The frame can be welded and rescued. The only way to go.

This is so awesome 🙌

FYI. Aluminium forms an thin oxide layer on its surface when exposed to air. This layer form so fast that it prevents the Aluminium underneath from further corrosion. To increase the speed of the Gallium diffusing into the Aluminium you can scratch the Aluminium before or after you have applied the Gallium.

This inspired me on tough post removal over past week. I scored full length of stuck tube with a bi-metal saw blade 180 degrees apart. The gallium penetrated into the aluminum structure very well and the first 4 inches came out easily in nice chunks. The remaining 6 inches, vintage bmx with post dropped all the way for little kids, was tough. I used a 1" wood auger bit to remove the remaining 6 inches. Inserted auger into tube, tapped with hammer, rotated 90, tapped again, and so on. I put an adjustable open end wrench on the bit to rotate back and forth after each tap. Rotating back and forth felt like a metal thread tap when you are cutting threads. Took about 15 minutes after rhythm was found. Going to run a 1" cylinder honing attachment down through tube to finish clean-up. Reaction Time - seemed like under 2 hours and the first 4 inches was crumbling like stale bread. I let second 1/2 of gallium remain on the last 6 inches over night. Gallium - 50g 99.99% pure off Amazon. $46 bucks. Used 1/2 first round then I thought the last 6 inches might not have been embrittled enough so I used last 1/2. Time Spent - hands on, probably an hour total. Activity length 1 day. Rescued a 99 GT Mach 1 from scrap heap.

awsome cant wait to see the finished bike check of this GT.

I never knew about gallium, I always use lye (caustic soda),

Got to admit, that was satisfying to watch 👌

This gave me so much hope on my stuck seat post! Thank you!

I only just got the irony of the name "outpost"

PLEASE MAKE MORE VIDEOS COMPLETELY THAT BIKE BUILD

Gallium seat post removal is a new one on me, nicely done sir!!!

Ohhhh man! So stupidly gratifying. I had to watch again from 5:10. Congrats my friend.

What are the odds I was just watching a video about the properties of gallium and then this pops up, absolutely love it

Nicely done. Looks less messy and toxic than caustic soda - lye. I might have removed the bottom bracket in case any dripped on the cartridge, it would also allowed a second entry point to apply the gallium.

You fuckd that seat tube up, damn!

Hahaha, that’s the same bike I road throughout high school in the 2010s! Hand me down from dad!

Boom. Love your reaction, exactly everyone's reaction after getting the post out!

I learned science today. Thanks!

That is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!

Damn, that is exactly what I want to see! Love it! 🤯😍

👍 nice

Trying this soon, on a GT aswell, I've got 11 " of tube to get out, this looks easier and safer than caustic soda , thanks for the idea!

Bravo on the project and the vid. I really enjoyed watching this.

Awesome 😎 how satisfying must that feel

Love the energy

Kudos for your perseverance! Your reaction was priceless😂 Hope youre pulling BB for any crud that fell.

Good job!!!

Nice job. I had exactly the same problem with a Kalloy seatpin frozen into a steel Mongoose frame about 20 years ago. I spent hours trying to cut it out using a hacksaw blade then eventually gave up and scrapped the frame.

Epic! I've heard of people using lye to do this, but I've never heard of gallium. Grease your seatposts, folks!

When I put a new seat post into the frame, I lube it with lithium lubricant. It fits brilliantly for such purposes. I recommend using it with seat posts, bottom brackets and other not so permanent joints, which are going to be disassembled, at some point of time.

got to love the application of science

wow this is very interesting, will have to try next time

Just bought some gallium to try this method hope it works

Nice one!

Props for getting that seat post out

I had that issue before, I used a diy expansion plug, using all thread, nuts, and scrap aluminum sheets. it worked well, just had to pull it after.

​ @Spindatt Any intention to have it welded? Steel frames never die

A good way to make sure that frame will actually last is to tap the bit where you pierced through the frame back in to place and carefully TIG weld it together . Yes you will ruin the paint at the back of the seat tube but it will keep it from cracking even more than it is.

Cool frame

I applaud your persistance, I would have thrown it away

What a cool trick! That's exactly what I was thinking is what if there was gallium left in there. Sounds like you did a good job of cleaning that all out though, should be good to go.

Sweet video man!! Love the journey hahaha and I totally feel the excitement

The joy on his face at 8:14. Priceless.

YES Road Holes!!!!!

I got the frozen seat post out of my 1999 Hardrock yesterday after years of putting the job off. I managed to turn it a couple of times with a big pipe wrench, and then it sheared off. At that point I thought I was never going to get it out. However I spent a couple of hours of cutting slits down into it. I then manage to clamp a set of mole grips on to the piece at the top and then use a hammer and metal rod applied to the mole grips to knock out the remains of the seat post. My reaction on getting it after several hours was much the same as yours.

