Today I have mostly been nickel plating. Results were a bit mixed, where I was not that bothered about the aesthetic finish (SA spindle) I got an outstanding result, where I was bothered I got a mediocre result - the law of Sod.
I did manage to find some seals (correct size 47 x 34 x 7mm) at Simply Bearings they were just called nitrile axial bearing seals rather than fork seals. They are the same as the old ones that came out. The 2 x 10.5mm wide ones I ordered just would not fit into the 20.5mm deep housing. I was a bit worried by a 20.5mm deep housing and 2 x seals whose combined depth was 14mm (even though that is how the bike was built). e.g. what was to stop one or other of the seals twisting and becoming loose in the housing?
I knocked up some 5.5mm spacers out of some 48mm aluminium scaffold tube which will be put in after the first seal has been located/seated at the bottom of the housing and before the second seal is put in. (Left of the picture above)
I was amazed at how out of concentric the scaffold tube was (ID vs OD nearly a millimetre) which made parting off a bit tense.