Welding Aliminium is it poss ( Last chance before the skip)
I ve got an old felt F65 frame which has rear carbon seat stays and aliminium chainstays.
I had a bad fall on ice on the drive side. Thought nothing of it at the time and then about a
a fortnight later the frame went at the dropout on the aliminium just before the weld with
the dropout. Simple question can it be repaired or is it a skip job.
http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/2432/felt002.jpg
http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/3592/felt003.jpg
http://img860.imageshack.us/img860/681/felt005.jpg
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/8915/felt006.jpg
http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/6706/felt007.jpg
I had a bad fall on ice on the drive side. Thought nothing of it at the time and then about a
a fortnight later the frame went at the dropout on the aliminium just before the weld with
the dropout. Simple question can it be repaired or is it a skip job.

http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/3592/felt003.jpg
http://img860.imageshack.us/img860/681/felt005.jpg
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/8915/felt006.jpg
http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/6706/felt007.jpg
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Comments
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tim wand wrote:I ve got an old felt F65 frame which has rear carbon seat stays and aliminium chainstays.
I had a bad fall on ice on the drive side. Thought nothing of it at the time and then about a
a fortnight later the frame went at the dropout on the aliminium just before the weld with
the dropout. Simple question can it be repaired or is it a skip job.
anything is possible but from the size of the pictures who can see.
try reloading them at a size that is viewable or link at full size so details can be seen."Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
Parktools :?:SheldonBrown0 -
Many aluminium alloy frames are heat-treated after welding - if you re-weld a frame it can locall change the material properties and should be considered temporary, rather than "good as new". Depends on whether you can find someone local with the right welding kit and skills to do a decent job - by the look of the photos it looks like a crack through the plate of the drop-out which is relatively easy to reweld, with a pass on either side. Tubes are more tricky because some are very thin.Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..0
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It depends if you can get the right filler wire to match the grade of aluminium that your frame is. If you can its possible . If not forget it0
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Cheers Monty dog and others. (Dont have the nowse to put pictures on here other than through Imageshack so wouldnt have a clue how to resize).
Monty dog your right the fracture is more on the point of the dropout than along the chainstay tube itself. Therefore I think theres more surface area to work with and like you say a pass either side might sort it.
Only thing is its on the drive side right near the mech hanger I can imagine a lot of force/torque goes through this point (Even with my meagre wattages)
I live near Dave Yates (I know hes a steel guru but might be the man to go and see )
Thanks Tim0 -
A framebuilder should be able to advise - I think that Dave Yates did do some alloy frame fabrication a few years ago. A correctly prepped weld with decent penetration should be as strong as the surrounding material.Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..0