Paint crack? hopefully not

[R3awak3n]

Originally Posted by paredown

Other people would know more, but for a seam to open up like that is a manufacturing error from the tubing maker. It's not like you can imagine any behaviour by the frame maker that would have caused this...

Maybe the frame maker can deal with the tubing people and get it looked after?

absolutely, not blaming the builder at all but do think it is a very strange place to have a crack. If the crack was going around the stays I wouldn't have even opened this thread.

[AngryScientist]

That blows. Sorry pal, I was hoping for "paint scratch" for you too.

Curious: is there any evidence of rust issues with the frame? I wonder if the walls were thinning from the inside out?

I'd personally have a tough time paying big $ to get that stay replaced knowing the other side is the same material and likely tubing run.

Hope you can get this sorted out.

[R3awak3n]

There was a bit of rust on the bb which I cleaned up (threads were clean but soem rust on shell). Tubes are sealed though, no other rust in the frame, the frame looked to be in excellent shape when I got it, not even a paint chip.

It really does suck but I am not going to spend an arm and a leg to fix it for the exact same reasons you mention. If it was custom it would be a different story.

[Doug Fattic]

Now that you know it is a crack, stop it from getting longer by drilling each end with a 1/16" bit. Examine the crack carefully to make sure you really are at the end. I am sure you know this but counterpunch the end 1st to help make sure your drill bit starts and stays in the right place.

[R3awak3n]

Originally Posted by Doug Fattic

Now that you know it is a crack, stop it from getting longer by drilling each end with a 1/16" bit. Examine the crack carefully to make sure you really are at the end. I am sure you know this but counterpunch the end 1st to help make sure your drill bit starts and stays in the right place.

Thanks for the advice Doug. I may do this and keep this frame as a trainer frame (with different fork and parts of course)

[adampaiva]

dang Paulo. Sorry for your bad luck with this. Hope it somehow works out for you.

[R3awak3n]

Originally Posted by adampaiva

dang Paulo. Sorry for your bad luck with this. Hope it somehow works out for you.

thanks dude, I guess it happens. Well, hopefully I will have a NBD coming up.

[David Kirk]

The tube is defective. The builder didn't do anything wrong when building the frame to cause this - when the tube was new sitting on the bench it typically would have been nigh on impossible to see the defect that would in time lead to the crack. The defect could be a weld seam that wasn't properly welded or it could be a drag groove (causing a very thin area in the tube) resulting from the drawing process.

The tube manufacturer owes the builder a new tube. Unfortunately this is the way it works......the builder buys the tubes, invests many hours of labor into the frame and then pays to have it painted and when a tube fails the tube maker says "sorry" and sends then a new $30 tube to make it right.

This is a lose-lose situation if ever there was one.

The 'right' way to fix this is to replace the chainstay....but there may be a cheaper way to make the bike serviceable, cause less paint damage (therefore giving an easier paint touch up) and have it cost much less. One could braze on a patch. It's a bit rigged but could last a lifetime.

If it was sitting in my shop and I needed to make it work on the cheap I would -

- use a razor blade to carve the paint off along the crack and beyond the crack for about 1 1/2" on either end.

- if the crack has definite ends and the tube shows no sign of being defective beyond the current crack it's a candidate for a patch. If the line continues in either direction the tube is toast and needs to be replaced.

- assuming the crack has firm ending points on each end the builder would remove the paint from the general area and then drill a small hole at each end of the crack. They would then take a chainstay with a similar taper and cut a section to length and then "clamshell" it by cutting it in half length wise. This would be the patch. It will be brazed over the drilled crack using silver.

- then, after cleaning it all up, the paint would be repaired by painting a panel around the stay to protect it.



Consider it more of a "on the cheap field repair" than a full tube replacement. It would look different with the paint panel but it should give full use of the bike.....and since it will have no warranty the frame will be pretty much useless otherwise.

I'm sorry that you got stuck with this.

dave

[William]

That sucks all the way around. Sorry man.

That said, If I were to have it patched as Dave has illustrated, I wouldn't try to hide the patch. I would have them paint the patch gray and add back dots around the circumference to make it appear like it was riveted. Nice little patina touch.






William

[cmbicycles]

Originally Posted by William

That sucks all the way around. Sorry man.

That said, If I were to have it patched as Dave has illustrated, I wouldn't try to hide the patch. I would have them paint the patch gray and add back dots around the circumference to make it appear like it was riveted. Nice little patina touch.






William

Or could have it painted to look like a band-aid

[R3awak3n]

Originally Posted by David Kirk

The tube is defective. The builder didn't do anything wrong when building the frame to cause this - when the tube was new sitting on the bench it typically would have been nigh on impossible to see the defect that would in time lead to the crack. The defect could be a weld seam that wasn't properly welded or it could be a drag groove (causing a very thin area in the tube) resulting from the drawing process.

