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Darmic1

Farmers Boy Minor

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Yes, Richard, I was aware......and shocked by the price, I was at Isfield meet n greet and Paul, Jim and and somebody else said they had some, hence the ask!
Thanks Paul! Im starting to wonder if there is a machine that you 'dont' have literature for!!!
Thanks Triumph66, The whole process uses really good products, not cheap, but great quality........ Most are surprised when they find out its 'rattle cans'

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Got on well again today, Tyres cleaned and refitted to the wheels, wheels refitted. I then stripped and primed the rotor drive case, gave it a couple of coats of colour and left to dry whilst cleaning nuts and bolts. Gave it a coat or 3 of clear. Refitted the handlebars and mounted the engine, once the drive case was dry I refitted that too.

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Wont be able to do much tomorrow........ Have both the kids for the day, joy!!!

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Here is the original clutch lever from this machine, its seized with rust and pretty rough......

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I took a couple of pictures in the daylight today, the paint doesn't look too bright under natural light

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Also found one of the rotor blades was snapped off. Decided to have a go at replicating a replacement. Firstly, I welded together two narrow straight blades from an old set of mountfield rotors. I used a flap disc to clean up the welds, I then scored around an original blade and roughly cut out the new blade. I then formed the curved mounting part and finished the welding. Once cleaned up I drilled the mounting holes and fitted the blades. Think it turned out quite good? 

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Also made a minor change to the Spark plug cap, The insulated rubber was fouling the fuel tank. The cap has been removed and the metal connector with hole fitted, Also took the brass stop tab from the donor machines engine and fitted it to this one,

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This machine was missing its depth skid when collected, so using photographs of other machines and some measurements taken at our 'meet n greet' I have reproduced one. This is it 'mocked up' on the bench, painted and then fitted. 

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Almost done....... One or two little bits left to finish, painting the nut and bolt heads, replacing the cork on the fuel tap, handlebar grips, decals, oh and some oil for the gearboxes. Have ordered a litre of sae140 as specified, EP free of course!

Will get a better picture when this flippin rain stops!  

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Thanks! I'll use it around the show circuits...... I do have another one which I'm thinking about leaving in its working clothes and working?

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Thanks Chris! Will be unusual for me not to restore something........ But seeing guys and gals actually getting in the dirt

and playing with their machines has me curious? Gotta give it a go! I will be checking all is in fine fettle beforehand, hence

the engine being off the 2nd machine, don't want any unreliability do we??? (no mentions of the Gem and Bantam at

Ardingly..........)  :wacko:  :wacko:  :wacko:

Anyways here are a couple of daylight piccies....

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Also been doing a little digging into the company which started making these machines. The Raven Engineering Co Ltd were in fact quite a small operation. Running their offices from what would appear to have been a residential property, and the works from a nearby small workshop. Here is a copy of the email I received yesterday......

 

Dear Darren

Thank you for your intriguing query sent in via the website. To be honest, I had never come across Raven Engineering until now. However, I found the following entry in the 1956 Outer London (West Middlesex) Phone Book.
 
These two locations are close to each other at their back entrances (see attached map). As you can see from the attached, the 11 St John's Road premises are residential although I guess Raven were using them as offices (and hence the two phone numbers?). You'll see that a work/live Unit has been squeezed in next door at 11b and there was a very small single story workshop there before, maybe when Raven were there too. 
 
29 High Street (also attached) has had a very varied history: airplane propellers in WW1, parts for cockpit of the Kingston-built Hawker Hurricane in WW2, Celestion Ditton speakers between the two and more recently some of the scenery for the film Alien. But I haven't come across any other Raven Engineering stuff I'm afraid.
Best regards
Ray
Ray Elmitt
author of Hampton Wick: Brick by Brick and other books
available now at: 

 

 He also sent me some photographs of the relevant buildings and a small map showing the location, plus the phone book entry.

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