Cheap fork - how to weld it

[the pooks]

Any idea how to weld a broken front bracket?

 

An employee came to me with a bottom of the range "cheap" bike - definitely not aluminium. One of the brackets to which the front axle clamps has cracked - no doubt after a weekend party accident. I tried welding it, but it does not like normal Afrox mild steel rods. I'll try some 316 stainless steel rods tomorrow. Any ideas as to how to weld? The bike was welded during manufacture, so it must be possible.

 

PS: This is a seriously low-tech bike. The thing doesn't have any brakes! Maybe that explains the broken bracket!

Edited January 17, 2012 by the pooks

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Difficult to say without seeing it and where the stress point lies, but it was most likely TIG welded (similar to the welding on your cars exhaust pipe or similar materials) it would definitely not be metal arc welded.

 

If you dont have access to a TIG welder, the best other option you can try is to braze it with an Oxy-acetylene torch, its not as strong and it requires some skill or you could burn a hole in the material but that's about it,......... I wouldn't bother trying with 316 rods pooks, the chances are you will simply make it worse.

Edited January 17, 2012 by GrumpyOldGuy

[Johan Bornman]

Cheap bikes are made from high-tensile steel tubing. I'm not quite sure what you want to weld - the dropout to the fork blade perhaps?

 

 

 

High-tensile steel requires a low-hydrogen weld. I assume you're using a standard arc welder? If so, buy low hydrogen rods from Afrox.

 

However, I'm pretty sure the original was brazed, not welded but you're the one with the workpiece exposed on the bench.

[the pooks]

It's a very small job. Makes sense just to take it to a shop with better equipment. Thanks so far for your input.