I need a picture if possible.
Steven Willis
The Bike Stand
1778 East Second Street
Scotch Plains NJ 07076
908-322-3330
http://www.thebikestand.com
>I finally got around to giving a closer look to a nice De Rosa I bought
>awhile back. The frame is in superior condition throughout, except for
>one, really tragic flaw: some idiot decided to widen the slot at the
>seat-lug clamp for the post, and, not content to saw down through to the
>edge of the lug, just hacked his way about 3mm below the point of the lug.
>He didn't even bother to round the bottom of the new slot, to prevent a
>crack.
>
> I've seen this on a few really nice old frames, now, and in every case I
> curse the fool who would do such a thing. Not only did each of these hack
> jobs remove way too much material, but every one of them sawed down past
> the lug. Something I just cannot fathom. How could a person be that
> stupid and even be smart enough to know what to DO with a hacksaw?
>
> 'course, I know what I'd like to do with it, but I wouldn't say in polite
> company, ya know?
>
> Naturally, I'd love to have five minutes alone with the clown who did this
> damage to my De Rosa, but since that particular satisfaction is denied me,
> my question is, what to do?
>
> there is no crack in the seat-tube--yet--probably because the clamp has
> not been loosened or tightened much since the butchery was done to cause a
> crack to start. I'll probably take some very small, round files and
> remove the immediate stress-riser at the bottom of the slot...but a crack
> could still get started, since the tube is so thin, even if in a butted
> area (or would it? I've seen it on other frames).
>
> The one time I talked with a frame-builder about a repair for such a
> problem, he said you could either braze a sleeve inside the top of the
> seat-tube, or remove/replace the seat-tube.
>
> Neither of these methods is acceptable to me, since this De Rosa is so
> pretty otherwise, in original paint and graphics (it looks practically
> unused, except for this one problem).
>
> Would it be possible to braze a piece of lug-material over the outside of
> the slot in the seat-tube, butt the new lug-material up against the
> existing seat-lug shoreline, then cut a new slot, or reshape the existing
> one to make it shorter?. Seems to me not as much paint would be ruined,
> and a touch-up would be easier.
>
> Framebuilders! Anyone here know a good fix for this problem? I'll send
> the frame to you if you can do the job in a reasonable amount of time..<g>
>
> Thanks for any and all suggestions on how to fix this.
>
> Charles "put down that hacksaw RIGHT NOW!" Andrews
> Los Angeles