Buying a steel frame with a dent - please help!

[therapy]

Hello!

Not sure if it is retro, but for me steel is always retro . And AFAIK lot of you guys are riding steel.

I'm interested in buying steel frame (Cr-Mo, double butted), but after mailing with the seller, he told me there is a dent on the left side of the top tube between cable holders (something about half of tube lenght, closer to the front). The dent diameter is about 1cm, depth about 1-2mm, (look at the photo-its poor quality but its the only one I have). The seller claims that this damage is from storage (that somethong fell on it), not from use.

My question is:
Is it worth buying, cause steel frames have thin walls and some day it could bent and crash?

Some additional info about the frame:
Weight about 1,98kg
Size 18"
Disc only
I think it is cheap for a steel frame, but i'm not sure if the damage is not serious.
Here is the link to the auction:
http://www.allegro.pl/item169478569_ram ... tanio.html

 

[Augustus]

Well obviously all incidents are different and I wouldn't want to tell you that something is safe or not as I am no frame builder etc, but my Indy Fab has got a 30mm long 2 or 3 mm deep dent in the down tube beneath the bottle bosses on the underside that has been there from early on in it's life and it's ten years old and hasn't gone yet.

I have seen a thumb sized dent in the seat stay of a Merlin ti and Merlin apparently said that was fine and not worth re-building, but that was ti afterall.

hmm, dunno...

 

[JS1500]

I had a thumbnail sized dent in my old Clockwork frame (steel), right in the centre of the down tube, and I rode that for years and years with no problems.

Hurts the resell value though, so pay accordingly!

 

[scant]

cosmetic, dont worry about it.. but haggle the price anyway

 

[rody]

The dent is in the worst possible place it could be on the tube...in the center of the thinnest section of the top tube.

However, as long as the dent has a smooth surface contour you should be alright.

When the dent has a sharp crease, hairline cracks in the paint extending away from the parallel lateral aspects, or is inline with the fore/aft compression forces (under side of the tube in this example) then it would be wise to replace the frame member.

If you will be restoring the frame, you can have the dent filled with silver, restored with positive air pressure, or simply filled with putty prior to painting.

rody

 

[orange71]

sharp crease

Isn't that what we have here if you look to the left of the dent? Hard to see because of the image quality...

 

[JS1500]

When the dent has a sharp crease, hairline cracks in the paint extending away from the parallel lateral aspects, or is inline with the fore/aft compression forces (under side of the tube in this example) then it would be wise to replace the frame member.

That describes the dent in my Clockwork. Maybe it was a good job I was a light rider back then eh?!