Interesting Doug Fattic post on building with Reynolds 753 on the Framebuilders list:
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I remember well when 753 tubing came out. It promised to make lighter frames and got all our juices flowing. At that time, the lightest tubing that was generally available was Reynolds 531 in 20/23 gauge (approximately 9/6/9) down tubes and 21/24 top tubes and Columbus KL (seldom used, SL was common) which was about the same. Generally we used either 9/6 down tubes for lighter riders or 1/7 for heavier. I'm not positive of the exact date but it was around 1977 when 753 became available. The primary company that supplied frames made with this stuff to the states was Raleigh because both Reynolds and Raleigh belonged to the same parent company (TI Investments?). It was necessary before you could buy it to pass a certification test. Eventually that test became a bit of a joke but it was a real hurdle in the beginning. You had to supply them a complete bicycle frame in which they did destructive testing. First however, they checked for alignment and, before they put it on a flat table, they shook the frame in see if it had gotten crooked during brazing and had been cold set back. I talked to Reynolds several times about this test during that era because I wanted to take it and they told me that everyone - including Americans - were failing. Only 4 or 5 companies or builders had passed. I had to go to my bank and get an international money order made out to Reynolds Tubing. I forget the amount but it was either $75 or pounds. Reynolds was very specific about saying the test frame had to be silver brazed - not brass. I never sent the check because by coincidence a couple of Raleigh 753 frames that had cracks came through my frame shop. I can only remember what the problem was on one and, beyond the heat affected zone, was a long crack on the chain stay. It was obvious that this failure was not related to brazing. That scared me off because I do a lot of filing on the lugs and joints of my frames and if a tube cracked, the customer would expect me to make them a new frame and - because of my filing time - I'd be out big time.
In 1978, I had a chance to go to England and my mission on that trip was to find out all I could about how to properly make a 753 frame because everyone was failing. I've always been on the hunt for information about building frames. First I went to Reynolds to get their direct instructions. I had to use silver and I couldn't get the tubes even a little red. Second I couldn't cold set the frame if it got out of alignment. Then I paid a visit to the Illkston (sp?) works where Gerald O'Donovan oversaw maybe 8 guys making the 753 custom frames for Raleigh. I made an appointment with him so I could ask questions. It is kind of a funny story about how I got in and talked to the workers and took pictures. I wrote about it one time on the CR list. You can find it in the archives. Just by good luck, Gerry was out for lunch when I arrived and I asked the foreman if I could hang around. He said sure and I saw them use silver but my pictures show the braze getting pretty red. They made a hockey stick out of the head tube down tube braze first. The tubes were laid on a steel table with angle iron holding the angle without clamps or anything. I also have pictures of them bending the frame back into alignment on the flat table. Apparently they didn't get the memo from Reynolds. It didn't look like they were cooking the frames or bending much but I clearly realized some liberties could be taken. Oh, when Mr. O'Donovan came back, he screamed at me to get out with a few expletives to reinforce his authority. I had my information and pictures so I just smiled at him going out the door. I didn't bother to tell him I asked permission - no need to get them in trouble.
I understood that Reynolds made some changes to the tubing after a number of tubing failures with their 753. What I remember was that they increased the wall thickness to compensate but for some reasons I think they made it less brittle too. Talking to my other framebuilding friends at the time, they also reported tubing - not building - failures with 753. Soon Tange Prestige tubing became available through Nova and since that was high quality with every wall thickness and tubing diameter, I never sent in that original money order. Eventually, when Reynolds distributed in Chicago, I took the 753 test but it was just brazing 4 short length stubs into the bb shell. It was no big deal. I presume they actually wanted to sell their product rather than serve as gate keepers from getting it.
753 probably did raise the quality of frames being made by framebuilders. As I've written before, the old European methods were pretty crude and there wasn't much profit in frames. They would never consider using silver because of it's expense and the traditions of brass. They also didn't have Anvil like framebuilding equipment. It was rare to see an alignment table. There were some good frames made but average level has been raised a lot since those days.
Doug Fattic, remembering the past in Niles, Michigan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chuck Schmidt
South Pasadena, Southern California
United States of America
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