Getting a wire in an out of a tube with tiny holes is only moderately tricky. You put a piece of thread or string in the hole, blow compressed air into the hole and feed more string until the end comes out the exit hole (the air is headed there, and brings the string along for the ride). Not much pressure is needed, and often less is better.
After you have string through there, you attach the wire and pull it along the route of the string. Use tape or knots if the holes are large, and superglue otherwise. If there are other exits you don't want the string/wire to take, block them off and/or do the routing in a stepwise fashion. Access is the main issue -- for some tricky runs one can even approach from opposite ends and tie knots.
Works every time, even with routings you think are unlikely or impossible.
Cheers,
Scott Minneman San Francisco, CA, USA
-----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of Jerome & Elizabeth Moos Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 2:34 PM To: CR List; Simon P-J Subject: Re: [CR] Louis Pitard: finding some bits to finish mine + restoration dilemma
These photos raise a question I've been meaning to ask about constructeur bike lighting. How did most constructeurs implement concealed lighting? On this Pitard, it looks like there is simply a hole drilled in the toptube just behind the headlug, although it is not so clear in the photos where the wire enters from the dynamo, which is mounted to a brazeon on the seatstay. Was there a small tube run inside the frame tube? If not, how did one manage to thread a small wire into one end of a frame tube and manage to direct it back out through a small hole at the other end of the bike? Did one have to do this with the fork, HS and seatpost removed? Were the tube ends completely open at the lugs, as opposed to having only a small opening, or even completely sealed off as one finds on some more recent frames? Otherwise threading the conductor into one small hole in the toptube and out an equally small one at the other end would seem a feat of dexterity at least equivalent to building a model ship in a bottle.
Also, did all the old lighting systems ground through the frame, or did some use a double wire system, which seems to be the preferred system for modern dynamo lighting? Jan's wonderful book shows lots of bike with concealed wiring, but mostly one just sees a lack of exposed wires - it isn't often obvious exactly how they arranged it.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Texas, USA
> From: Simon P-J <simonpj@mac.com>
> Subject: [CR] Louis Pitard: finding some bits to finish mine + restoration
dilemma
> To: "CR List" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Date: Tuesday, January 13, 2009, 12:07 PM
> All the talk about fine French bikes prompted me to get out
> for a ride this
> afternoon on the Louis Pitard that I was lucky to find
> earlier this year -
> and to think about tracking down a couple of things that I
> need for it.
>
> It's current mildly tidied-up state this afternoon:
>
http://www.wooljersey.com/
> 7.jpg.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=1
>
> Album of photos of its original state:
> http://www.wooljersey.com/
>
> Could anybody sell me - or could you point me towards a
> source for - a
> suitable 26.4mm alloy domed seatpost?
>
> And... what's the best thing to do about replacing the
> leather strap
> 'chainstay protector'?
>
> And finally, the thorny question of restoration. I was able
> to remove most
> of the nasty rust on the top and down tubes - but
> that's left some sizeable
> patches of bare metal - especially un-sightly on the top
> tube.
>
> I have neither the skill nor the patience to do a really
> good job of
> touching up those patches. Can anybody recommend someone in
> the UK who is
> capable of doing an excellent, sympathetic 'touch
> up' restoration - as
> opposed to the 're-creation' restorations done by
> Argos et al? I'd really
> rather not go ahead and do a full restoration - but feel
> that it's a bit
> beneath the dignity of the bike to leave it in its current,
> scarred state.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Wyndham Pulman-Jones
> Girton, Cambs., UK.