> Has anyone ever seem a frame failure attributed to the SEAM > in seamed tubing? I am talking about a tube that has passed > quality control at the builder after assembly and painting, and > that went out to a customer, and came back with a failure > that suggested the seam was the culprit? Don,
Bear in mind that there are differences in quality between the various types of seamed tubing. It happens that Aelle, Cromor, Reynolds 501 and the related models from Vitus, Tange and True Temper are high quality products. That's why they can be made in such relatively thin gauges. The less expensive seamed tubing used in bicycles is probably indestructible because it's of a heavier wall thickness.
BTW I recall once reading an interesting statement from some True Temper representative. (Or was it Reynolds?) Anyway he stated that, with ultra thin walled tubing, it was easier to maintain consistent wall thickness at the butts if the tubing were seamed. This is because the variable wall thickness of the tube is created while the metal is still in its pre-rolled, sheet form.
I wonder if other list members remember this interview or have copies of the article in their collections?
Cheers,
Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)