[CR]frame brazing

(Example: Framebuilders:Richard Moon)

From: "Jim McCoin" <ronald774@home.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2001 15:09:34 -0800
Subject: [CR]frame brazing

Greetings , this is going to be my $.02 worth .If I were going to try to build a frame the first thing I would do is look for a junior collage that has a welding course or vocational high school with the same . It's not as easy as you might think to flow brass or silver around a thin wall tube . there is nothing more beneficial than hours of "torch time" with a skilled mentor near by . And then there is the metallurgy I feel you should know , like too much heat allows the brass to flow through the grain of the steel and will sooner or later break . I checked out the bicycle institute web site and the course is two weeks , and that is not just torch brazing during that time , personally I think it takes a lot longer than that to become proficient with a torch . IV had four frames break over the years and each time it was in the heat affected zone , I watched as a friends Claud Buttler broke at the shift lever brazeons as we rode along . It just takes a moment to over heat a thin wall tube . Personally I think it takes a great deal of focus to do it right, and only after a great deal of instruction . As far as TIG welding is concerned , I wouldn't turn a person loose to build a frame unless they had at least a couple weeks of instruction . Believe me IM not trying to dampen any ones enthusiasm , Its just my experience over the years . Jim , lecture mode off , McCoin Fremont Ca .