Bruce Robbins writes:
>
> I've just picked up a pair of sprint wheels with Campagnolo
> steel barrels
> and small alloy flanges dating back, I believe, to the late 1950s.
>
> The chrome on the front barrel is quite nice but the rear is
> rusty. The
> question is, is it worthwhile having the rear barrel
> re-plated or were these
> run-of-the-mill hubs? If they're worth doing, how is this done? Is
> it necessary to somehow dismantle the flanges from the barrel?
I'm no expert on plating, but I have heard that no aluminum is allowed in
the tanks used for chrome plating steel. I tend to doubt they were
constructed in a way that allows them to be taken apart and re-assembled
either. Sorry this is so wishy-washy, I'm mostly here to answer your other
question:
>
> Finally, is there any way of accurately dating these hubs?
All the ones I've seen taken apart had the two-digit year stamped on the inner face of the axle locknuts, so you have to take the nuts off to see the year. Nuts aren't usually replaced, so this is a fairly safe bet to be the year of the hub.
Mark Bulgier
Seattle, Wa
USA