Good question, actually.

Why? Because another 2mm would have taken quite a bit longer. The cutter does not take a very big bite; it just shaves the metal. Also, its not needed. A sealed BB setup always has 2-3mm leeway due to the fact that one side is solidly-threaded and torqued (drive side), and the left side is just a supporting sleeve, which is fairly adjustable in a sense. Lastly, my chainline is perfect and I do not wish to disturb it.

Origin 8 single speed crank. The shell is nicely lined up now. The sealed BB went in slick.



Pressing in the headset. VO Grand Cru.



Here it is so far. MKS Sylvan pedals give a classic look. Nitto stem.


The wheel buildup has stalled. I was repacking the Campy Record hubs, and found one with a crack in the outer bearing race. Its pretty big, and I don't fudge it when it comes to bikes. Its nothing but a paperweight now. I ordered a pair of Surly track hubs. Makes me mad to spend more than I anticipated. This is starting to become a thing for me.

Is it the shell of the hub or the cup race itself? You can get new races for record shells or press in an old one.

Hey now! That's a great idea! I've never taken that into consideration before. There seems to be a race cup pressed into the hub. Do you have any idea where I could get replacements?

Thank you! I've had to stall a lot of my bike projects for now, but I will get back to them. The snow collapsed my old barn just this past winter; There were about 40-50 bikes inside (I've lost count). We've done a full kitchen remodel including electrical and plumbing, floors, custom cabinets from North Carolina, countertop, appliances, and everything else. I've been busy as heck for the last six months. Now I'm busy building a new barn. Its going to be another month and then I'll have some time to devote to bikes again. Stick with me - I'll get back to this.

This is my old Dunelt and it has to be the smoothest bike to ride i have in my stable

Quite a story to this old girl , i got it from the original owner who had hand painted it twice by time i got it , i then had it re finished in the Orange then sold it as a frameset and eventually brought it back end of last year and then built it up as a 1 x 6 speed

Ah, the mind must be going on me. I could have sworn that I've already updated this thread. Perhaps I dreamed it? Anyway, I've completed this bike and I want to show some pics of the end result. After many months of it hanging in the shop partially finished, I've decided that some nice wheels with Sun CR18 rims, Surly flip-flop hubs, and a Shimano SS freewheel would do the trick.









After a couple test rides, I'm convinced that this is a nice way to turn old British Steel with the stamped dropouts into fun bikes again. It just glides!

A thing of beauty - well done. I have to say you also have a very complete set of the proper tools....i’ve done a few headsets in my time and always used the long bolt and a couple of slabs of wood approach!

Nice! Any issues with getting those hubs to fit in the dropouts?

love the saddle.. origin 8?

Sorry for asking, but what does it weigh?

Tom, if you have to ask, you can't afford it.

What a great looking bike. The work you have done is at a higher level than what I usually see when these venerable three-speeds are "reactivated", my own Raleigh project included. It is ready for another half century of service. I'm thinking of using acrylic to preserve the patina on my rear fender after I clean up the mild surface rust. Maybe when I build a new alloy wheelset next year I'll clear the frame too. I think the best part of the three-speed hobby is the unending variety of ways in which owners make them new again to their own tastes.

I had to file just a hair on the rear dropouts to get the axle to slide in and out nicely. I also had to spread the rear dropouts a wee bit to accommodate the Surly hub. I also used my Park frame alignment guage to make sure everything was on the straight and narrow. Otherwise, no problem at all.

Yes it is, and its surprisingly comfortable!

Thank you for making me get off my duff and weigh it, Tom! It's 23 pounds. Heavy indeed, but it rides nicely with the 700x25's on it. Its not a Professional or an International, but its obviously lighter than the configuration of which it rolled out of the factory.

Very good, sir! I like your choice of words: "reactivated". I have around a dozen of these old 3-speeds, and I love them all. My next project will be making one of these in a step-through version. I have a sweet old Fleetwing targeted for this.

23 pounds is heavy? To me, that's light! And I predicted much more, so I'm impressed.

Sharp bike! This is taking the scorcher tradition to a high level.