The tube manufacturer owes the builder a new tube. Unfortunately this is the way it works......the builder buys the tubes, invests many hours of labor into the frame and then pays to have it painted and when a tube fails the tube maker says "sorry" and sends then a new $30 tube to make it right.

This is a lose-lose situation if ever there was one.

The 'right' way to fix this is to replace the chainstay....but there may be a cheaper way to make the bike serviceable, cause less paint damage (therefore giving an easier paint touch up) and have it cost much less. One could braze on a patch. It's a bit rigged but could last a lifetime.

If it was sitting in my shop and I needed to make it work on the cheap I would -

- use a razor blade to carve the paint off along the crack and beyond the crack for about 1 1/2" on either end.

- if the crack has definite ends and the tube shows no sign of being defective beyond the current crack it's a candidate for a patch. If the line continues in either direction the tube is toast and needs to be replaced.

- assuming the crack has firm ending points on each end the builder would remove the paint from the general area and then drill a small hole at each end of the crack. They would then take a chainstay with a similar taper and cut a section to length and then "clamshell" it by cutting it in half length wise. This would be the patch. It will be brazed over the drilled crack using silver.

- then, after cleaning it all up, the paint would be repaired by painting a panel around the stay to protect it.



Consider it more of a "on the cheap field repair" than a full tube replacement. It would look different with the paint panel but it should give full use of the bike.....and since it will have no warranty the frame will be pretty much useless otherwise.

I'm sorry that you got stuck with this.

dave

Thank you for your input Dave. Really is very much appreciated.

I would love to get a cheap fix but the question is how cheap is cheap. I definitely would not spend money in the paint, I would just do a cheap paint fix and ride it as is. The reason I have been really loving this bike is because I have been ridding it and not caring about how it looks (I love my english but I definitely baby that thing). This guy I just been beating on for 1000 miles and has been the bike of choice.

I have messaged Steve at Hampsten and will see what he has to say. If course, not being the original owner I know that there is no warranty but wondering about what the tube manufacturer might have to say (unfortuntely I think the chainstays are true temper and we all know they are not in the business anymore).

I would love to get it repaired on the quick/cheap and keep this bike in the stable.


@william and cmbicycles - If I got that way I will make sure it stands out, maybe some arrows that say, was broken.

[David Kirk]

Originally Posted by R3awak3n

Thank you for your input Dave. Really is very much appreciated.

I would love to get a cheap fix but the question is how cheap is cheap. I definitely would not spend money in the paint, I would just do a cheap paint fix and ride it as is. The reason I have been really loving this bike is because I have been ridding it and not caring about how it looks (I love my english but I definitely baby that thing). This guy I just been beating on for 1000 miles and has been the bike of choice.

I have messaged Steve at Hampsten and will see what he has to say. If course, not being the original owner I know that there is no warranty but wondering about what the tube manufacturer might have to say (unfortuntely I think the chainstays are true temper and we all know they are not in the business anymore).

I would love to get it repaired on the quick/cheap and keep this bike in the stable.


@william and cmbicycles - If I got that way I will make sure it stands out, maybe some arrows that say, was broken.

I think the first thing to do is of course talk to the builder and see what they say.

Unfortunately it matters little what the tuber maker says.....at the most they will offer a new chainstay which is worth about $30....so in the big scheme of things the tuber maker will offer nothing. The cost-of-materials in a bike frame is very low and the vast majority of the cost of a bike is the labor to build it....and the tube maker will not help with that.

How cheap is cheap? I think most builders would apply a patch for about $100 - $150 paint work not included.

I hope that helps.

dave

[R3awak3n]

Originally Posted by David Kirk

I think the first thing to do is of course talk to the builder and see what they say.

Unfortunately it matters little what the tuber maker says.....at the most they will offer a new chainstay which is worth about $30....so in the big scheme of things the tuber maker will offer nothing. The cost-of-materials in a bike frame is very low and the vast majority of the cost of a bike is the labor to build it....and the tube maker will not help with that.

How cheap is cheap? I think most builders would apply a patch for about $100 - $150 paint work not included.

I hope that helps.

dave

I would totally get it done for $100-$150, would probasbly just patch the paint myself. That would be fine if I knew the bike would last, its not a crazy stress place so I would not be too worried about it.

[tuscanyswe]

So sorry to c that. Bummer :/

Hope it can be fixed for a reasonable sum. Fingers crossed!

[tctyres]

Originally Posted by R3awak3n

I would totally get it done for $100-$150, would probasbly just patch the paint myself. That would be fine if I knew the bike would last, its not a crazy stress place so I would not be too worried about it.

See what the original builder says.

If you want to keep it local, Johnny Coast can do that fix, I'm sure. He's pleasant to deal with and has a shop in Brooklyn.