44 Bikes Frame Shop

[fortyfour]

Nicely executed!

When are you going to remove the 4 studs in the concrete before tripping over them.

Or maybe you have plans for those studs and I missed the detail.

I've tripped on them more than I care to admit! Those are next on my list...

But I wanted to get the boxes of tubes off the floor and organized first so I did not have to keep moving them around.

 

[fortyfour]

State of 44HQ as of 10/27/2017:



Pretty stoked on workflow and floor plan. A few more additional projects planned. Most pressing is finishing the new work bench top. That should brighten things up nicely.

Here's some recent work too for those wondering what's been happening.

Marauder 29" 1x12 headed to Switzerland:









Marauder 1x11 for a client in CT:



Huntsman 650b for a client in MA:



All the bike are manufactured in the shop, but all the assembly is done in my basement "Bike Dojo". Not sure if I've ever posted a shot of the tool board/work bench. I keep everything up at the house as it's nice to wrench and get away from the shop each night as I like to tinker with my own bikes and keep up with maintenance. So I can spend time with Lynn and not be in the shop 24/7 (which could EASILY happen...):



More welding:









Recently dropped my 10" half round ******* file on the floor. The sucker snapped right in half... It was one of the Brazil made Nicholson's. So that led me on a search for replacements when I happened upon a stockpile of NOS USA made Nicholson's. So I stocked up!



I'll be attending the Philly Bike Expo on November 4-5th. Booth No. 1063. I'll be introducing the Huntsman Ti. If you have time, please say hello! I used a previous show as a "sneak peek" in Boston. Here's a portrait a photographer was kind enough to share:



Also a little graphic I created for promo purposes:



And the bike that's being introduced...

 

[56rpm]

That is just spectacular! With your multitude of talents I'm thinking you might have to change your screen name to Renaissance Man. Brilliant idea to separate your work areas if for no other reason than family time.

My batteries get recharged every time I see new posts from you, thank you. You have obviously found your calling. I often wonder how many folks might have a specific natural talent but never get exposed to that field to pursue it.

Carry on.

 

[zmotorsports]

Amazing work as always Kristofer. Keep up the good work.

Quick question, on your TIG setup do you use the superflex hoses? I have tried to determine in the pictures if you are using the normal nylon hoses or the rubber superflex ones but can't quite tell.

Thanks.

 

[BoilermakerFan]

Mike

IIRC he is using a superflex hose. I believe he mentioned it in one of his TIG tutoring posts a few pages back.

 

[BoilermakerFan]

Kristofer

The shop and assembly areas look great!

I love the Ti bike you put on IG with the blue sprocket and chainring and the two blue spokes.

The logo for the show looks great. I wish I could make it to Philly for that show.

 

[zmotorsports]

Mike

IIRC he is using a superflex hose. I believe he mentioned it in one of his TIG tutoring posts a few pages back.

Thanks. I briefly looked back a bit but didn't see it. I almost hate asking things like that because I read so many threads and can't seem to keep them all straight.

 

[dr_clyde]

I love those superflex hoses. They are the best for air cooled TIG as far as I'm concerned.

Shop looks great man! I love this thread. Very inspiring.

 

[cash68]

Are you using an off the shelf carbon fork? Or are you making that too? If so I'd like more info on that. I've done a few projects with carbon and always had finishing issues, didn't look perfect.

Also, are you modeling your bikes and rendering in keyshot or something? Because the angle looks identical every time.

 

[BoilermakerFan]

I know Kristofer has jigs for his frame builds, there is a pic or two back in the thread showing a frame in process in the jig.

 

[fortyfour]

Amazing work as always Kristofer. Keep up the good work.

Quick question, on your TIG setup do you use the superflex hoses? I have tried to determine in the pictures if you are using the normal nylon hoses or the rubber superflex ones but can't quite tell.

Thanks.

