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@Big_Block
Stephen,
good result with the recover.
I have been playing with making some rivets, and *made *some last week.
The leather I use is thicker than Brooks, so I needed longer stems.
These were made from suitably sized copper pieces (cough) punched to accept the fine copper tube, then welded with copper wire (using propane and oxygen), cleaned up with files and sandpaper, with the rivet spinning in a cheap drill.
Here they are.
they are slightly larger (at 17.6mm) than the largest of the Brooks rivets (16.5mm).
I have also acquired a large jigsaw for cutting the leather, and a disc sander for sanding the edges.
As before, full credit is given to my ever resourceful brother-in-law for organising the workflow.
In the meantime, I have had some Shockstop 'honking' rubbers made.
This involved getting a loan of an original set, having a metal master made, then engraved with my artwork, and cast in urethane. Useful if you have a set of GB Hiduminium brake levers (1948-1952)
It is the same bike, but the fixed gear components have gone to another frame, with the Spearman frame and the saddle now complemented with full period components.
I am currently designing a custom chainring which will be laser cut, then laser engraved to go on a early 1950s Malvern Star Coronation I am rebuilding for my wife. The handmade rivets will be used on a new saddle cover for the sprung saddle. Life is good.