Mike at Black Mountain Cycles in Point Reyes Station in Marin is probably the only guy on earth to have worked on as many Cunninghams as Charlie.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/46195580@N03/sets/72157640590573823/#
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Cunningham
Cool, I guess he couldn't anodise it tho?
I doubt Charlie had the facilities or the inclination to anodise them when new. There's raw and there's Cunningham raw.
I'm guessing that's been dipped to remove the corrosion , whats the deal with the welds on the top/down tube are they seam welded gussets?
From the link
Restoring a Cunningham (or any bar aluminum frame) that has seen the worst of the elements involves a two step process.
#1 apply Fluid Film, a corrosion/protectant with #8447 or #7447 Scotch Brite pads. In the case of this frame, this step was repeated 3 times. Buff with a clean terry cloth rag after each application.
#2 apply a liquid wax, Nu-Finish in this case, with a #7445 Scotch Brite Pad. This further protects the frame. Buff with a clean terry cloth rag after the wax is on for a bit.
whats the deal with the welds on the top/down tube are they seam welded gussets?
Yes I think they are seam welded gussets. The frames are incredibly light though.
Cunninghams are a bit like Vermeers, the whereabouts of every frame Charlie built is known. The chances of a tiny bike shop in Point Reyes having three in the stands at one time is pretty rare.
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Glad to see this as I have an old chromed steel mtb that I'm fixing up, and I bought a bottle of Nu Finish wax for it. 🙂