Fillet Brazing....

Shayne · Aug 1, 2006

I was going to hijack the Bontrager 'Cross bike thread but thought better of it.
Mr Orange and Laffeaux both mentioned that they had crudely brazed frames.
What exactly does that look like? Pics?
What does a well brazed frame look like...unpainted?
I've done some brazing and without much effort I get nice smooth joints. If I took the time to file/shape them afterward they could easily be seamless ala Ritchey.

Who were/are the best brazers? worst?

laffeaux · Aug 1, 2006

Okay, this is really hard to get pics of. It makes mroe sense seeing it in person...

Here's a pic of a nicely finished fillet brazed joint. The radius is uniform and smooth, and the tubes blend together perfectly.

This is pic is of a less-finished fillet brazed joint. It's obvious where the two tubes were joined, unlike the above pic which looks like it could have been carved out of a single piece of metal.

Shayne · Aug 1, 2006

Thanks

Yeah, I understand that it's hard to photograph.
I can deffinately see the difference though.

MrOrange · Aug 1, 2006

Yeah, like that

Mine are similar, the braze joints is still large like the first one, simply because they are earlier Bonty frames. Just do not have the magic smoothness like a Ritchey has. I'll get some pics tonight.

bushpig · Aug 1, 2006

The difference is that the second braze isn't filed. At the shop I used to work at we offered both types, calling the second "butt ugly brazing" People liked it.

MrOrange · Aug 1, 2006

Huh!

Bushpig, that sounds right to me . . . Didn't Ritchey also offer something like that? I seem to remember (1985-ish) him offering "race brazing" or something to that effect.

filegiant · Aug 1, 2006

Shayne said:
...
What does a well brazed frame look like...unpainted?
I've done some brazing and without much effort I get nice smooth joints. If I took the time to file/shape them afterward they could easily be seamless ala Ritchey...

Sorry, I'm not going to removing any paint for you, but here's a few smooth fillets from my collection:

Click to expand...

laffeaux · Aug 1, 2006

filegiant said:
Sorry, I'm not going to removing any paint for you, but here's a few smooth fillets from my collection:

Yeah, now those do look nice.

Shayne · Aug 1, 2006

Are those Filed or Unfiled?

laffeaux · Aug 1, 2006

And just for the sake of comparison, here's a few fillets by Ross Shafer. He was pretty good at this stuff too.

Veloculture · Aug 1, 2006

Ken Beech of Gecko Cycles in Santa Barbara was famous for his fillet welds. he had a bike called the Y-File-it with fillet brazing so flawless that it didn't need filing. a true artist.

here's one of my (dirty) bikes with un-filed fillet brazing. the un-filed welds on this aren't as cleen as a Gecko Cycles.

Boy named SSue · Aug 1, 2006

Veloculture said:
here's one of my (dirty) bikes with un-filed fillet brazing. the un-filed welds on this aren't as cleen as a Gecko Cycles.

Is that the old mystery bike of yours? Did we ever get to find out what it is?

Veloculture · Aug 1, 2006

Boy named SSue said:
Is that the old mystery bike of yours? Did we ever get to find out what it is?

great memory. ya, it sure is. our member "Fillet_Brazed" figured it out for me. once i get the decals (damn decal guy is taking forever) i will be able to unveil it to this group. the mystery bike turned out to be a pretty rare beauty.

Boy named SSue · Aug 1, 2006

Veloculture said:
great memory. ya, it sure is. our member "Fillet_Brazed" figured it out for me. once i get the decals (damn decal guy is taking forever) i will be able to unveil it to this group. the mystery bike turned out to be a pretty rare beauty.

I remember every bike I've ever seen with a curved bonty fork.

MrOrange · Aug 2, 2006

Here's mine

with the "bumpy brazed" look

hollister · Aug 2, 2006

Boy named SSue said:
I remember every bike I've ever seen with a curved bonty fork.

curved bonty fork you say........

laffeaux · Aug 2, 2006

MrOrange said:
with the "bumpy brazed" look

What year is that one? Any full-frame pics in the near future?

MrOrange · Aug 2, 2006

Late 1986 or early 87. . .

laffeaux said:
What year is that one? Any full-frame pics in the near future?

Late 1986 or early 87. . .

grawbass · Aug 3, 2006

Here are some really nice pictures of fillet brazing showing each step...

http://www.bohemianbicycles.com/fillet_brazing.htm

geckocycles · Sep 3, 2006

Fillet Brazing

Veloculture said:
Ken Beech of Gecko Cycles in Santa Barbara was famous for his fillet welds. he had a bike called the Y-File-it with fillet brazing so flawless that it didn't need filing. a true artist.

here's one of my (dirty) bikes with un-filed fillet brazing. the un-filed welds on this aren't as cleen as a Gecko Cycles.

Thanks for the cudos.
Do or did you own Gecko of your own? KB
www.geckocycles.com

Fillet Brazing....

Shayne

laffeaux

Shayne

MrOrange

bushpig

MrOrange

filegiant

laffeaux

Shayne

laffeaux

Veloculture

Boy named SSue

Veloculture

Boy named SSue

MrOrange

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hollister

laffeaux

MrOrange

grawbass

geckocycles

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