I am a frame builder AMA

Yes totally. Rigid is great

ah is see what you mean with helping the tube around. lever on the tube as well as the bender lever. thanks ill try this next time!

great i'ma bid on that. thanks for your help!

Seems like my bender from fragments is in good company, haha.

😂 your repair (other than mine) looks like it may actually work though!

These always looked like a good buy to me:
https://stakesys.co.uk/tube-pipe-benders/manual-tube-benders/sta137-buzz-bench-top-manual-tube-bender

It is the same thing as the blue one in my picture. For small stuff like racks it is too big and it works ok but far from accurate. I modified the 7/8" die on mine with a BMX stem to securely clamp the tubes and also use parts of another bender with it but i am now able to make handlebars where both sides are the same.
I would not recommend buying one of those.

Aah hmm. Yes, I suppose modification on any of these budget benders is key.
I bought one of these mandrel tube benders recently, and even that needed some modifications and adapting to get repeat bends. https://useful-tools.co.uk/hand-bender/

Anyone have any advice on fixing this? It's a 1958 JRJ/Bob Jackson frame. I spoke to Winston Vaz about it but he said he wouldn't re-braze it as he couldn't guarantee it that way, and it was complicated than simply fitting new track ends as it has pencil stays that wouldn't match new ends.
I wondered if maybe it could be sleeved somehow or if someone has a stock of these old track ends somewhere stashed away that could refitted? All depends on cost etc of course as the frame is nice, but not original paint etc so it's whether it's worth it....

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You get get some new ones lasercut if you can't find others that match. Ultimately anything can be repaired. But I think it would be relatively expensive. Bear in mind most professional metalwork places will be charging at least £50+ an hour with workshop overheads (and maybe vat ontop) and it's maybe 2h of metalwork start to finish (although I haven't done a repair like that before to be honest, guess the stays could be ok to keep?), then materials, a bit of margin to cover admin time.... You could getting close to £200 before it's even coated.
Unless you find a friendly folk who likes cash or hobbyist with low overheads. etc.

Take with a pinch of salt though as prices for skilled work can vary massively.
🙏

Any recommendations for a suitable MAPP torch for some relatively small joints - thinking braze-ons and some small diameter tube rack building?

A question:

I have been gifted this torch by my father in law, which is great but as a complete novice I don't want to get into buying oxy/acytelene set ups just yet and I'm going to get a few mapp gas bottles to fix some frames I have laying around.

The question is if this hose can be used with a Mapp gas bottle? I'll obviously remove one of the hoses and blank it off (is this even possible) and I'd like to use it as it'll give a more direct / controlled flame over the big ol ones that come with the mapp kits.

Any advice welcome please and thank you

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Hi - would anyone be interested in adding a rear disc mount and brake to a frame for me? happy to pay

thanks

Dunno if related to frame-building but anyone want this book?

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question for those in the know
A friend of mine has a frame he’s written off with some S&S couplers, can the tubes be cut to rescue and re-use them?

Yes.

I salvaged a coupler from a toptube on a frame that was accidentally ridden with the downtube coupler undone.

I was able to borrow one of the mock-up lockrings to put the coupler back into the new toptube, was it 100% needed? Maybe not.

Perhaps not the right thread for this question but looking for a more experienced eye on the photos below - it's a Basso frame, it looks like the downtube shifter braze-ons have been quite roughly removed and it appears there's a hole that's been filled in. Am I seeing it incorrectly perhaps? And secondly, if that were to be the case, the frame's a complete write off, right?

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Definitely looks like an angle grinder or hacksaw has sailed a bit too close to the sun eh? Could fill it in with silver, file/sand it back carefully and you’d probably never tell. Not sure what the structural integrity is on something that but of it’s survived as it is for a while then maybe it’ll be reet?!

Yep agreed, thanks for taking the time!

Interesting, although from the looks the tubes are quite narrow, I’d hazard a guess at 25.4/1” so I don’t think it’s that practical to re-use them as a replacement frame is likely to have at least 28.6 tubes

Given the retail price for couplers, salvaging them even just to sell on would likely be a rewarding endeavour.

Amateur question
If I wanted to replace my fork crown for a specific lugset is it more work / expensive to cannibalise my existing fork as opposed to getting one built from scratch?

Yes