[CR]Re: Tube removal

(Example: Framebuilding:Tubing)

From: <BobHoveyGa@aol.com>
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2003 10:20:52 EST
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Re: Tube removal

In a message dated 1/31/03 1:50:41 AM, classicrendezvous-request@bikelist.org writes:
>On Thursday, January 30, 2003, at 05:00 PM, Greg Brooks wrote:
>> how you would replace one of the main tubes in a nice lugged steel
>> frame. Would you cut the damaged tube in half, heat the lug ends, then
>> remove?

This was asked a short time ago on the framebuilders list and in addition to the "heat and yank" method, a couple of others were posted. One was to trim the tube close to the lug then use a die grinder from the inside to grind out the tube... sounds like a lot of work but the poster said it actually went pretty quick, the downside being you'd have to grind out the part of the tube that the damaged tube was mitered against as well as the damaged tube itself. He pointed out that with the "heat and yank" method, alot of time was spent hunting/drilling pins and grinding out the braze that is left in the lug, so it was quicker just to attack it with a grinder from the get-go.

The other method (and I swear I'm not making this up) is to dress up in a few layers of protective clothing (including gauntlets and face shield) and after sweeping up your shop of all flamable debris, heat the joint then blast it with compressed air... it will drive all the braze out and leave you with a dry joint that you can just knock apart. The poster recommended hanging out in the shop with a cup of coffee for awhile afterwards to make sure that a fire didn't start in some remote corner.

Bob Hovey
Columbus, GA