First fixed

Starting a fixed project. Going to use my dad's old Fiamme rims. Not ridden tubs for about 10 years and only found flat tyres, so fixed my first tub today. Can't believe I've never tried it before, it's not difficult.

Look at the fantastic things you can buy on eBay:

Made Like a Gun!
Sadly no Royal Enfield frame, but I have bought a frame... more to follow.

As I said, there's some fantastic stuff on eBay:

Sadly the Enfield chain wheel is unsuitable but the level of wear on it had already persuaded me that it might make a nice adournment for my garage wall.
Also, anybody thinking the original Rudge paintwork might be usable, whilst it is still pretty sound in places, in other parts it is entirely absent:

Progress will be sporadic but I'm hoping to have something ridable by February.

frame looks good, a friend of mine is also building his first fixed with an elswick hopper, which looks almost identical! What kind of look are you going for?

frame looks good man, im starting my first build too, using a colossi cheeko, looking forward to seeing progress

frame looks good, a friend of mine is also building his first fixed with an elswick hopper, which looks almost identical! What kind of look are you going for?

Not sure of the exact sort of look but it is going to include some or all of the following detritus:

but not the large flange front hub because it won't fit and almost certainly not the stem because it's rubbish and I suspect not the saddle because the repair is so far only partially successful... mainly the rims and the flip-flop hub.

if you're looking for great value for money, BLB hubs are probably the best, if you should buy new ones that is! Any ideas on what you are going to do about the paint?

if you're looking for great value for money, BLB hubs are probably the best, if you should buy new ones that is! Any ideas on what you are going to do about the paint?

BLB hubs are simply SystemEX hubs rebranded. If I remember right, around 3 brands come out of the same factory. You can get SystemEX ones for quite a bit less.

if you're looking for great value for money, BLB hubs are probably the best, if you should buy new ones that is! Any ideas on what you are going to do about the paint?

It'll be cellulose out of a spray gun, but I'm not sure about colours. Before I bought the frame I'd been thinking about blue over silver, but now I've got a Rudge I'm thinking about red over gold. With regard to hubs, it'll depend on what'll fit and on what's cheap, but mainly on what's cheap.

Just noticed that the front hub axle is grooved, whipped off the locking nuts and found the original tabbed washers still there and suddenly I have an 88mm hub spacing; excellent.

looks like you're making some pretty rapid progress! Just make sure that the cones are the tight enough as well as the spokes! If you're going to spray it, it's going to be much better and easier in the summer

True, but it will have quite a lot of clear laquer to carry the red and then more clear on top of that, and as laquer seems less inclined to bloom than other gloss cellulose it may not be a problem. Also cold/damp weather bloom usually cuts back pretty easily, which is preferable to sitting on the project until spring; although that is an option as I have a lot of other things on the go at the moment and as I haven't actually done any work on this yet - just dug out a few of the bits - putting it on hold for a bit might be sensible. We shall see, once I get an idea I like to get on with it until I'm about halfway through... then I usually look for something else to distract me.

Hi all, anyone know anything about serial numbers? I've got one at the top of the seat tube on the left hand side. It reads 358812 with an R immediately below. I would say my Rudge came out of the Raleigh factory as they acquired Rudge soon after WWII and this looks a lot younger than that but I can't find anything corresponding to those numbers on-line. It was intended to have a 3 speed Sturmey Archer and has a pulley mounting on the underside of the cross tube just in front of the seat tube. I'd be interested to know a bit more about the origins of the frame, so if anyone can help I will be very pleased.
Cheers.

I'm after a bit of advice; as I said before, this frame was originally for a 3-speed hub and will currently only accept a 5/16 axle on the rear hub, however my flip-flop had a 3/8. I have fitted a 5/16 axle to the hub but the smaller cones mean that the bearing surface is a bit higher up than I would like. Do you think I should:
a) run with this and see how it goes.
b) run with it but fit 9/32 balls and see if that fits
c) fit the original axle and file flats to fit the dropouts
d) file the dropouts to accept the original axle
e) try sturmey archer cones
f) something else?

Not sure on bearing sizes and stuff, but of your going to file stuff, file the dropout not the axle. Filing the axle will cause stress points. I wouldn't worry about filing the frame, it's pretty straightforward.

I'm getting bigger balls, they should keep the shaft in place.

Decided on reflection that using the large flange front hub without lock nuts was ill-advised, so I bought an old Raleigh one of the correct size on eBay. Unfortunatley I did this after I'd bought spokes suitable for the large flange hub and not wanting to send them back, I've had to lace the wheel up 2 cross instead of 3. They're just about the perfect length for that pattern and it looks better than I thought it might.

Incidentally, cleaning some of the paint off the forks has led me to think the frame may be an Ulster, anyone know a likely supply of decals?

Red oxide, flatted back.

Hi-build primer.

Base coat.

Pretties.

As I am planning a flip-flop project of my own, I look forward to see how this turns out.

Crimson red lacquer, homemade transfers. Needs clear lacquer, cut and polish.