Re: [CR] Restoration Woes: Steerer Tube Replacement/Repair?

(Example: Production Builders:Cinelli)

From: "John" <jtperry330@me.com>
To: Matthew 'Devotion' Bowne <devotion_finesse@hotmail.com>
In-reply-to: <SNT125-W12D1F1881D8DE5CD07F662F51E0@phx.gbl>
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2010 22:07:53 -0700
References:
Cc: CR discussion list <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: Re: [CR] Restoration Woes: Steerer Tube Replacement/Repair?


Dearest Assistant to The Omnipotent Despot. Stop dick'n around. Do it right, do it once. Deep breath......

Go down to:

http://www.hygradeplating.com/

in Long Island city. Get um to de-chrome. Get on the train. Replace the tube. Get back on the train again. Re-chrome. Deep breath....... Be happy.

You could send it to a REALLY GOOD welder, like my Ferrari mechanic/ bike rider (he fabricates stainless steel exhaust systems and is one heck of a welder) and have him weld up an extension. But it would need a huge amount of machining, wouldn't be cost effective and you already know what your doing, so why go "route b"?

Johnny

John Pergolizzi Omnipotent Despot BVVW in NYC for the month of May

On Mar 30, 2010, at 8:46 PM, Matthew 'Devotion' Bowne wrote:
>
> Gang,
> I have lost count of the inquiries I have posted here regarding the
> on-going saga which has been my attempt at the restoration of a
> circa 1970-71 Colnago...Here's another one for the esteemed List.
> After a loooong (and failed) attempt to make an accurate replica
> fork (cut the blades too short; for a short reach brake; d'oh!!!), I
> decided to 'sweat out' my blades and braze in new ones...making use
> of the crown I spent literally years locating/re-profiling/etc.
> But during a random late night eBay search , I stumbled upon a fork
> in Italy that appeared to be very much "the real deal". This was
> it! My chance to do better than "close"!...My chance to do
> "correct"! (Though not "original"...that is an entirely different
> conversation...)
> I bid hard and I won. And then the fork arrived.
> Upon receipt of the fork from the Italian seller, I made a rather
> unfortunate discovery: The fork is in need of a steerer tube
> replacement. Not only has the entire threaded section of the
> steerer broken off, but there is a significant bulge in the steerer
> tube about 1.5cm from the top of the remaining section. Likely
> bulged from an over-tightened quill stem/expander bolt.
> My gut instinct is to replace the steerer all together, but I would
> like to inquire here regarding another option. If at all possible,
> I would like to avoid drilling out the pins, re-brazing a new
> steerer and having to re-chrome the fork again. The current chrome
> is in great shape.
> I have heard of framebuilders extending steerer tubes by adding
> small threaded sections to the top of a steerer.
> My question is, would it be possible to cut off the bulged section
> and braze on a longer (2+ inch) section of steerer tube complete
> with fresh new threads at the top? Or am I asking for trouble? If
> this a possible repair, I would appreciate any suggestions, advice,
> hints or direction. Anybody here have any experience with
> successfully making such a repair?
> If you think I ought to replace the steerer entirely, please tell me
> why. Should I go this route, do you recommend having the chrome
> removed before I do any torch work?
>
> Matthew Bowne
> weighing my options and scratching my head in
> Brooklyn, New York
>
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