brass filling or replace tube

[jamaris]

I know little to nothing about frame building and when I came across this frame today. I wondered a lot of things:

https://picasaweb.google.com/1069341...eat=directlink


First, does it look structural and does it matter?

With a ding like this, if it's not structural do you brass fill it and get it repainted or just ride it until whenever... (provided I don't care about aesthetics)?

If you brass fill it does it do anything to weight distribution of the frame (dumb question, still wondering though)?

If you really hated the dent and it wasn't structural would it be silly to replace the tube? As in would it make the frame worse?

And when you replace tubes, does that compromise a frame or is it good as new?

[Andrew R Stewart]

I doubt the dent will cause any structural problems in the future. Filling it is likely only a cosmetic choice. Replacing the tube has a greater effect, more heat cycles where the stresses are already highest (the heat cycle mid stay is of less consequence) and possibility of not getting the alignment right.

I would live with it until I was going to repaint the bike anyway, then fill it. Andy.

[steve garro]

Filling alone won't be 100% as it's out of round as well.
You have to try and make it round 1st, then fill with silver (or bondo) could be slippery slope alignment wise if you go adding heat and all, but likely OK - absolutely have a dummy axle in it no matter what.
That's a nice bike with a really odd dent - how do you do that one?
- Garro.

[jamaris]

Filling alone won't be 100% as it's out of round as well.
You have to try and make it round 1st, then fill with silver (or bondo) could be slippery slope alignment wise if you go adding heat and all, but likely OK - absolutely have a dummy axle in it no matter what.
That's a nice bike with a really odd dent - how do you do that one?
- Garro.

Thanks for weighing in Garro. A dummy questions-- What's a dummy axle?

It's a bike I was/am considering getting but am wary of a large dent. Was told it happened in a crash, seems odd how it worked out that way though. Can't seem to figure it out.

[steve garro]

Thanks for weighing in Garro. A dummy questions-- What's a dummy axle?

It's a bike I was/am considering getting but am wary of a large dent.

It's an axle that keeps the frame in phase when you heat it up.
Alignment could be an issue with that, I'd like to know if the spacing was still correct.
Cold setting thin steel is stressful at best, catastrophic at worst.........
- Garro.

[sam]

Maybe the rear der. hung on the wheel got ripped off the frame and slung through the seatstays.

[jon_norstog]

EZ fix. You need a pair of tube blocks to take down the high spot (and shrink the dent in the process.) Then fill. Bondo will be fine, no need to reheat that poor skinny stay.

Good luck!

jn


"Thursday"

[Dallas Tex]

Don't do anything. That's a nice bike with a minor battle scar. Don't mess with it. Ride it.

Unless you plan to professionally repaint it, anything you do to it will make it look worse.