In a message dated 10/24/2004 10:13:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time, raleighpro@dejazzd.com writes:
<< Since the topic of Raleigh Pro seat stay caps came up this past week and I was doing some sandblasting and sanding on my Super Course I decided to sand off all the paint to see what was there. It looks like a flat plate covering a tapered cut on end of seatstay. I can't find a seam or any brass or copper showing. Just numerous file and/or heavy sanding marks. It's also very hollow sounding and there's no seam down below as if it were a plug. Is it possible Raleigh stamped the ends into shape and the seam is under the brass where seatstay joins seat tube lug? Maybe they used silver and my bi-focal equipped eyes don't see the seam?! >>
Pete: I did not include the Super Course (nor Grand Prix, etc.) in my mention earlier because I have not witnessed the copper tacking technique on those models. It may have been done, I just have not seen it. On less expensive models by some makers, the seat stay top ends are cut & crimped and forced into shapes, then kind of filled in with brass (virtually never silver) to make a smooth finished product. For evidence of the copper tacking on Raleighs, look under & below the seat stay caps where it attaches to the seat lug. The Copper doesn't flow like brass or silver, so it often (not always) is a lumpy thick accumulation of joining material there. Sometimes it is partially filed off. You also find this same stuff under the lower edges of the head lugs and bottom bracket shell tips. I haven't seen any other maker use this technique...
Dale Brown
Greensboro, NC