tarwheel 

You did a great job on this bike and I'm very impressed with the wheel building. The paint job on your bike is incredible and I think the black components look great on it.

I bought my Waterford used as well, and like you, I could never afford a new one at today's prices. However, I might spring for a repaint at the Waterford factory when I retire. I initially planned to get mine repainted sooner but the color scheme has grown on me. Plus, I commute on it a lot and wouldn't want to mess up a brand new paint job locking it to bike racks.

bikeclub

Yes, I was pretty darn happy when I got that fake-looking email.....

I did get the aluminum skewers to work, with the help of a very knowledgeable mechanic at Belmont Wheelworks.

As I mentioned, there were three reasons why it didn't seem like it was going to work: (a) horizontal dropouts, (b) too weak aluminum skewers, (c) work-hardened Henry James dropouts. After multiple mechanics fiddling with it, and cranking the aluminum skewers as hard as we could, and verifying that the axle was shorter than the outside sides of the dropouts, we still couldn't get the skewers to hold onto the dropouts enough. Even Richard Schwinn advocated drilling into the dropout to put in some kind of set screw; another mechanic suggested a chain tensioner of some sort to hold the axle in.

The knowledgeable mechanic at Belmont Wheelworks suggested that we grind down the axle about 2mm. Even though it was well shorter than the dropouts by 2-3 mm, grinding down the ends of the axles did the trick! My theory is that when you're cranking down on the dropouts really hard, it is actually compressing them slightly, so shortening the axles gives them more room to bite or clamp. Anyway, I was happily surprised that it worked.

bikeclub

Thanks!

You have a terrifically elegant looking Waterford, very classic and sweet looking set-up. I'm curious what the tire clearance is on those forks and chainstays. I managed to fit a 25mm Continental Grand Prix 4000S into the front, but I couldn't even get a 25mm tire into the back and had to settle for 23mm, especially with the axle / dropout problem mentioned above.

tarwheel 

My Waterford is a RST-22 custom designed to handle wider tires. The tires in photo are 32mm Ritchey Crossmax Pros, and the frame would fit at least 35s. It also has canti brakes, making it easier to fit larger tires and fenders.

merziac

Simply stellar, idea, bike, story! Absolutely love it when this happens and a plan comes together, very well done on all fronts. Please tell us you got a copy of the paper the PO wrote.

bikeclub

Sorry, never got it: the original owner didn't have most of his documents on the bike, as he put it, BE (Before Evernote). And once I got the frame, most of my intellectual struggles were with getting the right seat post.

merziac

Call him up and have him rewrite another.

rastaman8

Great build. Thanks for the note—thinking about doing something similar!

bikeclub

I love how this project turned out, but getting ready to sell this bike, I just don't ride it enough.