Re: How old is my Ishiwata frame / are they still in business?

[A Muzi]

[email protected] wrote:

> I've just built up a touring bike starting with an Ishiwata frame
> (photo at http://bike.toleressea.net/bikes.html#touring). The tubing
> is labeled "Ishiwata Feather Si35 Triple Butted Cromoly Channeled
> Tubing".
>
> The ride quality of this frame is superb. I'm interested to know how
> old it is, and if Ishiwata tubing is still available anywhere. I've
> search the group and see that others like it, but don't know if it's
> still made.
>
> The only clues I have are the 126 mm dropouts, threaded headset, and
> the fact that there's a thing to hold spare spokes on the right
> chainstay. This braze-on comes perilously close to the chain when
> using an 11T cog, so I'm guessing that it predates 11T cogs?
>
> Any guesses on the age?

Ishiwata began as a tube mill drawing detonator tubes for
torpedos. They closed in the early 90s. Ishiwata produced a
full range from premium CrMo down to pedestrian steel tube
for our industry and I believe their marketing department
invented "triple butted" and "quad butted" . At least I saw
it there first.

Where a normal double butted tube for a race bike might be
0.9-0.6-0.9, a 'triple butted' tube would be 0.9-0.6-0.875
or some such, there being no real difference, sales staff's
patter notwithstanding. 'Quad' had slightly longer tapers,
again so slight a difference as to be negligible.

"Triple" from about 1984 on, up to about 1994(?).
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[[email protected]]

take a good look at the seat tube seat post area-
needs rotary wire brushing or tongue depressor sanding?
try lubing the cleaned area with a glop mix of aluminum anti-seize and
linseed oil
the mix heals rust cutting off the O2 flow. gotta do it on a hot day in
the sun warding off trapping moisture under the mix. more is batter!
the linseed is part of the steel bike owner's kit-spread two coats over
over the nicks and scrapes rather than wait to paint. you can paint
right over the stuff.
spread it on the nuts and axle ends fork gizmos to seal the areas from
above preventing drip thru or under nuts before tightening as a low
tech loctite-needs thinner drippings on exposed threads to loosen.

 

[Dan Lenski]

> take a good look at the seat tube seat post area-
> needs rotary wire brushing or tongue depressor sanding?

Nope, it looks like it's been sitting in someone's air-conditioned
closet for years Hardly a scratch on the thing, and only one tiny
spot of surface rust on the headtube.

> try lubing the cleaned area with a glop mix of aluminum anti-seize and
> linseed oil
> the mix heals rust cutting off the O2 flow. gotta do it on a hot day in
> the sun warding off trapping moisture under the mix. more is batter!
> the linseed is part of the steel bike owner's kit-spread two coats over
> over the nicks and scrapes rather than wait to paint. you can paint
> right over the stuff.
> spread it on the nuts and axle ends fork gizmos to seal the areas from
> above preventing drip thru or under nuts before tightening as a low
> tech loctite-needs thinner drippings on exposed threads to loosen.

Thanks for the info. I have heard of linseed oil but was unclear on
how to use it. Is it a bad idea to do this with all the components
installed on the frame? I was thinking I'd pop off the saddle and wheels
and try it.

Can I use linseed oil to protect the outside of the frame? Maybe
furniture wax or something...