[David9694]

Farewell my summer love, farewell – nuts, this is on the edge of economic repair – the joint has failed on the drive side.  Viner/ Planet X Columbus Spirit frame from about 2012. 

The bit about this that may be of general interest is that for a while there’s been a flat spot on the cranks at 12 / 6 o’clock. I’d checked everything and on the modern system there isn’t that much to go wrong, so that’s been a mystery ’til I noticed the break when cleaning the chain. 

I assume any brazing work then requires the frame to be refinished in its entirety? If so then the bill at Argos would be a little over £500 by the time you’ve removed and refitted the head badge and had new decals fitted. I’m all for repair and re-use and I don’t mind being without this frame for a few weeks. I’d be pleasantly suprised if Planet X we’re to take any interest in this issue – £175 for the basic repair (Argos – supply and fit new dropout) would be nice.

The paintwork is in decent condition, but is hideously unfashionable – baby blue as a mate called it. So a “new”* look wouldn’t come amiss. The bit that worries me is that this turns out to be a Venerdì frame and other things go wrong over time. People ride laden tourers up hills and don’t have brazed joints fail.   

I had to bodge the seat pin with washers to fit and it has a nonstandard inner diameter metal steerer tube, so a standard star nut simply passes through. 

*Sorry, it won’t be maroon or fawn or white or black if I do go the respray route

Topic

[David9694]

The good news was that as a

The good news was that as a solid colour it took no time at all to find a decent match from the swatches for the paint place to mix me up a rattle can. 

[quiff]

“…hideously unfashionable..

“…hideously unfashionable… baby blue as a mate called it”.

It may not make the colour any more palatable to you or your mate (though I quite like it) but surely it’s “Savoy blue” or “Azzurri” blue (aka tautologous blue!)?

[David9694]

Here we are – fixed for £80.

Here we are – fixed for £80. I’ve colour-matched and blended some new rattle can blue paint (I didn’t attempt the pearl white contrast).  

[David9694]

The tricolour idea could work

The tricolour idea could work for this bike as it has it on the main tubes as well. I assume a repairer have to clean off the existing paint for as far as the heat from the brazing will travel?  (I should know this, I did a frame building course 10 years ago!) 

I presume you’re talking about Humbrol liquid paint and brushing, rather than sprays? Anything I do with brushes (except possibly nail varnish for scratches) looks terrible (as does a lot of my rattle can spraying), but I’ve never tried Brasso before.  Would enamel work for lug infills? 

When I’ve tried to do spray paint contrasts, I usually end up with an accumulation of paint against the masking tape.

[Aluminium can]

Humbrol or Revell enamel

Humbrol or Revell enamel (hobby model plane or car) paints are perfect to touch up bike paints.  You just need to buy a can in the closest colour you can find, then white, black and take a guess at what other colour/s you would need to mix to match the paint.  Hopefully someone in the shop could help, if you bring your frame into the hobby shop.  You then get a small empty paint jar and mix the paint, using a bamboo skewer or toothpicks.  You buy a bottle of thinners as well.  Basically, you actually do test painting on the frame, then decide if you need to add more white or make it a bit darker or more blue (etc..) and keep mixing until you can hardly see the difference.  As you do test patches, you then also (within a few minutes) wipe the test spots off the frame using either the thinners or white spirts on a rag.  When the colour is correct enough for you, then you thin the paint down and apply it in several layers, allowing time to dry between each coat.  When the paint has hardened for a week or so, you can use a tiny amount of brasso on a damp cloth to rub the paint down to the same level as the original paint – this will also bring up the shine of the new paint.  Just be sure to only use a small amount of brasso, you could polish off the paint entirely if you use too much. 

Alternatively, paint in a completely different colour but use masking tape to get a sharp edge (model shops sell masking tape that will give a razor sharp edge) , paint a larger area and do it on both sides so the scheme looks deliberate and maybe part of the original paint scheme.  Could use model spray paint in this case.

Example of a deliberate looking paint scheme in the picture using the italian flag…

Note that Enamel paint is much easier to use than acrylic, because it takes a long time to dry.   So buy enamel!

[David9694]

It’s just crud. 

It’s just crud. 

[Backladder]

Is that a shadow or a

Is that a shadow or a corrosion stain on the blue at the seat stay join? If a second joint is failing then all the others are suspect and the frame should be scrapped.

[David9694]

Here’s a picture of the break

Here’s a picture of the break. I’m bending the seat stay out for effect.

[ktache]

Argos did a fine repair to my

Argos did a fine repair to my surly ogre, off side chain stay at the dropout. Third frame to go there, first two replaced under warranty. They added a strengthening tube connecting chain and seat stay. Under £200. Lewis at AWs wanted me to see the work before getting it a bit of paint, not Argos. Their work was stunning, unfortunately a clear coat wouldn’t have lasted. Not a great finish but far better than I could’ve done. Cannot be precious about paint.

There is always the option, after the fix, to give painting her a go. If it’s awful, then get a professional job.

[andystow]

“Farewell my summer love,

“Farewell my summer love, farewell – nuts…”

I thought you’d hit yourself on the top tube when it failed. Anyhow, sorry for your loss.

[Author]

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