Right, so the I finished the rear wheel yesterday. Went over to one of the nearby bicycle shops and found some ball bearings.
Simson is a brand that probably keeps a surprising number of vintage bikes on the road here.
So I built up the wheel, used the stainless steel nipple plates (
which made this wheel a hell of a lot easier to build than the front wheel) and brass spoke head washers (
for fun) and added pinstriping to the rim once done. And while I was at it I went and added some box lining to the frame lock as well because why not. XD
The front wheel will have to wait until later this week. I have a couple of busy days ahead and I was so discouraged when the spokes and nipples just locked up on me the last time. But I'm pretty sure it will be easier with these plates, provided I can get the current spokes loose without having to destroy too many spokes and nipples. They're really stuck here.
Finished wheel
"Bofix nippelplaatje" (spoke nipple plate)
Pin striping
Brass spoke head washers
Box lining/pin stripes on the frame lock