Awesome

Seatposts and old headset stems, the scurge of old bike reforms!! It takes a brave person to tackle them not to mention the HUGE amount of time! Self comments with four letter words with "ing" on the end come to mind like "If its the *ing last *ing thing I *ing do!!!!!"

hi! how did you dispose of the gallium eventually?

Yeah man a retro trial bike would be sick!!!!! I think ali clarkson did a simiral build with v brakes and grinded rims!!!!

The only way I found to get a bonded seat post free that I found was to clamp the head or post in a vice and to use the frame to twist it back and forth until it breaks free (applying heat to the post too and letting it cool; along with liberal doses of WD-40 in between while it’s cool). I’m afraid of checking my post since I haven’t moved it in years; although I haven’t ridden in wet weather and it had anti-seize liberally applied after the last time it got stuck. 🤞🏻

As its a steel frame, the split could easily be dollied together and brazed, then the seat tube reamed out. Maybe work with a local frame builder or bust out the torch yourself 😀

The seat post won the first battle, but looks like you won the war!

I'm gonna try this for a stuck seatpost and try to save the bicycle. It's for a bicycle collective, but the bike is worth keeping. It's a perfectly fine bike. Just the seatpost is stuck and they tried everything. I'll try this method.

Hello, amazing job! Where can I buy Gallium on line? In your opinion how many grams I need to remove my seatpost frozen by 150 mm on the frame?

White concord is fire.

awesome, this will save me and my koga. How much gallium do you recommend me to order (not cheap the stuff) ? 20 g enough?

There's hope for my Roberts White Spider!

I had the same idea. how long did it take for the reaction to occur? It looks like you got 50mg of gallium. Where did you get it and does quality matter? I was looking at 99.99% pure gallium on Amazon but that is pretty expensive.

I’ve seen people use lye as well. It dissolves aluminum.

Nice. Gives me hope. My last resort will have been caustic soda but this seems way safer. Would a turkey baster help for accurate placement of lower portions? Is paint safe?

Ten thousand 🤦‍♂️ just happen. That stuff is magic!

Love that this didn't destroy the paint like lye does when it bubbles out. Can i get a link to that drill bit sanding tube thing?

I'd TIG that crack back together and ride it. lol

Drill from the top out the seat stay down I did it on a set of fork but use a unibit

As a Caad12 owner, I feel personally attacked

I also have a GT outpost same color like the one you got.

Will it work on a Carbon frame?

Nice trick with the gallium, I used lye but it's much more dangerous. Are you gonna braze that screwdriver crack shut next?

Nice, time to weld

A steel road bike project ended up at the tip shop due to a stuck bottom bracket.. Can't say I tried this method. Basically I can only imagine the satisfaction of getting that bastard out!

Gallium, the element with the largest molten range. 303K to 2673K or 30C to 2400C.

Science!

I feel this pain. We have a specialized that is now turning into a wall lamp bc of the seat post 😒

I would of sprayed a 50 50 mix of automatic trans fluid and acetone. Let it sit for a few days. Try to move it..repeat till it moves. Keep it wet. Oh and ypy might want to drill a small hole at each end of that crack. I would weld or braze it. Gives the paint some character

Is this the time were going to see your MIG welder in action?

How much gallium did you use?

2:02! Yep,I'm laughing. My very old Seki Eurosport 2600...same problem. Same screw driver is still stuck. Everything else failed. Will this work? On to the rest of the video!

are you worried about aerosolized and bench contam gallium on any aluminum part or frame you use in that shop now?

How’s Tony’s bike going

Petition to get gallium to dissolve all CAAD13s

Wonder could it be done on a carbon frame with a stuck alu seatpost?

weld it and build it up

A lot of grease to make sure it won't size

So you're going to weld up.that seat post righ?

Trials bike? You don’t need to sit! Great idea,your welcome.

Wow. Never seen a seatpost that stuck. I know you probably already have parts and know what you're gonna do but... I'd like to see it as single speed. 🤔

I'd have been running a hacksaw blade down the seatpost for hours. You poured in some Gallium, came back later, and pulled it out in pieces. Meanwhile I'd be at it still before knocking it out with a cold chisel!

I’m currently dealing with a stuck seat post, hope it doesn’t get to this level.

Gallium weakens steel too 😕

Last resort is melting the seatpost out of the frame

Please tell me your gonna weld the cracked frame!

I don't have any aluminium bikes, so you can't scare me with your gallium

Caustic soda next time..

Don't put the gallium aluminium in the trash or recycling, I suppose?

When does the welder come in to patch up that hole in the seat tube? 😉

Ingenious...though that liquid gallium looks so much like mercury that handling it would freak me out.

I have the same problem but the frame is carbon, I don't know what to do, if anyone have an advice I'll take it

Aluminum to me Aluminium to some You can shine like silver all you want But you're just aluminum

Nothing like a little chemical warfare and bikes.

Fiddling around with bikes because nobody ever tells you No!