This does look like two lugs that are filed to fit together. It looks like they filled the gap and possibly a crack in that filler has propagated into at least one of the lugs. It wouldn't surprise me to see this crack (if it is one) propagate into the head tube. Or possibly they didn't manage to fill the gap well with the brazing material, and just filled it with something that couldn't take the strain. In which case, it's probably ok. Eric Keller Boalsburg, PA
On Wed, Jul 1, 2009 at 3:07 PM, John Betmanis<johnb@oxford.net> wrote:
> At 05:40 AM 01/07/2009 -0700, Tom Jue wrote:
>>Dear list,
>>
>>Please help me in advising whether through the pictures,if in your opinion
> the lug(s) may be cracked, or that it may be just the paint??? This is a
> first for me.
>>
>>http://www.flickr.com/photos/27817184@N03/3678443628/
>>http://www.flickr.com/photos/27817184@N03/3678443024/
>>http://www.flickr.com/photos/27817184@N03/3677627841/
>>http://www.flickr.com/photos/27817184@N03/3678441986/
>
> I was waiting for a frame builder to chime in before offering my layman's
> opinion, but nobody has so far.
>
> First of all, this is a small frame, where the top and bottom head lugs
> meet, or may even have been trimmed at this point where they meet. It's not
> a single lug that has "cracked". It appears as if the braze material has
> not formed a smooth fillet between the two lugs, or there was some slag
> floating in the flux residue that wasn't cleaned up, which didn't allow the
> paint to fill the "crack". Nothing serious, just a sloppy production
> brazing job. If someone more expert can offer a better explanation, please
> do.
>
> John Betmanis
> Woodstock, Ontario
> Canada