Fixing a Victorian

[Mickeyspinn]

The chain stay is still pressed in a little. The hydraulic rig a ma jig didn’t get it completely straight. It’s probably been dented for 60 - 80 years. I’m hoping if I leave it stretched with my Expando Gizmo for a day that will eventually remember where it belongs. I’m close to paint but before I weld the crack shut, I want it as close as possible to straight. It’s straight in this new sorta jig, but I think it will spring back. If this doesn’t work I’ll over straighten it, but it’s hard to get it to move, my hands aren’t strong enough to move it more. I’ll probably have to use Vice Grips or a welding clamp to close the Expando Gizmo if I over straighten.View attachment 637861
The nasty crack in the chain stay. It’s from when I tried to straighten the bend and take out the dent with a puller. The weld for the puller rod must have made it brittle because I heard the crack when it was in the jig.a crash that bent the bars and crank arm.View attachment 637862

I got some catching up to do !
Wine talk...like wine.

I presume the bend is side on and the stays are round at that point or were!? Have you run a set of calipers around it to see if it's out of round? If so a little squeeze on its widest point might help! Esp when it's under tension

 

[Nabeaquam]

I got some catching up to do !
Wine talk...like wine.

I presume the bend is side on and the stays are round at that point or were!? Have you run a set of calipers around it to see if it's out of round? If so a little squeeze on its widest point might help! Esp when it's under tension

It’s out of round. But squeezing might make the crack longer. Oh, oh, what to do. I’m pretty happy now with just welding up the crack, leave it out of round, ah dahno. The handlebars were out of round after I straightened the bends and squeezing in my bench vice between hardwood blocks took it all out. This frame tubing is thin and delicate, I’m scared to try too much.

 

[Nabeaquam]

Straight.
Straight
Straight, yippee.

Not straight, downer, bummer.
It needs a little force to get them parallel again.

 

[Mickeyspinn]

even though it doesn't have wheels you could say it's on the move! Good stuff nearly there

 

[Nabeaquam]

OK, Mikeyspinn, I’m biting my nails to the quick but I’m giving your suggestion a spinn. I’m worrying that I’ll end out with square tubing.

 

[Mickeyspinn]

Gently as it goes...I was thinking how you had it rigged up back up there ...so pushing stay out from within and some clampage around the stay at the same time.so push and crush let the forces work together!

 

[Mickeyspinn]

My fingers are crossed !

 

[Nabeaquam]

This is as good as I feel like making it. Good enough, perfect. This is what slow setting epoxy with powered iron reinforcement is for. Fill in the divit’s and call it done.

 

[Nabeaquam]

My fingers are crossed !

It’s super thin tubing, squeezing helped a little. There may be a very small part of the crack that ends on the underside of the chain stay. Im nor fixing it anymore with welding. I might leave it or drill a tiny hole at the crack end and epoxy fill it. I haven’t decided. I’ll see if any phosphoric acid dribbles out when I treat the inside.

 

[Mickeyspinn]

Sometimes going that little bit to far to just get it a little better is when it all goes wrong..knowing when to say good enough perfect is time to stand back with a beer and say...
Done.