Correct on CK Worldwide's hose. Any TIG setup especially in the shop can benefit from a super flex type hose. One of the big reasons I immediately went this direction is over the course of welding a job with the larger cable... it's just so cumbersome and really can start to pull at your wrist so you end up fighting the torch. With this one, not only is it super flexible, it's extremely light. So if you grab a length of it and drape it over your torch arm by your elbow, you take the weight off the torch completely while standing. While seated, I'll do the same thing but lay a length across my lap. Again, those two tricks are subtle but make a massive difference if you have to be welding for a few hours at a pop. Most times I'm welding say 1-2 hours on a steel frame but for a Ti frame, it's closer to 4-5 hours.

If you do get a super flex hose, be sure to get something to protect it. All I'm using is a 25' length of nylon tubular webbing. You can get it at an outfitter/climbing shop a they use it for anchors (I got mine from a Trad. climbing friend who was replacing his anchors so this one happened to be a 25' length). Takes some time to fish it through but it protects the line and is equally light and durable. It can be washed too which is nice.

Also, are you modeling your bikes and rendering in keyshot or something? Because the angle looks identical every time.

These are photographs in a studio set up right in the shop. I roll some tool chests out of the way and then roll the backdrop right next to the mill. Here's a shot of the setup before the shop re-organization when I added the lathe but everything is relatively the same when I set it up. I actually set up the shop so things can be moved quickly and I can set this up:



Next time I take photo's of a build I'll step back and shoot the set up from a few angles for everyone. No modeling/rendering here!

Also: I do not make my carbon forks. Those are OEM purchases. But I do make my own steel uni-crown forks. Thanks for the kind words all. Here's a new build headed to Switzerland. I shoot from the same angles for a few reasons: Consistency of the presentation for each build so they can look more like a family of objects but also because the space is tight... so I know what I can and can't do! Here's a few:

 

[zmotorsports]

Correct on CK Worldwide's hose. Any TIG setup especially in the shop can benefit from a super flex type hose. One of the big reasons I immediately went this direction is over the course of welding a job with the larger cable... it's just so cumbersome and really can start to pull at your wrist so you end up fighting the torch. With this one, not only is it super flexible, it's extremely light. So if you grab a length of it and drape it over your torch arm by your elbow, you take the weight off the torch completely while standing. While seated, I'll do the same thing but lay a length across my lap. Again, those two tricks are subtle but make a massive difference if you have to be welding for a few hours at a pop. Most times I'm welding say 1-2 hours on a steel frame but for a Ti frame, it's closer to 4-5 hours.

If you do get a super flex hose, be sure to get something to protect it. All I'm using is a 25' length of nylon tubular webbing. You can get it at an outfitter/climbing shop a they use it for anchors (I got mine from a Trad. climbing friend who was replacing his anchors so this one happened to be a 25' length). Takes some time to fish it through but it protects the line and is equally light and durable. It can be washed too which is nice.

Thanks Kristofer. As for the Super-Flex hose/cable setup, I completely agree, I have had my CK Super-Flex #20 in 25' setup for almost 12 years now and love it. I actually purchased mine when I first purchased my Miller Dynasty 300DX Tigrunner setup back around 2005/2006 timeframe. I also recently purchased the CK Flex-Loc #20 in a 25' setup as well and really like it for some applications. I also run the nylon protective cover in my home shop. At work we use the leather cover as our work shop floor is not as clean as my one at home and I am also much more cautious about pulling my hoses over hot work than some of my co-workers so the leather at work does a better job but personally I don't care for the weight of it. I also either loop the hoses on my lap, around my arm or over my neck to act as a strain relief when welding as it takes the tug or pulling off of the torch itself.

The reason I was asking was that I read an article a while ago that stated some people who were welding Ti and some other exotics were experiencing impurities in their welds and they had traced it down to atmosphere getting through the rubber hoses on the Super-Flex hoses and in the article it was suggested that if welding these exotics much to use the nylon hoses vs. the rubber.

That was the only reason I was asking as your welds to not appear to have any impurities and was somewhat questioning the article so I thought I would ask what hoses you were using.

Thanks.

 

[fortyfour]

<SNIP>

Thanks Kristofer.

