Welding/Brazing

Hi all,

I bought some track ends from surly about 6 years ago when i got the singlespeed/fixed bug, and I was wondering if anyone knew anywhere local/cheap that would fit them into an old steel mountainbike frame? I heard of paint stripping/ repainting for £30 per frame in digbeth, but not metalwork.
Any contacts out there?

cheers

That hawkes place next to the custard factory, blacksmith metal working place. They could do it, and the main man there is a nice chap but I think he would find it tedious neatly chopping out the old dropouts and checking alignment. He quoted me £15 to repair a snapped dropout. I think most general metalkworkers/fabricators would be the same. Youd be better off getting it done at a bike specific place.

Frame builders tend to charge £70-£80 to 'change ends, including parts.

A lot I know! But you could probably do it yourself down the local college workshop, its not very hard - Just takes a while.

Ok well the track ends are on the back burner (again(, I've bought a frame of the 'bay and I'm weighing up getting it resprayed or sparying it myself.
I've found a place in highgate that will spray for £20, but i've also heard that the finish ain't so good.
Anyone recommend anywhere here in brum?

I figure for an ok job I can to it at home for about £15 (thinking one can of primer, one of spray and one of laquer, they're about a fiver each). But whil ein my head this seems easy, in practise it ain't always so.

Ok well the track ends are on the back burner (again(, I've bought a frame of the 'bay and I'm weighing up getting it resprayed or sparying it myself.
I've found a place in highgate that will spray for £20, but i've also heard that the finish ain't so good.
Anyone recommend anywhere here in brum?

I figure for an ok job I can to it at home for about £15 (thinking one can of primer, one of spray and one of laquer, they're about a fiver each). But whil ein my head this seems easy, in practise it ain't always so.

just get it done at the place in highgate. if its the same place as the one where i got mine done, you dont need to worry about finish, its fine.

For an extra five, I imagine that they will be able to do a better job that you.

sounds like Bournes powder coaters... usually £25 Frame and Forks but beware... tape the shit out of everything you don't want covered in paint as if you ask them to do it they will paint over the whole shit then just say "Oh sorry mate, I forgot" and not just masking tape either... they will take it off, put cups in your BB, and use ( loads of ) electrical tape elsewhere.

All that aside, it's worth it for £25.

that place is a bargain, all the other 'coaters in brum charge £45+ and are less experienced with doing bikes.

Bournes does all sorts, especially a lot of motorcycle frames.

Places in london charge more like £80 and a specialist bike finishers charge more like £200

They are nice people and will redo the job if your not happy with it, but indeed they dont put too much effort into masking the threads.

I'm not really sure about how powder coating works,
does it involve a lot of heat?
I've heard of putting PVA glue over your threads and anything you don't want painting so you can just peel it off afterwards, but i'm not sure how well this responds to heat.

Oh and do they have a good range of of colours? do you just go in and pick from a swatch?
whats the turnaround time?
I should just call them....

Powdercoating does involve heat - after the bike is sprayed with powder, it's baked on. I wouldn't bother with PVA mate. It's a Pain in Ve Ass to remove

Powdercoating - They put a negative charge your metal surface then spray what looks like coloured talcum powder onto it... the electrical charge holds it on nice and tight, then they put it into a kiln and bake it at like 1000.0000 degrees, so no plastic, carbon, magnesium, scandium etc. Steel and Alu are fine. I once got a magnesium frame powder coated ( Kirk Revolution, remember them? )... error. I built it back up and when applying pressure on the cranks the thing flexed and bent so bad it almost managed to steer itself.... via the frame!

lol! funnier than dan's frame bendage & snappage when he worked for callprint. i wish my frame snapt in a humourous way, but all it did was crack :( better than splitting in two at high speed though, thank my lucky stars.

Apparently quite a few people have had carbon powdercoated (see bikeforums.net), there's a bit of disagreement about whether it's a good idea or not but I'd err on the side of caution unless the frame didn't cost me any money.

Thread dredge....I'm looking at doing a welding course this year, so i can do general welding stuff, cars, motorbikes, bikes etc. Anyone have any experience of any courses round brum? I can find one at the MET in perry barr, and suggestions for anywhere else/experience?

cheers

Anyone got online instructions on preparing a bike for powdercoating? What do you do about the headset?

iirc there are instructions on the armourtex website. Headset needs to come out. and bottom bracket, all nuts and bolts removed, most places in brum do the masking for you.

Places in brum are not bicycle specialists so they often fuck up the masking anyway.

It is not a terrible idea to leave in some old cups to keep your threads clear.

i'd imagine Brum to be a good place for industrial applications like welding.

If your looking to still get your frame powder coated, I can recommend Bournes Powder coating on Bissell Street. They do mask off the threads & headtube to save cleaning out later.
They also now offer a two colour finish!!
Regards

Aladdins cave

Seconded - had a frame & forks done by them and was very happy with the results.

this thread is about the joining of metal not about the application of a coloured coating.

it's been about the latter since Feb last year, including input from yourself.

Well, I'm hoping to join a welding course in october to learn to tig/mig weld.

Well, I'm hoping to join a welding course in october to learn to tig/mig weld.

Nice to hear.

Ok so, I have a frame with canti bosses on it and a severe lack of rear brake bridge... I can saw and file the bosses off myself but I need someone who can braze me on a rear brake bridge.

Does anyone know anyone locally who can do this? I'm not really after a pro job, I just want to be able to put calipers on my bike. There is obviously a few builders in the midlands who could do this but I thought there may be a kid somewhere training who would enjoy the challenge.... anyone?

Ta.

Get a seat post clamp hanger, Surly do a swishy deluxe one, got it on my Crosscheck and it's fine