Framebuilders - I need some eyelets... Any help?

Hey, I'm going on tour in January, and my dropouts don't have eyelets. I've found a few shops that can braze the eyelets on for me, but I don't have any to use in the first place!! Ahh!

Does anyone have any extra eyelets, or sources for them? Or.. Any help at all with my predicament?

Thanks a bunch,

-Backhandissimo

First, lets think about if that is the right thing to do. Are you going to be loaded touring?

Using a brazed on eyelet to carry a rack with panniers etc. is dangerous. The last thing you want is for your eyelet to break when you are go knows where.

An eyelet brazed on to hold a fender is fine.

So some other options.

1: If there is a place with some meat on your dropout, drill a hole through the dropout and run a tap through the hole. Thats an eyelet, and thats a strong eyelet. If you post a picture of your dropout I can tell you if and where to do this.

2: Weld an eyelet on. Gas works fine, TIG cleaner. Stronger than a braze. The weld bead might not get totally underneath the eyelet, so if there is a pinhole afterward give a quick braze with some bronze to really get that thing solid.

3: braze it and give it as much buildup as humanly possible. This takes a little skill so a regular bike shop might not be able to do a good job at this. And still not ideal.

You can get eyelets from Nova Cycles Supply, or even use a nut from the hardware store if you want... Make sure to grind the nickel off the outside of the nut if you do that.

Hope that helps!

I had some seatstay eyelets brazed on and they are totally sound. The best ones are probably the long ones with a curved profile, like ART 294 (http://www.framebuilding.com/Bosses.htm).
The eyelets at the dropouts have to work much harder. You could probably fashion your own ones with a drill and a file, shaped to fit the dropout and engage more metal.

I don't think that brazed on eyelets are a problem. That's standard procedure on many bikes. The main load are in compression, so that should set you mind at rest. When it comes to racks. Normally 3 out of 4 eyelets are brazed on. Many of the nicer rear drops don't come with built in eyelets, so people braze them on. Ideal set up is to file a little saddle in there and then brae the eyelet on. It isn't a big part so you could probably do it with a propane torch, though the drop is a big part. Also propane will burn away more paint due to the slow heat-up. Count on loosing a lot of paint.

I wouldn't count on backing up tig with brazing. TIG in the fab world is often faired with braze, but it isn't wise to count on getting penetration around parts, because normally you can't get the flux in there, and the area may have to much oxydation from the TIG. Fairing it in, though would ad stome strength, if one felt the need.

Be cautious about the drop, They are often cast, and cutting them could weaken them.

6mm eyelets are way stronger than 5, so if you are doing your own work, that is one often broken part to upgrade, however, no standard parts, and your rack has to have available meat also.

I do not understand. you found someone who is able to put them on but he does not have them? if he does nbot know where to find them he may not be qualified to braze them on. are you just looking for eyelets on the seatstays near the brake bridge? if you have eyelets near the dropouts (where the weight is carried) I would use P clips on the seatstays

It is my very sound opinion that this fellow is looking for eyelets for his dropouts to be brazed/welded on, like they are on most touring bikes. The bike is a Dave Scott Ironman, it doesn't leave much room for drilling because the dropouts already have cutouts.

If this user could post a picture of his dropouts he would have an easier time getting some help.

Keep up the great advice, fellows!

First, lets think about if that is the right thing to do. Are you going to be loaded touring?
Using a brazed on eyelet to carry a rack with panniers etc. is dangerous. The last thing you want is for your eyelet to break when you are go knows where.
An eyelet brazed on to hold a fender is fine.
Hope that helps!

You must be kidding, right? So my fillet brazed bike is dangerous and should have been gas welded or TIGed together?

Why bother clamp on eyelets work fine, just make sure your gets the ones with plastisol where they contact the frame, I'm fairly sure www.twowheeltransit has 'em

Maybe I was being a bit dramatic...

A brazed eye can work but a welded or forged in eye is stronger. I am always paranoid when it comes to loaded touring because having an issue in the middle of nowhere is no fun.

Your fillet brazed frame is fine. I was suggesting a brazed eye is not ideal strength because it doesn't have a huge amount of join area.

You must be kidding, right? So my fillet brazed bike is dangerous and should have been gas welded or TIGed together?
the mitering process produces a much stronger joint than is produced when you braze an eyelet onto a dropout. I just brazed some eyelets to my commuter's dropout, I don't know how it's going to last. I don't carry touring loads around with me while commuting, so I'm not all that worried. But if you look on crazyguyonabike, you'll see a number of broken frames. I wouldn't want to chance it.

"I was suggesting a brazed eye is not ideal strength because it doesn't have a huge amount of join area. "

You are really going to hate some of the seatstay arrangements out there !!

If a frame doesn't have eyelets in the first place, it probably wasn't meant to carry anything more than you and a couple of water bottles.

If you still insist upon mounting racks, why not just use "P" clamps like this (http://shop1.mailordercentral.com/marshfasteners/products.asp?dept=128)

If a frame doesn't have eyelets in the first place, it probably wasn't meant to carry anything more than you and a couple of water bottles.

If you still insist upon mounting racks, why not just use "P" clamps like this (http://shop1.mailordercentral.com/marshfasteners/products.asp?dept=128)

Those would work on the stays, but the dropouts?

Those would work on the stays, but the dropouts?
There`s always a way.
http://www.oldmanmountain.com/Pages/RackPages/RackGalleries/Images/sherpa-rear-700-non-Disk.jpeg

Those would work on the stays, but the dropouts?

Smaller clamps, immediately above the dropouts.