I Need HEAT

7651 Views 47 Replies 10 Participants Last post by Randall-in-Mpls, Dec 3, 2010

Randall-in-Mpls

Discussion Starter · Nov 22, 2010

Anyone in the Twin Cities have a portable torch kit, and interested in playing "Straighten-a-Frame?" I've got the vise and the levers. I just need a fire source.

This is the victim:

The right tube (left in the picture above) of the triple spine is bent, and the head tube twisted.

I believe that if we apply heat and leverage in the right places, the spine tube can be straightened, causing the head tube to untwist. I had resigned myself to leaving this for Spring, but after recently acquiring a front end, I'm eager to make some progress.

Any takers? If others want to help, too, we'll order a pizza and make a party of it.

R

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Randall-in-Mpls

Discussion Starter · #41 · Dec 1, 2010

RAGBrian said:
Beware, once you get into oxy/gas you start pricing electric welding.

I'll be replacing the electric line to my garage in the Spring, and I hope to run a 50A circuit with a sub-panel in the garage so I can power a basic stick welder.

Just had a thought, maybe I should run 240V out there. Have to study that option.

R

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RAGBrian

· #42 · Dec 1, 2010

Randall-in-Mpls said:
I'll be replacing the electric line to my garage in the Spring, and I hope to run a 50A circuit with a sub-panel in the garage so I can power a basic stick welder.

Just had a thought, maybe I should run 240V out there. Have to study that option.

R

Randall,

I've done that on my past two garages. It's nice to have CURRENT capacity to the garage. Sucks when you trip a 120v single breaker and have to walk back to the panel and reset it...more than once! BT,DT...

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Randall-in-Mpls

Discussion Starter · #43 · Dec 1, 2010

RAGBrian said:
Randall,

I've done that on my past two garages. It's nice to have CURRENT capacity to the garage. Sucks when you trip a 120v single breaker and have to walk back to the panel and reset it...more than once! BT,DT...

That's the reason for wanting the sub-panel, so I don't have to trudge through the house in my dirty boots.

The only time I've ever tripped the garage circuit, aside from the underground short that's prompting the replacement, was while vacuuming out the car. Of course, I don't have the welder, yet.

R

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WayneDW

· #44 · Dec 3, 2010

Randall-in-Mpls said:
That's the reson for wanting the sub-panel, so I don't have to trudge through the house in my dirty boots.

The only time I've ever tripped the garage circuit, aside from the underground short that's prompting the replacement, was while vacuuming out the car. Of course, I don't have the welder, yet.

R

Randall, don't forget the conversation we had on Saturday... We agreed then that you need a new two story garage. And I happen to know the contractor who could build it for ya!

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Blindstitch

· #45 · Dec 3, 2010

Randall,

Don't forget that David in Wisconsin has a cx650 frame with title that I'm suppose to pick up but if you want it I'm sure we can find a way to get it to you. Even if it means trailering it to the twin cities ride.

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Randall-in-Mpls

Discussion Starter · #46 · Dec 3, 2010

WayneDW said:
Randall, don't forget the conversation we had on Saturday... We agreed then that you need a new two story garage. And I happen to know the contractor who could build it for ya!

I'd be happy just to have frost footings and a monolithic floor.

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Randall-in-Mpls

Discussion Starter · #47 · Dec 3, 2010

Blindstitch said:
Randall,

Don't forget that David in Wisconsin has a cx650 frame with title that I'm suppose to pick up but if you want it I'm sure we can find a way to get it to you. Even if it means trailering it to the twin cities ride.

Thanks, Don. It's tempting, but if I have a 650 frame, I'll end up wanting a 650 engine to go in it. That's a slippery slope I don't want to go near.

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Randall-in-Mpls

Discussion Starter · #48 · Dec 3, 2010

The first response to my CL ad pointed me to something called "flame straightening." I did a little digging, and it looks like something I might be able to handle.

It involves pre-tensioning the bent member toward its original position, and heating it to an orange glow to relieve the internal stresses in the material. The idea is that the heated metal will expand in every direction, except that in which it is constrained by the pretensioning, but when it cools, it will shrink in all directions. Repeating the procedure will eventually change the piece into the desired shape.

There has been some concern expressed of weakening the steel. A couple of the references I found say that this process is no more detrimental to mild steel than welding, and may even result in a stronger piece, due to equalizing the internal stresses left by initial shaping.

For the bent secondary spine tube, I'll pre-tension the tube on each side of the bend using either wooden wedges or the screw from a c-clamp. If I brace the body of the clamp against the primary tube and set the swivel foot against the secondary, I should be able to use the screw as a spreader.

For whatever twist remains in the steering stem tube, I'll need to bolt the frame down on its side to the workbench (unless it's secure enough in the vise) and use a combination of the floor jack on the bench and a weight over the floor at either end of a pipe through the stem. I should be able to generate sufficient heat using a large head on the LP torch.

Now if I can get some warm Saturdays with time to waste, I'll be able to try this.

R

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