The reason I was asking was that I read an article a while ago that stated some people who were welding Ti and some other exotics were experiencing impurities in their welds and they had traced it down to atmosphere getting through the rubber hoses on the Super-Flex hoses and in the article it was suggested that if welding these exotics much to use the nylon hoses vs. the rubber.

That was the only reason I was asking as your welds to not appear to have any impurities and was somewhat questioning the article so I thought I would ask what hoses you were using.

Thanks.

Do you have a link for that article? I'm curious. I know a lot of other welders in my trade who use these types of hoses and I haven't seen/heard or spoken with any of them voicing concerns about that.

Initial impurities for myself was traced back to my heat input and timing for Titanium. I've also noted the longer I wait to tack, do fusion then use filler for the cap weld, the more I see discoloration as the material begins to oxidize / react with air from sitting overnight or sitting over the course of 1-2 days. So I have to time everything correctly so if I do start tacking, I know I can fuse and do filler within the day or the next day.

Internally it was flow rates and time spent waiting for argon to purge. I also think in certain spots the delivery system is not adequate so I'm going to up my purge lines on the frame jig from .25" to .375" so I can deliver a larger quantity of argon in the same time span as I wait for the frame to purge. Spots like the head tube are always difficult to fill as it goes from vertically upright to vertically upside down and argon being heavier than oxygen, settles at the lowest point but since the system isn't as sealed as it is when the frame is out of the jig, it can escape more readily:

 

[zmotorsports]

<SNIP>



Do you have a link for that article? I'm curious. I know a lot of other welders in my trade who use these types of hoses and I haven't seen/heard or spoken with any of them voicing concerns about that.

Initial impurities for myself was traced back to my heat input and timing for Titanium. I've also noted the longer I wait to tack, do fusion then use filler for the cap weld, the more I see discoloration as the material begins to oxidize / react with air from sitting overnight or sitting over the course of 1-2 days. So I have to time everything correctly so if I do start tacking, I know I can fuse and do filler within the day or the next day.

Internally it was flow rates and time spent waiting for argon to purge. I also think in certain spots the delivery system is not adequate so I'm going to up my purge lines on the frame jig from .25" to .375" so I can deliver a larger quantity of argon in the same time span as I wait for the frame to purge. Spots like the head tube are always difficult to fill as it goes from vertically upright to vertically upside down and argon being heavier than oxygen, settles at the lowest point but since the system isn't as sealed as it is when the frame is out of the jig, it can escape more readily:

Kristofer, let me find the article and I will post it up. That is why I found it interesting as well, because I had never heard of the impurities being traced back to the hoses. That's why I thought I would ask.

Let me find the article/website and I will post a link to it.

 

[zmotorsports]

Kristofer, here is the link to the article. I couldn't find it by googling but went back on my browser history and located it. The article was on Arc-Zone.

https://www.arc-zone.com/blog/joewe...r-verses-vinyl-plastic-hoses-which-is-better/

Not a very big article, but I had never heard of this theory before so I thought I would ask someone who welds Ti on a regular basis.

 

[fortyfour]

Kristofer, here is the link to the article. I couldn't find it by googling but went back on my browser history and located it. The article was on Arc-Zone.

https://www.arc-zone.com/blog/joewe...r-verses-vinyl-plastic-hoses-which-is-better/

Not a very big article, but I had never heard of this theory before so I thought I would ask someone who welds Ti on a regular basis.

Thanks for the article. That's the first I've heard of it honestly. I know know even the smallest of cracks/pinholes in your lines can create issues with materials like Stainless and Titanium. It may very well have been that his hose was damaged but that' just me taking wild guess since I've never heard this being an issue with others in my own profession.

But I do know that just about EVERYONE I spoke with who helped me diagnose issues, the first thing they mentioned were:

1. Did you check ALL your lines and connections to and from the Welder, Torch and Tanks?
2. Do you have 100% pure Argon?
3. Do you have a draft in your shop?

Pretty much everyone asked those 3 questions in no particular order.

Once you establish those 3 items, then you analyze your steps leading up to welding. Then you go through all your steps welding to try and pin point where the issue is.

