Can this Simoncini be saved?

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/9754/sim2p.jpg

http://img208.imageshack.us/i/sim6.jpg/
many thanks for the tutorial.... inside BB shell. Not too bad, but not the neatest work i have ever seen!

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/5691/sim3.jpg
outside BB - tricky job of flooding the pitting without flooding the makers stamp. not sure what to do here....

do you have a picture of the top tube?
would be interested in how the rust looks.
doesnt look too bad though!

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/4669/sim5r.jpg
thanks - and i am certain the rest of the frame + forks makes it.... just the top tube still up for possibly getting cut out. worst spot is pictured - and as you see, it is a horror! not as bad in the flesh - this pic. really is nasty!

ouch!
i hope it works out well man, would be a shame to have to replace the top tube.

That looks nasty. Still, you've stripped off so much rust it's not going to hurt if try to clean up the top tube to make sure

gear shift braze-ons removed

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lugs filed off pretty aggressively to get the pitting away.... tube ends where the metal is thickest got a bit of the file but could not do this to anything middle tube

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front shifter braze-on removed - and seat tube deformation.... those wops certainly know their art work!!

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dropout hand filed to mirror the non drive side. i would have just whipped these out and replaced them with track drops but they have 'simoncini' stamped, so i thought i would have a crack at keeping them. i hate anything on a frame that is not in use so if there aint a rear mech there aint a mech hanger!

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i can now answer the question of the thread..... 'can this simoncini be saved?' The answer is - Yes. It can. But it will cost so much time and effort and oxy and files and wet and dry - it would have been quicker and cheaper to buy a perfect frame off ebay and walk to Russia to pick it up!! It has been an absolute joy though.

bb, that is a labour of love, cant wait to see it finished. You obviously know your 'metalworking' stuff

Why the brazed on is removed?

i hate anything on a frame that is not in use !

I guess they are not needed

Good job, mate

thanks EE - and yep Moonboy - i dont want gears on there so i want the smooth and the minimal. sticky out things with nothing bolted on dont do it for me. if you got original paint then fair enough - but this one was never going to be back to original glory so i think that is license to carve it up and do what you can??

very impressive

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/5691/sim3.jpg
outside BB - tricky job of flooding the pitting without flooding the makers stamp. not sure what to do here....

Just a thought... Have you considered using silicon as a mask inthe makers logo?
A guy in the fire bragade once told me its fireproof such that you can use it inside chimneys.

thanks sausage. i will look it up. i have done a bit with 'wax resistance' - if you put anything waxy or oily on a bit of steel it stops the solder or braze taking. its a funny thing.... when you want to stick things then the tiniest impurity stops it from working. when you want to keep the flow away from a bit of detail you can be sure it will get in there and lock on harder than G St. Pierre. I will look at silicone though - it makes sense.

Bobz, out of interest any further progress with this project?

For any frame restoration, Aladdins cave (forum name) is the man. Top frame builder and brilliant restorer!

If anyone is interested to see how SIMONCINI builts steelframes with fillet brazing technique, you may check out their YouTube channel. They have 2 little films about the making of a frame (telaio) and a fork (forcella).

still going on this thing! it is going to make it - no question of that. i have run out of money and i would rather take longer and do it right rather than get it back on the road with dodgy parts and a hand spray. got wheels, crank,2 brakes and seat - still need bars and an armourtex paint job (unless anyone has better ideas). i will be sure to put pics up when it is done.