My old, ignored wheel that was my beater Mooney clincher wheel.  I knew for years it really needed attention!  It has had side-side play for years, now getting close to 1/2"!

The hub was my old racing front hub, a Sanshin 36 hole LF, identical to the hub that came on my '76 Fuji Professional.  Good silver-grey anodized finish, a oiling clip that has been missing for decades.  (Edit: the clip has been replaced with white electrical tape , also on there for probably 30 years.)  I laced it to Weinmann concave rim 4X in 1984, replacing the cones with a touch of wear with Campy NRs.  Those cones threaded on nicely (a little tight first time - the Japanese roll their threads while Campy cuts them to a sharp "V").  The Campy cones were a little smaller OD than the original so I wrapped waxed marine thread around them to form seals.  (I grew up around sailboats.)

Now, these seals meant that I did not have access to the cones so adjusting would be difficult and I never did.  The wheel saw rides in ridiculous rain, went off road, seen some heavy LowRider loads.  Rim has deep scratches from grit and a nice concave from the brakes.

Last night I cut off the twine seals and opened them up.  They were perfectly clean!  The Phil Wood grease looked perfect, like the hub was fully race ready!  I cleaned up everything nicely (Simple Green, toothbrush and ample rinse to the outside, simple wipe inside, solvent clean for balls and cones.  Threw it all together nice and neat with lots of Phil last night, tightened the cones to tight and packed off a little, threw the cones on and wow!  I have never felt better bearings!  I'll just wrap them abain as before and go another decade! 

Actually, if I ever go sew-up, this hub would be my #1 candidate over anything else on this planet.  There are no better bearings out there.  (And no better seals, I might add.  )  It has history.  I rode all my big races on it, laced to a Fiamme Ergal rim. 

Ben