Old Hercules

Submitted by Relic on Wed, 09/18/2013 - 19:25

I went to pick up an old snowmobile a while back and was also given this basket case Hercules (I'm pretty sure that's what it is) along with a basket case Sunshine. I would like to fix them both up. As far as replacement parts go, like seat and handle bars, the best I can probably hope for is to find something that looks correct for the period. I may be able to salvage the wheels but they would need new spokes since the old ones are badly weakened with rust. Unfortunately, the head badge was only a transfer so there is very little left of it. It looks like someone added a Raleigh light bracket or what ever that is at the base of the goose neck. Does anybody have info on this bike and where some good places are to look for parts?

6 Comments

Submitted by Old-Bikes on Thu, 09/19/2013 - 23:30.

it's quite easy to recover the saddle or if you can't, a shoe maker could do it for you.

rub the bars and other chromed parts with steel wool and WD40 until the rust it gone then protect with automotive wax. you can do this as well on the painted parts... just be sure to use #0000 steel wool. of course you don't want to be too harsh on the paint, the goal is just to get rid of the rust and flaking paint.

if the rims are quite true, measure a spoke from each wheel and get them rebuilt once the rim is clean and the hub overhauled.

all in all, just roll up your sleeves and use lots of WD40. the only tools you really need are a Westcott, a large, flat screwdriver, a hammer and perhaps a vise grip.

good luck with your project and show us the progress as you go! :D

Submitted by Relic on Fri, 09/20/2013 - 17:31.

Thanks for the advice. I tested the paint with steel wool in a few spots and was surprised to find that what i thought was bare rusted metal still had quite a bit of paint left. It actually looks pretty cool with the weather beaten look. I will have to make a couple of repairs to the frame which I will need to touch up with some raspberry coloured Tremclad. The main tube that the seat post is inserted into has cracked through below where the upper cross tube connects. This will likely require arc welding. The brace between the upper and lower cross tubes has come unbraised from the lower tube so I will have to re braise it. The handle bars have rusted through so I will look for something that resembles the originals. The tires are 28X1 1/2. Hopefully they are still easy to find when the time comes. As for spokes...can they be replaced one at a time without distorting the wheel? I have had some success using a spoke wrench to true up warped wheels so I'm not afraid to tackle this if it can be done.

PS I will post some pics of the Sunshine soon.

Submitted by James nash on Sat, 09/21/2013 - 15:11.

I like the look of the bike. Would love too see it when your done. :). I'm currently fixin one up as well. 

Submitted by Old-Bikes on Sat, 09/21/2013 - 22:58.

don't forget to use WD40 with the steel wool... it's so much better.

for the crack, the only thing I would advise is drilling the ends of the crack with a 3/32 drill bit then TIG welding it; you could also lightly groove the crack if the tubing isn't too thin. but of course use brass for the brazed joints.

spokes can be replaced one at a time, but it would be incredibly long and laborious compared to starting all over with just the rim and hub. it's also a great opportunity to thoroughly clean the hub and rim without having to work around spokes. there are plenty of videos, articles and tutorials on the web about wheel building. it will take you a couple hours that's for sure but once you'll be done, you can only be proud of yourself.

for the tires, there are two types of 28 x 1½ : the canadian size and the british size. check with your local bike shop if a 700c tire fits on the rim and if it does (or almost), you need the canadian size... if the tire is way too small for the rim, it's the british size. in either case, use 700 x 38 to 43 tubes and 700c rim strips.

I would also advise checking which size cotter pins you need for the cranks because there are two sizes: 9mm and 9.5mm. it will save you unnecessary trips to the bike shop...

 

feel free to drop me a line if you need more tips and tricks or if you have questions. :) leobellavance@gmail.com

Submitted by Relic on Sun, 09/22/2013 - 09:00.

new

 

Submitted by James nash on Sat, 09/21/2013 - 15:11.

I like the look of the bike. Would love too see it when your done. :). I'm currently fixin one up as well. 

Do you have any pictures of yours? I'm wondering how much of this one has neen altered over the years. The chain guard looks like it may be after market. The beehive grips look like CCM...not sure if other bikes used them as well. The front fender is kind of odd. It looks much too big for the fork size. Notice how low the back side of it is and the spacing between it and the wheel is not uniform.

Submitted by T-Mar on Mon, 09/23/2013 - 15:10.

The basic frame design is a Hercules Ladies Roadster. I've seen it it their 1930s catalogs but it is not shown in their 1947 catalog, so they didn't survive the war. FWIW, the presence of a non-metal headbadge is typically indicative of a war era model.