# Bent Frame How To Fix It



## oldy57 (Nov 2, 2010)

After stripping the paint and having a good look at the teens Indian I bought a while back I found the frame to be bent and dented. How would I go about fixing this. I normally would have done a cheap paint on a worthless bike but one worth a little more is worth a good fix. I won't try fixing it as my skills are not good. Should I take it to a blacksmith, local welder, body shop? Any ideas. You can see in the pics the bend.


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## ftwelder (Nov 2, 2010)

There are several way to repair frame damage. A lot depends on method of construction, position of damage and type of material. Since your bike is American and the material is fractional (not metric) I personally would try several techniques. First I would try plugging the tube and raising the internal air pressure to 30 psi and using a torch to soften and raise the area. Then tacking a small bolt to the middle of the dent the pulling while using heat and if none of those worked well, I would section the tube and replace the stretched material. I use a TIG welding process at very low amperage to weld without distortion or shrinking. I do these types of repairs so that no plastic filler is required and finding the repair would require looking inside the tube. Typically one would clamp the tube in a tight fitting wooden block, roll the block on the tube and in theory, remove the high spots and fill the dent with brass. The only problem is brazing like that will warp and shrink the tube and still require filler. 

I make bike frames for a living but I usually make modern bikes. I do a lot of repair on rare and valuable antiques because the skill-set is much more like what I do on a daily basis. I don't do lugged/brazed work except on rare occasions. I recently built an exhaust on a $300K Bough-superior and repaired a shattered seat cluster on a sam-sco.  you can find some cool stuff on my flickr site. 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frankthewelder/sets/


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## yewhi (Nov 3, 2010)

Frank the welder?  as in THE FTW, of durango/john parker/yeti fame? Really?

Based on the detailed nature of your response I'm not doubting it.  Just cool to see it.


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## ftwelder (Nov 4, 2010)

ya, well JP planted the bike collecting seed in my brain years ago. It finally started growing about a year ago. I have mostly brit classic stuff and a couple of US antiques.


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## yewhi (Nov 4, 2010)

ftwelder said:


> ya, well JP planted the bike collecting seed in my brain years ago. It finally started growing about a year ago. I have mostly brit classic stuff and a couple of US antiques.




Nice!  There are not many places where you can ask a repair question and have it answered by the guy who built what are highly regarded as some of best riding mountain bikes of their era. 

BTW-Loved the C26 pictures on your flickr page.  How many of those were actually built?  Forget this blue bird stuff.  That is my holy grail.


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## oldy57 (Nov 4, 2010)

ftwelder Thanks for the fixing info. I will look for a local fabricator/welder who is capable of this type of work. I don't weld and don't know anyone who could do it. Ther should be a local welder who could do it.


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## ftwelder (Nov 6, 2010)

yewhi said:


> Nice!  There are not many places where you can ask a repair question and have it answered by the guy who built what are highly regarded as some of best riding mountain bikes of their era.
> 
> BTW-Loved the C26 pictures on your flickr page.  How many of those were actually built?  Forget this blue bird stuff.  That is my holy grail.




Thanks, I think we may have done 10 or so C-26 frames. One sold not too long ago on ebay for $12,000. There must have been a couple of bidders who like them A LOT! 

I think Chris Herting built a repop not too long ago also.. nice looking bike.

Oldy, find someone local who fixes bicycle frames if you can.


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## ericbaker (Nov 6, 2010)

Frank! good to see you on the cabe, Lookout for an email from me soon. I've got a few things you may be able to help me with ragarding old Yetis and new Sinisters... or whatever you may have moved onto since then


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## tDuctape (Nov 9, 2010)

A lot of respect for the bikes you have built over the years. Here is the latest "New" bike in our garage. My son stepping up to his first high quality MTB:









Thanks Frank!

T


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