nipples were semi seized in the alloy rims!
What was special about these nipples and is anyone lokely to have any in stock?
If no stock, which seems a strong possibility, what have other Constrictor rim owners done, when rebuilding wheels?
Colin

 

[COUPES]

Re:

Hi Colin, Mick at Madgetts Cycles has brass washers. Rims are Alloy and helps any problems with load and different metals can react with one another. Its likely spokes have been replaced in their time and with anything available. Remove the sprocket/cassette on the rear before taking it apart. Easier to do so with wheel built.

Simon

 

[COUPES]

Re:

These are what is recommended and some on ebay.