Will a frame recoverd from a fire be re-buildable?

[shirk]

I have a question for the Rat Rodders.

Back in January there was a massive fire in our apartment. Basically the third floor is toast. Today I got to finally go poke around the wreckage and see a few things. The three aluminum mountain bikes hanging on the rack are now a melted blob, but it seems an old steel commuter frame survived. It was my girlfriends bike that she rode to work on. Check out the picture. Assuming I can get the bb, headset, and seatpost out do you guys think it could be rebuild? I'd love to salvage it as it would turn into a unique bike for her.

This is the way I found it, just standing up like this. I have not removed it from the wreckage yet.

The aluminum bike are in this blob somewhere.

Rat Rod'd tool chest.

 

[icyuod2]

thats scary as hell. what started the fire?

firefigthers did attemp to put out the fire right?

red hot frame quenched with excessive amounts of cold water, chances are, its tough as nails, or brittle as hell.

 

[StephenH]

A very good question, best answered by trying it to see.

A lot of it will depend on what type of steel it was. The best hope of having a good frame out of it is if it was the cheapest lowest strength lowest carbon steel out there, and was welded together.

If the steel was a heat-treatable alloy, then it may have been softened, may have been hardened, who knows. Brazed joints may or may not be affected.

Massive distortion is not uncommon, too.

 

[spinman]

Looks like you got 'er down to bare metal for painting. :lol:

It'd be cool to salvage her provided the tubing wasn't compromised.

How to check tho' ?

Spin

 

[RawBert]

the frame may have bent due to the extreme heat. i would check that out before getting to deep.

 

[sensor]

depending on how hot it got it might be garbage......
if the aluminum ones were near the steel frame id trash it.......if it got hot enough to melt those it would have annealed the steel some and i wouldnt trust it under me

 

[shirk]

depending on how hot it got it might be garbage......
if the aluminum ones were near the steel frame id trash it.......if it got hot enough to melt those it would have annealed the steel some and i wouldnt trust it under me

The frames were all hanging on a rack I had built for them.

I think it will just end up being a wall item now. Would have been neat to salvage it, but I don't want it crumpling under my girl while she is flying down the rather steep hill here on the North Shore.

Thanks

 

[snfargle]

did ur stinky get burned too?

fire is soo powerful :shock:
never really seen the aftermouth before
i hope you guys are all right