I think Matt Assenmacher is one of the great guys in the classic bike commu nity. Never met him in person, but I've exchanged a few emails. Very knowledgable, and always willing to help. I have two of his frames and c onsider him one of the most underrated American framebuilders.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
From: Harvey Sachs <hmsachs@verizon.net> Subject: Re: [CR]Major Ooops on Schwinn Paramount on ebay To: FujiFish1@aol.com Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Date: Sunday, September 7, 2008, 4:36 PM
Wow, Mark! It raises several questions, including: 1) Was this a run that were all in the same "batch?" 2) Contractor (outside) or inside the plant construction? Probably will never know...
3) Silver or brass-brazed? What I was taught that a lot of folks don't understand is that silver's strength is almost entirely in shear, when used between two surfaces that mate closely. I think that the rule of thumb was that it was down to half-strength when gap was still as small as 0.035 inches, but could be wrong. Unlike lugs, with huge area, this kind of drop-out to chainstay joint has little area, and often is just filed to rough fit. So, the general rule I grew up with is that brass makes much better sense on stays and other places where you want or need to fill a gap or build a fillet.
4) I've never built a complete frame, but I've done several drop-out repairs. I've had the sense that it would be possible to save the chrome, if the craftsman is really, really good. In principal, it just requires covering with flux all the chrome that would get hot enough to be discolored by oxidation when heated beyond some temperature (or doing the whole process in a cabinet filled with nitrogen or argon) while using the usual reducing flame. All the serious bonding would be internal to the tube, but there'd probably be some brass exposed outside, on the chrome.
But, in this situation, I'd bet real strongly on Matt Assenmacher's experience over Harvey Sachs's speculation. :-)
harvey sachs mcLean va USA
Mark Agree (FujiFish1@aol.com) wrote:
> As Tom S. has already mentioned in his response (politely keeping me
> anonymous), there is a 1975 Paramount road racer frame with the same
> broken brazing and pulled dropout at Assenmacher's right now, that I
> dropped off for repair a couple of weeks ago.
>
> Here's a couple pics of the "before" dropout:
>
<http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/fujifish1/ID_or_Sale/Sch76Para57Wht/Sc
hw75Para57Wht17.jpg.html>
>
>
<http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/fujifish1/ID_or_Sale/Sch76Para57Wht/Sc
hw75Para57Wht18.jpg.html>
>
> Visible is just a fine crack line all the way around the junction, but
> Matt took one look at it and then pulled the tab right out of the stay
> ... no biggie. Again, as Tom S. reported, Matt said he has seen them a
> few times over the years, so it's not completely uncommon.
>
> Later on, I'll post pics of the dropout area "after" the
repair, so we
> can see what Matt did... :)
>
> Ciao,
> Mark (with legs, happily sore from the track) Agree
> Southfield MI USA
> ~ ~ ~
>
>
>
>
> Date: Sat, 06 Sep 2008 09:38:34 -0400
> From: Harvey Sachs <hmsachs@verizon.net>
> To: Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>,
> OROBOYZ <OROBOYZ@AOL.COM>
> Subject: re: [CR]Major Ooops on Schwinn Paramount on ebay
>
> Eagle-eyed Dale Brown wrote:
>
> Am I seeing what I think I see on this bike's RH chain stay-
to-rear
> drop out brazed joint? (has come apart?)
>
> Ebay item #390000216217
>
> (But nice job making the barke cables "aero".....!)
>
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> I'm dead certain of it.
> BUT,
> 1) I think the seller/lister is to be highly commended for all the
> photos, which sure gave me a pretty good sense of condition. A carefu
l
> observer would have no surprises, I bet (which is nice protection for
> seller?) OTOH, I wish s/he had been careful enough or knowledgeable
> enough to call this out in the description. If pigs had wings...
>
> 2) It is the first such failure I've heard about, but my
experience is
> limited. Under the Schwinn family's ownership, they did replace
the top
> tube of my chromed '65 Paramount when it cracked, which was
apparently
> not too uncommon. They did it with grace, and gave me my choice of
> factory colors. That warranty repair, free, might possibly have been
> one of the last: just after, they entered bankruptcy for the first
> time.
> I don't think that I caused the bankruptcy.
>
> harvey sachs
> mcLean va
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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