Re: [CR]reflections on fillet brazed frames (Duncan Granger)

(Example: Production Builders:LeJeune)

Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2006 11:08:54 -0500
From: Tom Hayes <hayesbikes@gmail.com>
To: "dgranger@comcast.net" <dgranger@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]reflections on fillet brazed frames (Duncan Granger)
In-Reply-To: <012320061516.21119.43D4F356000B69CA0000527F22007354469D0A09020E9D090B@comcast.net>
References: <012320061516.21119.43D4F356000B69CA0000527F22007354469D0A09020E9D090B@comcast.net>
cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

I too have a Holdsworth La Quelda fillet brazed that I only yesterday finally completed, or sort of completed (are any bikes complete? Don't eac h need a little tweeking? A part here or there?) and took out for a test ride. You can go to this site to look at it should you be interested. Thi s one has pretty much the orginal paint, some appropriate and inappropriate parts, and is curretnly set up as a fixed gear.

http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/album204

Thanks for the opportunity to show it off.

Cheers.

Tom Hayes Chagrin Falls, Ohio

On 1/23/06, dgranger@comcast.net <dgranger@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> Well, last night I completely stripped the 1950 La Quelda Flyer (
> http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dmgranger/album?.dir=9a07&.src=ph) whic h I
> mentioned on the list yesterday. I am leaning more and more towards a
> repaint, because there are large patches (4 x 6 cm) of bare metal in more
> than one place. And a fair bit of rust bubbling up under the chrome on t he
> back of the fork blades and the other usual places. It appears,
> fortunately, that the rust does not effect the structural soundness of th e
> frame (Bonderizing, indeed!). I will probably go for the original mauve
> color.
>
> Some things I noticed once I examined the stripped frame:
> * The inside of the bottom bracket shell was pristine - and I do mean
> pristine. There are no holes in it, and the bb was apparently always
> well-maintained, so no water ever entered it. It looks like the day it w as
> painted. This seems like an interesting potential advantage over a lugge d
> bb shell... thoughts?
>
> * The bottom of the seat tube, where it's joined to the bb shell, is also
> in surprisingly clean inside. I expected that any moisture which entered
> the seattube would eventually drip to the bottom (since there is no hole
> into the bb shell) and cause potentially substantial rust, but apparently
> the seatpost collar was tight enough to keep moisture out (another reason to
> put a light film of grease on the seatpost).
>
> * I can find only one hole between tubes where they are joined anywhere o n
> the bike: between the head tube and the top tube. The hole was rather
> crudely done by piercing it with a blunt instrument - there is a tongue o f
> metal from the head tube poking into the top tube. My (very limited)
> understanding of brazing frames lead me to believe that the framebuilder
> needed to put holes in most of the tube junctions (if they didn't already
> exist, such as in a lugged frame) so that the air inside the tubes, when
> heated by the torch or hearth, didn't expand rapidly and blow out brazing
> material or bulge the tube, etc...?
>
> * The frame is full Reynolds 531 (including the steerer tube) and feels
> very, very light. It's definitly the lightest frame of this vintage that
> I've ever held. Is there really such a great weight savings from not usi ng
> lugs, or is it my imagination???
>
> * the seatstay treament is unique (to me):
> http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dmgranger/detail?.dir=9a07&.dnm=6340re2 .jpg&.src=ph. Is
> this a Holdsworth thing? I can't imagine the stays came from Reynolds th at
> way??
>
> I also have one final, somewhat tentative question: to whom should I send
> it for a repaint? Quality is important, but so is cost... I know they t end
> to be inversely related when it comes to resprays...
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks all!
>
> Duncan Granger
> Mountville, PA
>
> _______________________________________________
>

--
Tom Hayes
Chagrin Falls, Ohio