Re: [CR]frame brazing

(Example: Bike Shops)

Date: Thu, 08 Nov 2001 22:04:16 -0800
From: "Jim Allen" <jimallen@nctimes.net>
To: Jim McCoin <ronald774@home.com>
Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR]frame brazing
References: <000d01c168aa$6e22fbc0$25880b18@c1680382-a.frmt1.sfba.home.com>


Jim,

A few years ago, one of our guys went to the local junior college to learn welding. The instructor brought the class to the shop to learn how to braze.....

Jim Allen

Jim McCoin wrote:
> 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 .