Originally Posted by
Sixty Fiver
Maybe this is just some crud on the frame behind the lug... or some less than stellar workmanship but could also be an early indicator of some lug separation.
Raleigh's baked-enamel paint jobs are magnets for developing light-colored dirt around the shorelines. Note the same residue around the pump peg.
Originally Posted by
Sixty Fiver
Having taken apart a good number of frames I can tell you that in many cases the penetration of the brass / silver is often minimal and incomplete... it is amazing how little brazing material can hold a frame together and the best looking frames often don't look that good from the inside.
That's very much the the case with the TI-era Sports frames; for that matter, virtually any model below the Professional and Team Professional in Raleigh's lineup may be found with huge voids. You've been hanging around too many crappy low-end frames (or too many Italian high-end frames).
These pre-TI frames (roughly 1961 and earlier) are pretty much the opposite. I've yet to see one with a gap at the shoreline (some might have a bit
too much brass at the shoreline), and I've yet to hear of one coming apart. Look at your own collection of early Raleighs and tell me what you find at the shorelines.
What's more, I'm pretty sure these frames were
NOT mitered; all the more reason for the brass penetration to be adequate.
Originally Posted by
Sixty Fiver
Auchen's bike is worth restoring and it could be straightened and have the brazing re-done as this is the proper way to repair a frame with this kind of damage and then it would be good for the next 100 years and one would never have to worry about the repair failing.
Auchen's bike is also worth attempting to keep as original as possible - in other words, if a repair without paint damage can be attempted, so be it.
-Kurt