Mangled headtube - frame repair

Having run into a wooden bollard a bit too hard, I've got a delightfully bent pair of forks and a creased head tube.

I think I can get away with just a new head tube (95% sure there are no creases in top and down tubes), but I'd like to have confidence in whoever tells me so - and for them to be happy doing a fillet brazed replacement.

Forks, well, the steerer's an interesting shape but the legs don't seem to be too far out of whack. If a new steerer and retracking works, that would be great, but otherwise I'm sure I can find new forks.

So, who's currently forum favourite for repair work? Looks like Ryan@Oak gets a thumbs up from lots of people; how about others? Saffron maybe, though they say they won't touch forks? Can Mario Vaz still get his brother to do stuff - and if so, tube replacement, or just little stuff like braze-ons?

Any idea of costs? The frame was dirt cheap, so even though it's quite nice I've got an aversion to spending money on it.

don't repair the forks, replace.

If the frame was dirt cheap, why bother? It's gonna cost lots of money to replace a headtube and get a respray. Unless you have a sentimental attachment to it just put the money towards a new frame

Why bother? Because it is - or was - a nice, good quality frame that rides really well: I paid buttons for it, but the price was no reflection of quality. Thing is, it affects my perceptions of value for everything related to it - if I'd had it built for me for a grand, I'd have no problem spending £200 getting the metalwork done, but because I picked it up for well under a ton, I'm going to feel reluctant to spend twice that 'just' to repair it.

mario vaz ......020 8852 0711

Talbot Frameworks Matt should be able to help you out with the metalwork.

Mikinetic - on here - might also be able to help out

c. £120 for a new headtube... Plus paint. Is it worth it??

how about finding a chap who has done a frame building course and just wants the practice?

might be a cheaper route to sorting it out

^ could be a potential recipe for disaster. The idea of the front of my bike suddenly collapsing due to poorly welded joints would concern me. Am I patanoid?

patanoid
an unreasonable fear of painting over original paintjobs on bikes ?

£120 plus paint; yes, I'd pay that (and probably just powdercoat anyway).

But, I'd kind of like whoever I give it to to be able to tell me with some confidence that the rest of the frame is OK and the job will be fine. I think I'm looking for someone reasonably established, even though someone using it as practice might take loads of care and do a tidy job.

S'pose it comes down to who would you use yourself - or better, who have you used?