1960's Raleigh chopper frame repair....anyone know what steel it is or what filler is best??

[lchris21]

Got a small weld repair job coming up on a nice 1968 Mk1 Raleigh Chopper...................Aahh, them were the days. Anyway, had a quick look at it and it looks like a simple crack near the rear seat stay. Been doing a bit of googling to see if I can locate any detail on the steel so I can use the correct filler to TIG it. Not having much luck....

As these were mass produced cheap as chips kids bikes, when "elf an safety" was a distant tsunami waiting to hit our shores, I'm thinking its just boggo thin walled run of the mill tubing?? I don't think its going to be any exotic Reynolds flavour, but could be wrong???

anyone want to add tales of disintegrating bike frames from tig welding before I use some mild steel filler on it??

I think the warranty may be up, so no good taking it back to Raleigh

Cheers

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Last old bike frame I did a repair on a crack, I brazed it up.
That's after cleaning to crack out and drilling a small hole at each end of said crack.
I have tried welding them but the thin metal disappeared, I now not were.
I know Mouton bikes used to use Reynolds 501 or 503, but please don't quote me on that, as that was way way back in my past.

 

[mike os]

I would be tempted to tig braze it

 

[sardine]

Threw a chopper frame out last year. They are on eBay for peanuts.

 

[hotrodder]

It's not gonna be anything exotic (or even thin wall in bicycle terms given the weight of the things) but even if it was a chromoly or whatever er70s-2 (A15) is still the filler to use if welding... the result is tougher/less brittle than using a higher strength/'matching' filler

Choppers were origionally mostly brazed, pic of a shot blasted frame where the brass is visible courtesy of the internet...

If the crack is very close to one of the brazed joints it's not likely to end well using TIG as the origional brass will melt at a little under 900°C & the 40ish% zinc in it boils at 907°C.
TIG brazing wire has a melting range of ~920 - 1050°C give or take depending on flavour so you can work closer to an origional joint than if welding but it's still easy to make a mess if too close

 

[brightspark]

braze it with oxy acetylene

 

[Mr shiney]

braze it with oxy acetylene

Yep, five minute job.

If the OP was closer I would happily do it.

 

[lchris21]

cheers fellas, not got any brazing rods, so I'll get in there with the tig...had a quick look at the failed joint and it might have bee repaired in the past? could not see any obvious brass filler etc.

will let you know how I get on