I'm not sure how those early Ti framesets were fabbed up. I'm not sure they had proper TIG welders and procedures figured out at that point. Much of the early Ti welding done for aerospace applications was actually done in rooms full of argon with breathing apparatus! As difficult and dangerous probably as undersea welding.
With modern equipment and procedures nowadays Ti isn't a whole lot harder to weld than Cro-Mo steel, though it takes longer. Pretty welds in Ti may have been near impossible for a civilian shop in the '70s.
Kurt Sperry Bellingham WA
On 11/22/06, Jerome & Elizabeth Moos <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
> Thanks for the link - interesting. *Not exactly the most artistic welding
> job I've ever seen*. But I like the Zeus 2000 crankset - a rare Zeus
> triple no less.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
> Big Spring, TX
>
> *Kurt Sperry <haxixe@gmail.com>* wrote:
>
> http://www.speedbicycles.ch/
>
> Here's a proper link for the interesting Flema Ti bike.
>
> Kurt Sperry
> Bellingham WA
> USA
>
>
> On 11/22/06, Marc St. Martin wrote:
> >
> > Hello Listmembers,
> >
> > Here are pics of two early titanium bikes; Speedwell and Flema Titan:
> >
> > Look 'em up by frame size (small)
> >
> > http://www.speedbicycles.ch/
> >
> > By the way, this is an excellent site.