Cycle Repairing and Adjusting
With a Chapter on building a Bicycle from a Set of Parts

BUILDING A CYCLE IOI raely, that the two blades are not of equal curvature. This should be looked for before they are fitted to the crown, by putting the two together and laying them on their back edges on a level surface, when the spindle holes should be exactly the same height. Should they not be perfectly equal in curve, one must be increased in curve, or the other slightly straightened. When brazing the blades to the crown, stay the ends with the front spindle or other stay to keep the ends the exact distance apart. When brazing, lay the fork on its side on the hearth, with the crown some 3 in. or 4 in. lower than the fork ends. Shake the spelter and borax well down to the crown end, and braze the lower blade, directing the flame on to the crown first until it becomes a dull red. Put some borax on the joint, and then move the flame to the joint, and feed with brass and borax. Let the brass set, then remove and brush. Treat the other blade in a similar manner. Setting Front Forks.—After brazing the forks they should be fitted to the front wheel, again tested for truth, and set where necessary. They may not require any more setting ; but one blade often becomes slightly longer than the other in brazing, thus throwing the wheel rim out of centre in the forks. If this is very slight, which is all it should be at the most, it may be corrected by slightly filing the hole in the fork end at the top on the side to which the rim is nearest. If one of the blades has moved in brazing so much that the rim is much out of centre, unbraze one blade, refit, and rebraze ; but if the blades are well pegged and tested before brazing, this should not be necessary.