Cracked 853 should I MIG weld it?

I've just checked the Thorn site they have a Reynolds 725 MTB frame- Thorn Ripio- what have they offered you?
http://www.sjscycles.com/thornpdf/ThornRipioBroHi-Res.pdf

If it's a choice between the current model or a frame which Dave Yates advises not to repair I'd go for the current. It might not be the same level as the old one but if it's a choice between that or nothing then at least you'll have something to sell on to part fund something else.

I haven't mentioned that the frame is Rohloff specific - so the Ripio wouldn't be a like for like suitability. They offered me the Sterling, in a size which is just a little too big for me, or a size which is too small.

I paid a premium of £599 for this 853/725 frame, with it's lifetime warranty, and expect that to be honoured with something of similar quality.

Well the good thing is that they have accepted liability, so you ought to be able to achieve a good outcome eventually. It's surprising that a Thorn could break like that, especially as they claim their frames are built heavy to take you around the globe without any worries.

It would be silly for an ignoramus like me to question what Dave Yates told you, but I must say I don't understand it. It's important too, because Thorn's legal liability is either to repair the frame or to replace it. If he says repair isn't feasible, and they say they can't replace it then there is a problem.

It isn't necessarily your problem though. I think you are within your rights to require them to either repair it or replace it with a frame of similar type and value. Thorn has a good name to protect and I feel sure they must see that they have to do one or the other.

Or refund?

I don't think a supplier is under any legal liability to give a refund. It's obviously a more expensive solution from their point of view than either repair or replace, and repair or replace is sufficient recompense in law. Some people offer it, but I don't think they're obliged to.

Well good luck in your haggling with Thorn do not settle for anything less than £600 worth of frame!

There is a possibility that it can be repaired, by 'bronze welding' new head and downtubes in.

Anyone any experience of this technique?

That's why I was surprised by what Dave Yates said, as it looks like a standard repair to me. I assume that bronze welding means the same as fillet-brazing. All steel repairs are done with fillet-brazing because it uses a much lower temperature than welding. You're still going to have the existing top tube, seat tube and bb shell and they have already been weakened once by the original TIG welds. That's fine, but they shouldn't be weakened a second time by another TIG weld, hence the use of a lower-temperature method for repairs.

Since Thorn/SJS are in Bristol, the natural thing for them to do if they no longer have frame-building facilities of their own is to send it to Argos Cycles for the repair and respray. You ought to insist on 853 tubes being used, as Argos would use 631 unless Thorn paid the extra.

Woodsman":1fedz8hu said:

There is a possibility that it can be repaired, by 'bronze welding' new head and downtubes in.

Anyone any experience of this technique?

Click to expand...

bronze welding is the same thing than "brazing" . You can braze with bronze but with a silver alloy too. The steel frame with lugs, are weld with that system, with a blowtorch and the metal you add is different than the metal you have to weld.
What is better than TIG or MIG : you don't heat your tubes (around 600-700°C with silver alloy brazing, more with bronze… and around 1200-1300°C with a TIG or MIG ! (fusion temperature needed !) ). So, your tubes keep their quality.

But why new head and down tube ? If it's only a crack, you don't need to change the tubes Just a blowtorch and a bronze stick