Originally Posted by
sstorkel
The problems are:
1) Aluminum is tricky to TIG weld
2) Thin-walled aluminum, like that used in bicycle tubes, is extremely tricky to TIG weld
3) The welds may need to be back-purged with argon, increasing the complexity and cost of welding
4) If the bike is made from 6061 aluminum, it will need to be heat-treated after welding
5) After the repair the frame will need to be refinished
By the time you pay to have components stripped from the bike, welded, heat-treated (if necessary), refinished and reassembled you're well on your way to having bought a brand-new frame.
I have to respectfully disagree
any decent welder with a angle grinder,propane torch,tig torch,temp probe,and some scrap aluminum for a couple of gussets
should be able to fix that in 40 minutes
aluminum sheet metal is hard to weld bicycle tubing isnt
I myself would only take the seatpost out and replace it with some bar stock to prevent any warpage
and disconect the brake cable housing
I myself cant see it costing more than a $ 150.00 and thats a high estimate
besides theres nothing lost by taking it to a reputable welding shop for an estimate except some time