scratch on Ritchey frame

Hi everyone,

I am about to purchase a lovely nickel plated Tange prestige ritchey logic frame (the manufacturer is yet to be found out, any ideas ?) but it has a nasty scratch / gouge on the driveside seatstay. Is the frame weakened ? How can I address this issue ?
Thank you

I wouldn't say that it's measurably weakened but I would not attempt to further exacerbate the issue by trying to grind it down/out.

Thanks. What options do I have ? I consider having it sandblasted and powdercoated but I am afraid it woud deteriorate it even more. How thick is the tubing near the dropout ?

I can't say for sure how thick the steel is on that particular frame but if you are concerned about leaving it "as is", I wouldn't be. Those old steel frames are pretty rugged and the location isn't in an area that would raise any antennas of concern for me personally. If you are you hoping to restore it, you will probably want to have it reinforced by a competent welder as opposed to taking the steel down to the level of the defect as it appears to be fairly deep. If I had to guess, the thickness of the stays at that location and based on the year and the mfg that its around 3mm. As steel has a higher elastic modulus than aluminum (~3x), I would be comfortable leaving it alone and riding it but not taking any more residual material away. If you want to restore it, talk to a competent welder. Good luck!

That would probably be okay. the tubes are thinker at the tips probably 1.2-1.5mm think (3mm dif in id-od). it will probably be strong enough. as some frame builders actually grind that area back and fill it is rod so there is more clearance on the drive side). a welder could fill that with a fillet of braze and file back (sif 101 rod or sif no.2 rod in 1.6mm).

I would be happy to do that for you for free but i think the shipping to and from Guernsey might not make it worth your while.

Cheers
Pete

Useful advices thank you. I can live with it, just wanted to make sure the frame is as strong as it should be.
Pete : I believed the welding heat would alter the steel. If you happen to come around near Paris, I will pay you a drink for a fillet of braze !
cheers

If you're repainting the frame, you could easily fair over the blemish with a filler material. Good options might be epoxy or a Bondo type body filler. A little careful sanding, and the frame would look perfect again. Like others say, this gouge doesn't have much (if any) effect on the frame's integrity.

J

Good tip thank you