Schwinn built their chrome moly frames in the 70s and early 80s by hand with fillet brazing. Their cheap carbon steel frames, like the Varsity, were made to look as if they had been fillet brazed, but they were actually welded. The chrome moly frames were used on the Super Sport and Sports Tourer models. The Super Sport was a real odd duck, with a hand-made frame mated to a one-piece Ashtabula crank. Schwinn just didn't get it on some of their models. I remember at one time Schwinn cleaned out a bunch of Super Sport frames by making an aluminum adapter to fit a three-piece crank to the large diameter bottom bracket bore.
You'll find fillet brazing on many Schwinns made before the 70s. Their workmanship was generally quite nice, where it showed, especially considering the intended market. Bring your magnet.
Steve Barner, Bolton, Vermont
Was there ever a
real production fillet brazed frame?
ciao,
Brandon"monkeyman"Ives
Just ordered my first custom surfboard
today in Santa Barbara, Calif.