Mark is right, ALAN frames (I have two) are entirely aluminum, including th e dropouts. Campy had nothing to do with these frames, and most likely A LAN fabricated the dropouts themselves. ALANs, like most aluminum frames , are essentially impossible to repair. The problem comes in removing a part to be replaced. They are screwed and epoxied together, and I don't know of a way to soften the epoxy enough to remove a lug or tube or DO with out damaging the adjacent tubes in the process. The only thing I can thi nk might work would be to weld up the crack.
Probably the greatest pool of knowledge in repairing aluminum structures is in the aviation indusrty and in military aviation, since airframes are con structed mostly of aluminum. Any aluminum structure will eventaully fail from stress fatigue cracking, but some aircraft are operated for several decades, and there may be techniques for repairing nonfatal cracks in the structure to extend the service life. Don't know if anyone on the li st has worked in that aspect of aviation.
One problem with aluminum is that once a crack is large enough to be easily visible, it will often propagate pretty quickly. I doubt that anyone on this list would feel very secure riding an aluminum frame with a cracked lug, so unless the crack can be successfully welded up, I think the frame in question is now "for display only". There are several people on this list who will not ride an old aluminum frame at all, as they are afraid of stress fatigue failures. I've alway maintained those concerns were great ly exaggerated, but once an aluminum frame, or an aluminum component for th at matter, exhibits a noticeable crack, I agree it is time to retire it. I will be interested to hear if the crack can be welded up, however.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Texas, USA
From: Jesse Hearndon <viper7990@hotmail.com> Subject: RE: [CR]Alan frame? To: fujifish1@aol.com, "c r" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Date: Monday, November 17, 2008, 11:10 PM
I'll have to have another look at those dropouts but I could have sworn the y were Campy, but I've never seen an Alan before. Whatever they are they looked real nice.
It's a real nice frame, in good shape, except that one aluminum lug, and from what I have read the lugs and tubing are screwed together and epox ied. It does have the engraving on the front of the lug. Beautiful frame, it's a shame it has that crack.
The guy I spoke to who had it for sale says he took it to his aluminum weld ers and said it would be an easy fix, but somehow I think that may not be the case.
Jesse Hearndon West Melbourne, FL
From: FujiFish1@aol.comDate: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:11:01 -0500Subject: Re: [CR]Alan frame?To: viper7990@hotmail.com
Hi Jesse, I suspect you may be mistaken about the Campy dropouts ... as this would be the first to have them. On-topic ALAN dropouts are all aluminum. By the
wreath engraved in front, we do know it is an ALAN.
I'm keeping this off-list, because I don't know for SURE, but I think t hat might be a fatal crack for your frame. It will be interesting to hear
what others more enlightened on repairing aluminum will have to say ... if
any even chime in. Please keep me in the loop.
Ciao, Mark Agree Southfield MI ~ ~ ~
Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:00:25 -0500From: Jesse Hearndon <viper7990@hotm ail.com>To: c r <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>Subject: [CR]Alan frame?App arently this is an Italian made frame, I found it at a local bike showfor 100 dollars. Aluminum construction, real nice bike. All Italian, Itali an-threaded BB and Campy dropouts.This is the perfect bike for my next Ital ian Job, as I like to call it,to restore much the way I did with my Cio cc. Here is the catch:The framehttp://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h183/j-dog gy_style/11-16%20lauderdale/IMG_0197.jpghttp://s64.photobucket.com/albums/h 183/j-doggy_style/11-16%20lauderdale/?action=view¤t=IMG_0196.jpgT he catchhttp://s64.photobucket.com/albums/h183/j-doggy_style/11-16%20lauder dale/?action=view¤t=IMG_0213.jpghttp://s64.photobucket.com/albums /h183/j-doggy_style/11-16%20lauderdale/?action=view¤t=IMG_0214.jp gIt appears one of the lugs is cracked, right in half. How easy is this t ofix? Can it even be done?Jesse HearndonWest Melbourne, Florida
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