Hello,

I've got a mid 80's katakura silk hand/custom built frame with two problems. One cracked dropout and one badly repaired wheel stay. I guess the third problem would be my low budget.

Many pix on flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/2967769...7614878968198/

As a bonus there is a bunch of roller derby pictures on my photo stream if you're into that sort of thing.

Some questions if you've got the time:

1. Can I repair the dropout itself or is this an automatic replace? My good friend is a very clever welder, though not a frame builder.

2. If I need to replace the dropout, can anyone ID the dropouts and fill me in on where to find one? If I find one, do they come with deraileur rings or is that brazed on after installing in the frame? Where do you get the ring?

3. How worried should I be regarding the stay? Remove the paint and look for cracks? File it down and fill in with brass? Keep my fragile ass of this deathtrap?

Any help would be much appreciated.