FFS I hate Couriers, any metal working advice?
Turbo Mini Forums

So after waiting 2 and a half weeks for this new bike frame i ordered to turn up, it gets here and its been battered by the couriers, damaging the dropout. I'm gutted after waiting all this time to get here.

For now i was going to attempt to fix it, and hopefully avoid having to go through delivery insurance. Can anyone advise me on the best way of working it into shape? its mild steel



I should say, these are made in very few numbers and come all the way from poland individually, so just sending it back andgetting another isn't that simple.

Edited by george91 on 21st Jun, 2011.

I cant see why you cant put the edge of the frame on a substantial surface, perhaps a half inch metal plate.....and hammer it flat and in line again.

However, i wouldnt use any old hammer, a copper one perhaps?

Could try putting it in a vice maybe.

one day boost will be mine!

i was going to give it some heat, then find some way of carefully pulling it into shape.

I'd go with the vice idea, but using jaw covers or a couple of bits of scrap on the jaws to avoid any unwanted marking. Should come out easy enough.

Are you sure its mild steel? cheap frame if it is


You need to place the un damaged part of the dropout as flat as you can, onto a flat, substantial metal object, an anvil for example, then using a wood, leather hide, copper, nylon or any soft faced mallet and massage the bent section back into position. If it beant that easy, it should be easy to bend it back.

adding some heat will help, but then you are in danger of burning the paint, and ruining any heat treatments that may have been applied.

Well now you say it it maybe of a higher grade than that, but its not a cheapo frame, nor a mega expensive one either.

As for paint thats not a problem this bike will look a lot worse after some proper use.

as for heat, it is supposed to be heat treated after welding, so if you advise against it then i won't use any.

Edited by george91 on 21st Jun, 2011.

Chromolly most likely if you paid more than £50 for it

Nearer £250.

Edited by george91 on 22nd Jun, 2011.

Dont heat it.
Big lump of steel on the inside and a steel hammer with the face polished up a bit with a few layers of gaffa tape on it

I seriously doubt it!

Is there not a chance the dropout will have work hardened because of the bend; it'll not "bend back" at the same point as it's now harder than the rest of the drop out; you'll end up with a slight dog leg and thus wonky axle.

Heat would bring you back to being maliable, but depends on the material I suppose. If it's been treated you can easily balls up the treatment (hence a lot of advice not to use heat).

Couriers are tw@ts at times - I was on pins while my frame/ fork were in the post. Fortunately turned up OK .

Edit; I'm talking out of my arse. Just looked at the pic again, you won't upset the geometry either way! Go for it cold with a soft hammer :)

Edited by Pottsy on 22nd Jun, 2011.

send it back. when you said expensive i was thinking £1,000!!! not £250. i would guess its some grade of steel. a friend of mine paid £2,800 for his bike frame without rear shock absorber.

Not expensive, just rare, made in few numbers. I can count on one hand how many are in the country.

How was it packaged ? If stuff is packaged properly, then there will be little chance of damage in transit.

If they dont package it properly, the sender has only themselves to blame.

9.85 @ 145mph
202mph standing mile
speed didn't kill me, but taxation probably will

Edited by george91 on 24th Jun, 2011.