Dented frame repair

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fossala
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Dented frame repair

Post by fossala »

Last weekend 200k into a 400k Audax I lent by Bob Jackson bike against a wall and it slipped and fell onto the corner of a pillar denting the seat tube.

I have removed most of the dent. First by tapping a long seat post in. Then I used a metal rod and tapped most of it out. It's now around 5mm circumference and 0.2mm deep. I can still see it though and its ****** me off. The one time I get a custom frame and build it up without a budget I go and drop it within 6 months. I see my options are the following.

JB weld the dent sanding it down. Buy some primer, 2k paint, lacquer and decals. Do it myself at home, the downside of this is that JB weld can't be baked so in the future other painting methods won't be an option.

Option two would be to get the dent filled with silver or brass and professionally repainted. The downside of this is it's expensive, the dent will still be there and the paint from BJ isn't exactly durable.

Finally send it to get the seatube replaced and repainted. At least with this option it is back how it should be and I will forget about the cost in a few months.

I don't want to leave the dent as I have bike OCD. What would you guys recommend?
Last edited by fossala on 23 May 2019, 10:59am, edited 2 times in total.
mig
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Joined: 19 Oct 2011, 9:39pm

Re: Dented frame repair

Post by mig »

bad luck on the damage.

any local framebuilders who can help/advise?

FWIW i wouldn't want a dent in my best bike & would want a fix done properly.
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fossala
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Re: Dented frame repair

Post by fossala »

mig wrote:bad luck on the damage.

any local framebuilders who can help/advise?

FWIW i wouldn't want a dent in my best bike & would want a fix done properly.

I rang Bob Jackson and had a chat. They said that I should just stick a sticker over the dent. They are fine with either repairs I have described. Dent fill/paint is £125 plus post. New tube would be closer to £250.

My thought is ride it for the rest of the season and then just suck it up and get a new tube fitted over winter.
PH
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Re: Dented frame repair

Post by PH »

I'd start thinking about the next colour, that usually takes me about three years to decide, by that time it usually needs it and I'd have any repairs done at the same time. I have a theory that new bikes are more accident prone, bad luck with that one.
Bonefishblues
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Re: Dented frame repair

Post by Bonefishblues »

I wonder if it might be worth speaking to a car dent repairer, one of the so-called smart repairers?
thirdcrank
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Re: Dented frame repair

Post by thirdcrank »

I've always recommended Ellis Briggs but I've no personal experience since they moved/ changed hands. Over the years, they always had some sort of arrangement with Jackson's which was never really spelled out.

I see they want £110 for a new seat tube and I've not checked the ifs and buts. Obviously, there's going to be the respray on top. At least this gives an idea. You have to plough through the links.

https://www.ellisbriggscycles.co.uk/about/workshop/
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fossala
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Re: Dented frame repair

Post by fossala »

Bonefishblues wrote:I wonder if it might be worth speaking to a car dent repairer, one of the so-called smart repairers?

Rang up two and both aren't confident in the results. They tend to apply pressure from the rear.
PH
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Re: Dented frame repair

Post by PH »

fossala wrote:and the paint from BJ isn't exactly durable.

I'd bear that in mind when deciding who to do the repair, any competent framebuilder ought to be able to replace the tube, so I'd choose on the basis of finish.
joshua3
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Joined: 17 Aug 2016, 2:37pm

Re: Dented frame repair

Post by joshua3 »

I read somewhere you can fill the damaged tube with water, plug it solid and put it in the freezer. The expansion pushes the dent out. In theory!
Brucey
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Re: Dented frame repair

Post by Brucey »

if you fit a sturdy seat pin and massage the area with a soft-faced hammer you may be able to get it to come better than it has without damaging the paint. However 0.2mm is a very small dent; a couple of coats of filler primer, sanding down and then a sticker over the top may be a good repair.

Replacing the seat tube just because of a small dent is a complete overreaction.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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fossala
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Re: Dented frame repair

Post by fossala »

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Image
Bonefishblues
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Re: Dented frame repair

Post by Bonefishblues »

I tend to agree with Brucey on this one, but it's your p&j, not mine, so I'm not about to be critical.
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andrew_s
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Re: Dented frame repair

Post by andrew_s »

fossala wrote:I lent by Bob Jackson bike against a wall and it slipped and fell onto the corner of a pillar denting the seat tube.

I feel for you.

I had a shiny new (3 months?) custom Longstaff blow over and land on a rock. :(
The dent in the top tube is still there, as a lesson to me.
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fossala
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Re: Dented frame repair

Post by fossala »

andrew_s wrote:
fossala wrote:I lent by Bob Jackson bike against a wall and it slipped and fell onto the corner of a pillar denting the seat tube.

I feel for you.

I had a shiny new (3 months?) custom Longstaff blow over and land on a rock. :(
The dent in the top tube is still there, as a lesson to me.

How do you feel about the dent now? Part of the bike or damaged goods?

I think it's the perfect spot for one of the big ugly Reynolds stickers.
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SimonCelsa
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Re: Dented frame repair

Post by SimonCelsa »

I don't want to leave the dent as I have bike OCD. What would you guys recommend?


Quite honestly, nothing. Still looks OK.

You fork out £250 on a new seat tube & respray, then drop the darned thing again, in the end you'll be scared to ride it. it exists to be ridden, and thrashed as appropriate. Your call obviously & it's out of your pocket but I'd look at the cheaper options i.e put an Audax sticker or something equally topical over the scratch.
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