squarenoise 

Just got a frameset in the mail and not totally certain if it happened during shipping (packed well and no signs of damage to box) or if the seller omitted this detail (still waiting to hear back). Definitely looks like a "ooops, I dropped it" and not a "oh sh*t, I crashed" and the rest of the frame appears to be straight and free of damage.

Anyhow, still a bummer and I'm formulating the best possible fix (suggestions welcomed).

My gut says "it's not bad, just ease it back into place and forget about it" and my anxiety brain says "what if... what if... what if...". So yeah, what do you experts think?

3alarmer 

.
...have you tried fitting a headset cup in there yet ? Looks like it might be off enough to make that problematic, but it's hard to tell from a picture.

Desert Ryder

That looks out of round to my eye.

squarenoise 

It is a bit too much to force a cup in right off the bat. The seller just responded and apparently is a frame builder himself. He advised to have a shop bring it back to round using a headset press, so I'm going to look into that tomorrow. Also offered a partial refund for the headache so that's nice.

squarenoise 

It's really just at the top of the lug, the rest of the tube is fine. Bottom cup goes in no problem.

Desert Ryder

I see that. The cup won't seat though?

3alarmer 

...If I could get a headset cup to seat fully in there, using a press, it probably wouldn't bother me.
Steel lugs are pretty malleable, for the most part, especially if it's not a cast lug. But they can develop cracks when stressed.

If you plan on using an alloy headset, probably get someone with a press to fully seat steel cups, top and bottom, and see if they align well.
I think I would install a steel headset, install the fork, then see how smoothly the thing rotates. Then go from there.

An actual frame person would probably have a reamer, and maybe face it again, to make sure you have a level surface there.

smd4

Press a cup in and call it a day.

Kai Winters

Deformed...if the headset bearing fits it is your decision whether to keep it or have the seller refund the money for selling a damaged frame and not disclosing said damage.
Wondering what you paid for a rusting frame with deformed head tube.

smd4

Yeah, the rust would bother me way more than the head lug.

jadmt

seems a frame builder would have fixed that...

himespau 

That would be my thought as well.

pdlamb

Yes, I'd take him up on that offer. Unless it's a show bike, that should be the end of that.

Note O.P. mentioned it could have happened during shipment.

JohnDThompson 

Yes, that's what I'd do. A conical mandrel can restore it to round. I've used the Campagnolo 733/14 centering cone from the headset press for this:

oldbobcat

The seating of the headset is more of a concern than the integrity of the tube.

squarenoise 

Thanks for all the input, everyone!

After a bit more searching and a boost of confidence to do it myself, I think I have it sorted out.

I ended up using a socket that was close to the head tube ID and gently tapped the dent out. Went slow and steady and was a pleasantly surprised how well it worked. Next, I dug up a JIS headset cup which has a 30.0mm cup diameter and got that seated no problem, figured this would help make sure it was a bit closer to round, before using the ISO 30.2mm headset cup.

Overall a painless fix and everything is looking/feeling good. No visible wobble when spinning the fork. The installed headset is a Tange Levin CDS, but I may end up swapping it out for something with more stack so I can lose the big spacer.

I'm planning to post a full build thread soon and will share updates as it comes together.

And again, thanks for the feedback. Definitely helps in the decision making.

The seller, genuinely surprised by the dent, was very apologetic and as I mentioned above offered me a partial refund for the inconvenience.

Regarding the rust, It's really not bad for nearly 40 year old touring bike. Inside the tubes look good so I have no problems with a bit of surface rust.

Onward!

smd4

Looks good to me. Looking forward to the rest of the build.

TiHabanero

I commend the OP for using ingenuity, as simple as it was, to fix the issue. Repairs like this are always a fun fix.

squarenoise 

Thank you! I tend to overthink things, especially if it's a problem I've never dealt with, so this forum is a huge help. I appreciate the advice and the "you can do it" sentiments which gives confidence to figure things out. I've learned so much here over the years and do my best to contribute with things I'm familiar with.

FBinNY 

Apologize if this has been said.

No sweat. It may be difficult to start it, but most cups have enough taper to do so. Simply press it in and it will act as a mandrel pushing the dent back out. If you can't get the cup started or feel it's taking too much force to press it it, use a piece of pipe or other cylinder inserted a few inches and use it as a pry to push the dent out. It doesn't have to be perfect, the pressed cup will finish the job.

Chain smoker

This is the way I was thinking but I like the op’s idea of using a socket to press out the dent. I’m assuming you dropped the socket in from the other side and tapped it on through thus taking out the dent.

FBinNY 

I don't get caught up in details. ANYTHING that works is the right way.

However, be aware that it's very unlikely that anything useful can be pushed through from the opposite side. The headtube ID is smaller than the reamed ends.

If the OP has something of the right diameter he can use a vise or improvise a press to force it in. But, there will still be springback, so the results will come up short.

Using a pry cammed into the tube allows working beyond the circle to compensate for springback.

squarenoise 

It definitely needed some finessing before trying to squeeze a cup in there. The socket trick helped, and I'm sure I could have skipped the JIS install, but felt better including that extra step.

I actually had it inside the top, right up against the dent. Held it in place using a socket extension and tapped on the extension to avoid accidentally hitting the frame. I positioned the frame so the headtube was face flat on a rug so it was a bit easier to handle. Hope that makes sense.