Framebuilders - Removing a head tube badge
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What's the best way to remove a head tube badge? I'm rehabilitating an old frame and want to get the badge off before I strip the paint and rust. I can't tell whether it's held in place with solder or rivets.
Keeping the badge intact would be nice, but the frame's a late-70s Raleigh so losing the badge and filling in the holes is not a big deal either.
brokenrobot
04-27-06, 09:35 PM
The raleigh headbadges I've removed were held in place by two rivets made of very soft metal... I knocked the ends off the rivets inside the head tube with a couple blows from the sharp end of a big screwdriver and pulled off the badges.
That sounds easy enough. What's good for filling the holes when the frame's repainted?
brokenrobot
04-28-06, 08:39 AM
That sounds easy enough. What's good for filling the holes when the frame's repainted?
I didn't actually repaint and refill; I intended to build the bike out as a grocery-getter with repaint, but sad circumstances resulted in the frame getting built out as a ghost bike memorial for a fallen rider, for which purpose I didn't bother with such small aesthetic considerations. Depending on what your repaint strategy is, you can use a tiny bit of bondo (will stand up to paint but not to powdercoat) or JB Weld (will reportedly stand up to powdercoat). Either way, just fill as smoothly as you can while being sure not to be concave, let dry, and sand to perfection before priming.