Framebuilders - Cracked Lug-How serious!?

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rothenfield1

07-24-09, 11:50 PM

Nessism

07-25-09, 12:31 AM

I wouldn't buy that frame.

unterhausen

07-25-09, 01:01 AM

I would offer the guy $10 so I could rip that apart and figure out what the heck went wrong at Bianchi that day. That will eventually crack all around the headtube and fail completely. You can probably get a couple of years of riding out of it before it cracks completely.

rothenfield1

07-25-09, 01:22 AM

I'm crying right now.

Scooper

07-25-09, 09:20 AM

That type of crack is typical of a frame having been brazed under tension resulting in built-in stresses. Over time, the stresses are relieved through failure of the tubing and/or lug.

HERE (http://www.yellowjersey.org/zito.html) is an example of this kind of failure and its repair.

rothenfield1

07-26-09, 01:51 PM

I contacted some frame repair shops, and it doesn't sound good. The concern is whether the tube is cracked as well as the lug. Also, because it is a chromed frame, the repair area will have to be de-chromed first. Here's another photo after I butchered the paint away.

rothenfield1

07-26-09, 02:12 PM

How much would you expect it to cost to have the head tube paint and chrome stripped, and the lug rebrazed?

Silverbraze

07-26-09, 07:09 PM

I was just about to pull the trigger on putting some good money into this super nice chromed 90's Bianchi frame when I saw what looks like a crack in the downtube lug. IS THIS SERIOUS? PLEASE, PLEASE help a poor guy with a Bianchi dream out here!

if that lug is cracked
then it is nothing to do with tension etc
but really more about piss poor brazing.
It looks some of the lug is holding onto the tube and some it is letting go because the whole joint is not fully brazed and that is why the lug is tearing above the unbrazed portion.
It may look sweet because the man with the torch wet the shorelines
but it was Friday and he was meeting Maria at the bar and he was eager to ..............
or he was just lousy at his job.

Proper brazed joints do not fail like that

rothenfield1

07-26-09, 08:15 PM

I'm going to call Reparto Course and demand they replace my frame, maybe with one of those new Ducatis.