Originally Posted by
lindseyh
. . . . My question is about bending the dropout back into the original shape to form the axle slot. Should I heat the dropout to soften the steel before bending or bend it cold and possibly risk hardening or embrittling the steel dropout? If I heat the dropout with a propane torch, do I need to be concerned with affecting the brazed joints at the tube frames? . . . .
I wouldn't heat the dropout. Cold-setting (bike-speak for "bending") is sufficient. I don't know if a propane torch would generate enough heat to affect the brazing, by why risk it?
Campagnolo and Park both made/make tools to do exactly what you want. I'm sure others have made them as well - VAR, for instance. If you have a local shop that understands vintage (bike-speak for "old") steel frames and has the tools to do this job, find out what they will charge to realign the dropout. If it is within your budget, let a pro do it (and by "pro", I do not mean the 17 year old kid who probably doesn't know that bike frames can be made of steel).
You can do it yourself with a couple pairs of vise grips or channel locks pliers (one to bend the part that is out of alignment, the other to keep you from bending that part that is still in alignment. The trick isn't bending it back so it is close; the trick is fine tuning the dropout back into proper position so that derailleurs and wheels are in proper alignment. Having the right tool(s) for the job make that much easier.
Welcome to C&V. It's a pretty gentle crowd, most of the time. Just don't get people started on Campagnolo vs. Shimano.
