Gaffer tape or Super Glue?

[smifee]

 

[AndyBike]

Neat paving

 

[flash]

Velcro?

 

[thelarkbox]

think u might need both..

 

[Baz the balloon man]

Metal Epoxy or if it’s aluminium get a specialist to weld it.

Try matching the section at aluminium warehouse ther is a guy in Dunstable who makes bespoke things by welding Ali might be of help to splice in new section lot of work though doubt it’s economical.

What frame is it ?

 

[smifee]

Metal Epoxy or if it’s aluminium get a specialist to weld it.

Try matching the section at aluminium warehouse ther is a guy in Dunstable who makes bespoke things by welding Ali might be of help to splice in new section lot of work though doubt it’s economical.

What frame is it ?

IT is was a Boxer Trike.

Heard an ominous creak from the cargo box section. On the way to the bike shop to get it checked the 2 halves got divorced. Fortunately I was on a cycle path not the road.

The replacement arrived yesterday. An ex-demo Boxer Rocket trike with 53 miles on the clock.

I have dismantled the old trike. Electrics, brakes, wheels are the same on both.

My family are into nicknames. In 2 weeks I've gone from "The twat in a hat" to "Half a bike Mike" to "Rocket Man".

 

[matthewslack]

Never weld aluminium unless you fully understand it's properties afterwards, which are far less than before unless the correct welding rods are used and it is heat treated afterwards.

 

[saneagle]

IT is was a Boxer Trike.

Heard an ominous creak from the cargo box section. On the way to the bike shop to get it checked the 2 halves got divorced. Fortunately I was on a cycle path not the road.

The replacement arrived yesterday. An ex-demo Boxer Rocket trike with 53 miles on the clock.

I have dismantled the old trike. Electrics, brakes, wheels are the same on both.

My family are into nicknames. In 2 weeks I've gone from "The twat in a hat" to "Half a bike Mike" to "Rocket Man".

I hope you didn't replace it with the exact same type. I see they have a different version that uses a different structure than two tubes. Did they change it because of failures?

Anyway, it looks like a pretty clear case of hydrogen embrittlement in the heat affected zone, which happens during welding. The manufacturer should do a specific heat treatment afterwards to both remove the hydrogen and stress relieve the welds. They probably forgot to do that, didn't realise that they needed to or tried to save some money by not doing it.

The problem is that the embrittlement leaves the aluminium susceptible to metal fatigue, so failure can happen any time in the future when you least expect it. If it were my bike, given what's already happened, I'd buy some of that UV activated crack detection spray and test at least once a month.

 

[Baz the balloon man]

I

Never weld aluminium unless you fully understand it's properties afterwards, which are far less than before unless the correct welding rods are used and it is heat treated afterwards.

I struggle with my bog standard arc welder
Mclaran use Epoxy on sports cars to hold the Chassis together

 

[smifee]

I hope you didn't replace it with the exact same type. I see they have a different version that uses a different structure than two tubes. Did they change it because of failures?

Anyway, it looks like a pretty clear case of hydrogen embrittlement in the heat affected zone, which happens during welding. The manufacturer should do a specific heat treatment afterwards to both remove the hydrogen and stress relieve the welds. They probably forgot to do that, didn't realise that they needed to or tried to save some money by not doing it.

The problem is that the embrittlement leaves the aluminium susceptible to metal fatigue, so failure can happen any time in the future when you least expect it. If it were my bike, given what's already happened, I'd buy some of that UV activated crack detection spray and test at least once a month.

As you say they changed from 2 tubes to a single box structure. The Rocket has the box construction but I will take your advice re the spray.