Hello Amir,
I'm pleased to see that you finally received the Selbach, but am very sorry that it was damaged in transit. Perhaps we could get Mario to send some paint to touch in?
Having seen the photos in your off-list email, I would suggest the following.
As far as the bottom race is concerned, the damage is not to the race itself, but to the flared bottom part of the head tube, typical of pre-war headclip type headsets. The flared ends are not bearing surfaces, but simply housings for the bearing races.
The top and bottom races sit in these flared ends of the head tube - they're NOT pressed in like later "Continental" races, but float; they're held in place by the whole of the headclip assembly when the clip bolt and top nut are tightened up.
I would suggest that the dent be gently tapped out until it's as near as possible back to where it should be, and then all should be OK.
If anyone agrees or disagrees with this, please comment - this is a rare 1927 Selbach, and I don't want to give inappropriate advice!
Neil Foddering
Weymouth, Dorset, England
>From: Amir Avitzur <avitzur@013.net>
>To: Classicrendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
>Subject: [CR]Re-rounding built-in bottom race
>Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2006 20:39:52 +0200
>
>
>The bottom race on my Selbach got bumped in transit.
>It is built into the top-tube/down-tube lug so it cannot be replaced.
>
>How can it be re-rounded?
>
>Amir Avitzur
>R"G, Israel