Framebuilders - Cutting/removing brackets from frame

I have a 70's Nishiki that I am overhauling and rebuilding. I am sanding it down as we speak to get ready for powder coating and I was wondering if I could safely remove the 2 old brake cable brackets on the top tube (underside) and the kick stand plate on the very bottom of the frame, and a couple others in weird places on the bike. What should I use to do this? Grind down and bondo? Help everyone!!

Thanks,
Freelander

I have a 70's Nishiki that I am overhauling and rebuilding. I am sanding it down as we speak to get ready for powder coating and I was wondering if I could safely remove the 2 old brake cable brackets on the top tube (underside) and the kick stand plate on the very bottom of the frame, and a couple others in weird places on the bike. What should I use to do this? Grind down and bondo? Help everyone!!

Thanks,
Freelander
As long as you're going to powder coat it anyway, get a local framebuilder to remove the braze-ons with a torch. Once the braze-ons are off the frame, he can use the torch and a wire brush to remove the residual brazing material (silver solder or brass) leaving the frame bare of any evidence of the braze-ons.

OK, well I was thinking about doing it myself, or atleast trying it....how much would something like this run to get done?

OK, well I was thinking about doing it myself, or atleast trying it....how much would something like this run to get done?
Not much. It just involves heating the braze-on joint to the melting point of the brazing material with a torch (usually oxy-acetelene) and removing the braze-on. It would be much neater/cleaner with less potential for frame damage than grinding them off.

If you really want to do it yourself, a Dremel tool with the carbide cutting wheel will also do the job, but not as neatly. If you go that route, be sure to wear eye protection.

OK, so what type of torch do I need to acquire in order to complete this task? Also, how long would you say for them to give after hot enough? What do I need to do after they are removed as far as covering them up....? The frame wont get damaged in this process will it? SO these braze ons as they are called are simply welded to the frame, correct?

Thanks again...lol,
Freelander

OK, so what type of torch do I need to acquire in order to complete this task? Also, how long would you say for them to give after hot enough? What do I need to do after they are removed as far as covering them up....? The frame wont get damaged in this process will it? SO these braze ons as they are called are simply welded to the frame, correct?

Thanks again...lol,
Freelander
The braze-ons are brazed, not welded. Brazing joins materials by heating them in the presence of a filler metal having a liquidus above 840ºF (450ºC) but below the solidus of the base metal. Welding, OTOH, fuses the materials by actually melting them as well as melting a filler material. Welding is performed at much higher temperatures than brazing.

Ideally, you'd use an oxy-acetelene torch. The problem is that controlling the heat so that the brazing material melts without overheating (and thereby damaging) the tubing takes experience. I wouldn't recommend trying it yourself. As far as covering the areas where the braze-ons were, it should be a simple matter for the brazer to use the torch and a wire brush to remove the left over brazing material so that there's no sign the braze-ons were ever there.

OK, so my buddy and I took a Dremel Tool and basically just took a cutting wheel and cut the braze ons off and ground down the rest of as good as possible. I kinda fed up on one of the first ones and cut into the frame just a little bit. Is bondo a good idea? If so, what kind, how to, etc... It seems like it wouldnt be too tough bondo the areas that I took the braze ons off of. Also, I am having a tough time finding the best way to get the paint off of the hard to reach bends etc. How necessary is it before it gets powder coated for every little piece of paint off of the frame?

Thanks in advance,
Freelander

Young man. You got wery good advice, somebody spent quite a lot of time explaining to you without being rude. You did not listen, and now you want more advice.

I suggest you do a search in the forum for remowing paint, sandblasting or similar- or ask the guy who are going to powdercoat it. Then you and your buddy can get together and do the oposite again.

Ok, I was rude, but I just had to! I`ll try not to do it again.

Old man, you're right, you were very rude. First of all, I did not torch them because I do not have a torch or know anyone that would let me use one. I am a college student on en extremely tight budget therefore I had to go with the second best way I knew how and was told how, which was grinding or cutting them off. And I did search for quite a long time for the best way to remove paint. I am extremely sorry that I am a novice who wants to do his build the right way. I told the guy thank you for giving me all the good advice. I don't care that you are older than me or know more about bike building than me. I am trying to learn, but how can I with people like you? You were out of line by being so rude. I did not disrespect anyone, especially you. So next time you want to belittle someone trying to learn about the right way to do things so they turn out nice, I strongly suggest that you think twice.

Freelander

I am an old woman (therefor the "mother"), not a man.

If you`we not got the right tools to do it, then why do it? Leaving the braze on`s on would have been the best solution for you.

I learned a lot from Scoopers postings that I did not know already. I learned that this is best left alone if you do not have the equipment and skills (or money to pay somebody) to do it or you could damage your frame, or at least the quality of the powdercoating you are going to pay for. That is not difficult is it? You might not like it, but getting upset and rude is not going to change anything, especially not for your bike.

Also, maybe this frame has a value and altering it might reduce the value a lot? Maybe later you want to change it back from a fixie/SS, and you`ll need the braze on`s ?

Best wishes.

It's also worth noting that the kickstand bracket is a part of the structure of the frame. It is there instead of the chainstay bridge.

Well I successfully got all of them off and I am happy with the turn out. How much a part of the frame is that kickstand bracket? It shouldn't have a significant effect on the structure and srrength I wouldn't think.