<< The lugs aren't lugs, but bilams, i.e., the frame is welded, and the "lugs" are for decoration. This is indicated by the lack of a seat lug and the use of a seatpost clamp. >>
Neil & all:
This may be a semantical divergence, but I am fairly confident that these frames are filet brazed ("Bronze welded") rather than molten steel "welded" as we frame builders over here use the terms.
The Bilam sleeves might be argued as having a strengthening as well as decorative function. In any case, they are slid on and then the whole joint brazed & fileted. (Rather than have the joint tig or mig welded, then sleeves added & brazed, which is what someone, applying USA terminoogy, might deduce from your description.)
We have wrestled with all the ways to describe metal joinery here on this forum, but at least we on this side of the pond would call this example Claud method of joinery as still fitting in the "low temp brazing" category rather than the higher temp tig/mig, etc., welding family.
Cheers, Dale
Dale Brown Greensboro, NC USA
-----Original Message----- From: neilfoddering@hotmail.com To: triodelover@comcast.net; classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Sent: Mon, 21 Aug 2006 5:36 AM Subject: RE: [CR]Claud on eBay
The serial number of late 40's/early 50's Claud Butlers (on the bottom bracket) includes separate numbers indicating the year and month of manufacture. My 1953 Claud (now sold) had the numbers 53 3 (or 3 53 - I forget the sequence) denoting March 1953. I've sent an email to the vendor, asking for this information.
The lugs aren't lugs, but bilams, i.e., the frame is welded, and the "lugs" are for decoration. This is indicated by the lack of a seat lug and the use of a seatpost clamp.
This bilam pattern in the 1949 catalogue was available on Models 1 "Avant Coureur MkI" (club), 2 "Avant Coureur MkII" (racing) and 25 "Olympic Path", which was listed as having "bilaminated construction throughout", and which I believe this to be.
The stem is a Reynolds, listed in the 1952 Brown Brothers catalogue, and the bars are GB, of, I believe, a later period - possibly 1960's.
The cranks are Chater-Lea, of a pattern which was made for a limited period after the war. They have a reputation for breaking, and this might be why they were discontinued, or, perhaps, they just looked too fragile. It's possible, of course, that they weren't up to the stresses of track racing, but if I had a pair, I'd happily use them for normal road use
This is a lovely machine, and I wish I could afford the shipping, let alone the purchase price!
Neil Foddering Weymouth, Dorset, England
>From: Phil Sieg <triodelover@comcast.net> >To: Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> >Subject: [CR]Claud on eBay >Date: Sun, 20 Aug 2006 18:28:11 -0400 > >There's a somewhat odd Claud Butler road/path up on our favorite auction >site. >
>http://ebay.com/<blah> d=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1 ><http://ebay.com/<blah> rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1> > >or #32001888914 > >Perusing the catalogues at Norman Kilgariff's site, some electronic scans I >have and the '52 catalogue reproduced the _Lightweight Cycles Catalogues, >Vol 1_,_ _the nearest match I can come up with is the '49 Olympic Path. >But there's the chrome fork on this, the half-chromed seat and chain stays >and the different (I think) ST transfers. Oh, and it's drilled for brakes >fore and aft. All of this could be explained by customer request,of course. > >By 1951, the head tube lug work has shown up in the All Rounder but >disappeared from the path racers. And wrap around seat stays have been >introduced, which this frame lacks. So have I got it right or way wide of >the mark? > >Also, does anyone recognize the cranks? Chater Lea chainring but not CL >cranks. Durax, maybe? > >(The seller isn't much help. The original listing had nothing about size >or componentry. Now we've got an exceedingly rare 38h front hub. And >mystery bars with an ornate "GB" engraved on them. ) > >-- >Phil Sieg >Knoxville, Tennessee > > >--- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- >multipart/alternative > text/plain (text body -- kept) > text/html >--- >_______________________________________________ >Classicrendezvous mailing list >Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org >http://www.bikelist.org/mailman/listinfo/classicrendezvous
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