Iver Johnson Build Commences

I got the frame back from the powdercoater, yesterday, and threw the parts on it this afternoon. I really just wanted to see how it was going to look. I will eventually do some cleaning up and polishing of the cranks, etc.

The frame is showing some dents and dings (it is about 100 years old!). Lee (the powdercoater)filled the dents with a high-temp filler, but the two-stage powder coat apparently was just too much for it. It came out so bubbled and flawed that he called me and told me he wanted to get the frame stripped, again, and then redo the powder without the filler. I agreed with that.

I would have liked to get it all smooth, but I can live with it, as is.

The original headtube badge which reads "Iver Johnson Arms & Cycle Works Fitchburg, Mass, U.S.A."

I swapped out the NJS track bar I originally had on it for a Soma Major Taylor bar. I thought it looked more appropriate, plus Major Taylor rode for Iver Johnson in the 1920s.

I put a coat of Bullseye Amber Shellac on the cork grips, just before taking the pictures. They may get more coats, depending on how they look after drying.

The finish actually looks very much like antiqued copper plating. It is a pretty close approximation of the example I was trying to emulate. And, I decided to not run a brake on it, just to keep the look a little more correct.

It won't be getting a great many miles on it, anyway, unless someone else buys it and rides it.

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