Everest

This is probably a very stupid question but I will ask anyway. I am in highschool and for metal shop am considering building a frame. It will be lugged steel. My question concerns matierals. I have a much to large Schwinn Super LeTour frame. As I would like to keep costs at a bare minimum I was wondering if it would be possible to unbraze this frame and shorten the tubes then rebraze basically recycle the tubing and lugs. Would this work? Thanks for any input as I'm sure this is a stupid question.

Kogswell

Not a stupid question.

I think that in the long run, you'd be better off starting from scratch.

If you have not done so already, do these things:

0) read everything on this site: https://www.phred.org/~josh/build/build.html

1) read everything on this site: https://www.littlefishbicycles.com/

2) go back through the archives of this forum and look at postings from user: velonomad

there are many home-builders and I don't mean to single out one, but The Nomad is a kool head and hand

3) join this list: https://www.phred.org/mailman/listinfo/framebuilders

That last bit is critical. Most of the English-speaking framebuilders hang out on that list. Many of them are a extremely smart, experienced, helpful, friendly, courteous, thrifty, brave and reverent. If you are sincere and want to learn to build, most of your help will flow from them.

Bing

To the above I'd add go to your library and see if you can get the Paterek Manual. You might have to get your local library to get it on an interlibrary loan if they don't have it.

squeakywheel

I was just wondering the same thing. I'm guessing from the lack of encouraging answers that your proposed project won't work. My 1970's Raleigh Grand Prix is too big for me and I would love to shrink it. I guess I'll try to find a frame the right size and reuse as many parts from the Raleigh as I can.

bikejack

I've been through this exercise a few times building Junior bikes.

Saving the lugs is near impossible and if you do get them out in one piece you still have to clean and resize them somehow. Make sure you drill any pinning completely out before trying.

That being said the best way to reuse the tubes is to cut the tube or through a portion of the lugs if necessary and clean the remaining lug off the tube with a bit of heat and a wire brush. This is preferrable to the massive heating required to pull the tube from the lug which naturally transfers to the tubes.

Best option for rebuilding is braze welding the mitred joints, in my opinion stronger than lugs and easier to work with on a rebuild.

ebr898

I am glad this question has been asked. I am thinking of rebuilding an old World Sport into a jr. bike for my son. I do have a question for bikejack: do you keep the same angles that the original bike had when adapt it for juvinile use?