I have straightened these dropouts as well, both with and without heat; one of the few places where I advocate using a hammer on a bike. I threaded a spare hanger bolt from an old derailleur into the hanger and did some of the pounding on that. Channel Locks sounds like a good idea, but use a thick piece of leather to pad the surfaces.
I would try to straighten it, as you really have nothing to lose and it might very well work. Some might say that the dropout is weakened by the repair, but the lower part of the dropout doesn't bear much stress, and the clamped QR skewer adds strength to the assembly. Be sure to look for cracks after you are done, but even these could be repaired with a little welding. I once gas welded a dropout hanger from a new Campy dropout onto a damaged one after a bike was crashed, going down on the right side. Decades later, that repair is still being used.
Steve Barner, Bolton, Vermont
> Date: Sun, 13 Jul 2003 13:59:58 EDT
> From: TADCPDAJD@aol.com
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: [CR]Death Blow to a Dropout?
---Snip---
> I have laid a straight-edge along the stays and they do not seem bent. I
> have reviewed the archives for "bent dropout" and "dropout repair" but to
little
> encouragement. Is the dropout beyond redemption? If the dropout must be
> replaced, should both dropouts be replaced? Is this an easily
accomplished task
> locally?
>
> Then, the really tough question; almost 28 years later, this bike still
has
> the original paint - if the dropout is replaced, should I just try to have
the
> repair paint feathered into the old paint?
>
> This story does have a bittersweet end to it. I called my wife to come
pick
> me up, but she said, "Why don't I just bring you another bike to finish
your
> ride." She brought a 23 year old RS and the ride really was a good tonic
for a
> bad incident.
> Tom Donahue
> Melbourne, FL