Last year I found a set of fenders that were exactly like the original Le Chemineau fenders that were on the bike I've had since 1956. Trouble is, they were bent, twisted and torn. Thinking they were aluminum, I asked the kind folks on the list for advice on repairing them. After a long search, I left the back one with a young man who said he could weld it. He couldn't, and left it in much worse shape than before. I then heard about a guy with much more experience, not only with classic cars and motorcycles, but also with repair and fabrication of bicycle parts.
I left both fenders with him, and about a week and a half later he emailed me that the fenders were not aluminum, as we both thought, but actually made from hi-ten, hi-carbon .028 thin steel, clad with aluminum. This, it turns out is even harder to work with than aluminum. He went ahead with the repair, but he was disappointed with the results. although now usable, the back fender will need some more work to look better.
I have posted some pictures on Wool Jersey in hope that someone on the list can offer some suggestions as to how to make them look better. The welder said to use Bondo, and then spray with aluminum paint. I have no experience with either, so I'm hoping someone else has.
Here is the link to the pictures:
Velo Le Chemineau
David Lester
West Hartford, Connecticut, USA
http://www.wooljersey.com/
http://community.webshots.com/
http://velo-orange.blogspot.com/