Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 9,814
Likes: 1,790
From: Northern California
Bikes: Cheltenham-Pedersen racer, Boulder F/S Paris-Roubaix, Varsity racer, '52 Christophe, '62 Continental, '92 Merckx, '75 Limongi, '76 Presto, '72 Gitane SC, '71 Schwinn SS, etc.
I've also busted a dropout, while twisting on an old Motebecane's handlebar, but it was a cheaper model and the brazing there clearly wasn't very good.
I have used a 4' long X 4" wide X 1" thick stick of TREX decking as a lever, inserted between the fork legs, and while this has proven better than any other methods I have tried, one should be cautious. Perhaps installing a hub or hub axle assembly with a quick-release skewer would add some bracing for a particularly hard effort?