Current Project

I've put up a couple of posts showing some dark green parts, particularly the fender set. They are off of my current project: a Raleigh Dawn roadster made in England for use in Denmark. I have a particular interest in "weird" Raleighs and other roadsters that don't usually turn up in the USA.

The Raleigh "Dawn" is a mixture of the 26 inch Raleigh Sports type frame and wheels, with rod brakes and, often, a full chain case. It's basically the pup of the Sports and the larger rod brake roadsters like the DL-1. They usually have rod-stirrup brakes like you see on the DL-1. But this model built for export to Denmark has drum brakes actuated by the rods. As you can tell, some of the parts are from other bikes, but will be painted to match the rest. All of the parts here are vintage, though some are a bit older, like the chain case you see above.

The brakes are a set of shoes contained in side the left half of the hub. When the handle is pulled, the rods pull on an arm connected to the hub. The arm in turn causes the brake shoes to expand and rub on the inside of the hub shell. The result is that the brakes are contain within the hub itself, similar to a coaster brake. The tightness of the brakes is adjusted by tweaking a nut that holds the rod onto the brake arm. So, this is a Dawn, which is not entirely common in the US, and it is a drum brake Dawn, which is even more unusual in the USA. 

The color is a forest dark green, which was still used outside the US in the 1960s. This particular bike is from about 1965. 

The front wheel also has a drum brake. A small hand pump for the tires attaches to the frame. 

The rear hub combines the 3 speed gears of an AW with the drum brake system. This is the "AB" model hub, which entered production in about 1938, and which continued on for many years. This particular hub is from late 1964.

As you may have read, I've already shaped the fenders and begun to de-rust them. I also pounded out the dents with a small ball peen hammer. There's plenty to do, but the project is essentially all there. I will have to fabricate a couple of parts, but with some care it should be very possible to do.