For me it was figuring out flow rates that work in my shop and then also working out heat input, timing, pace and sequence of welding to get good results as every shop could be different since it's so dependent on a number of factors.

 

[Samh]

Thanks for the article. That's the first I've heard of it honestly. I know know even the smallest of cracks/pinholes in your lines can create issues with materials like Stainless and Titanium. It may very well have been that his hose was damaged but that' just me taking wild guess since I've never heard this being an issue with others in my own profession.

But I do know that just about EVERYONE I spoke with who helped me diagnose issues, the first thing they mentioned were:

1. Did you check ALL your lines and connections to and from the Welder, Torch and Tanks?
2. Do you have 100% pure Argon?
3. Do you have a draft in your shop?

Pretty much everyone asked those 3 questions in no particular order.

Once you establish those 3 items, then you analyze your steps leading up to welding. Then you go through all your steps welding to try and pin point where the issue is.

For me it was figuring out flow rates that work in my shop and then also working out heat input, timing, pace and sequence of welding to get good results as every shop could be different since it's so dependent on a number of factors.

A friend of mine who welds Ti on the regular just built a small inert gas chamber to weld in. Might not be feasible for you though.

 

[wingnutthehutt]

Wait a minute, your name is Kristofer and you like #44? That's an interesting coincidence. My racing number was always a variation of 44, part of why I have latched onto this thread, and my middle name is Kristofor.

 

[BoilermakerFan]

Hope the bike show in Philly was a success for you.

 

[machine_punk]

So, in this picture, I see a couple of new techniques I'd like to know more about.

It it looks like you have a different way of passing cables through the tubes. It looks like a rounded-off, rectangular hole, with a black plug to trim out the hole, once you've threaded the cable through. This seems different than the 'brazed in tubes' you used to use. What are your reasons for changing? Is this your design, or an industry standard? What does the unpainted hole look like before running a cable? What does the painted hole, with a cable, look like, before you put the plug in? What does the plug look like, before you insert it? What holds the plug in? What material is the plug made from?

It also looks like you are using standard wire ties to hold down the long runs of cables on the outside of the framework. Again, is this your own design? Is it just an 'appearance' thing, or does it solve an engineering problem? I seem to remember the 'other' way is to braze lugs onto the frame and use cables with only partial sheathing, which fit in the lugs. How do you jig these brackets for even spacing and location? What is the path of the wire tie--does it make a circle around the cable or is it a squished-circle on just on the outside of the cable?

Kev

 

[hewey]

I like this a LOT Nice work as always!

 

[fortyfour]

So, in this picture, I see a couple of new techniques I'd like to know more about.

It it looks like you have a different way of passing cables through the tubes. It looks like a rounded-off, rectangular hole, with a black plug to trim out the hole, once you've threaded the cable through. This seems different than the 'brazed in tubes' you used to use. What are your reasons for changing? Is this your design, or an industry standard? What does the unpainted hole look like before running a cable? What does the painted hole, with a cable, look like, before you put the plug in? What does the plug look like, before you insert it? What holds the plug in? What material is the plug made from?

It also looks like you are using standard wire ties to hold down the long runs of cables on the outside of the framework. Again, is this your own design? Is it just an 'appearance' thing, or does it solve an engineering problem? I seem to remember the 'other' way is to braze lugs onto the frame and use cables with only partial sheathing, which fit in the lugs. How do you jig these brackets for even spacing and location? What is the path of the wire tie--does it make a circle around the cable or is it a squished-circle on just on the outside of the cable?

Kev

What you are seeing is the port for a Dropper Post with internal routing. The way Thomson's droppers work is either externally routed cable actuated with the mechanism up by the head of the post or internally routed cable actuated with the mechanism a the base of the post. The client wanted an internal routed dropper so I route the line inside the seat tube and have a port at the base that then runs externally up the outside of the down tube. The port is a reinforced slot. I make the reinforcement from tube scrap of the same tube once I've cut it down before mitering the bottom bracket junction:



Here's in process of brazing in place. Notice it's the reinforcement brazed over the tube. Reinforcement is slotted. Tube is not - I then place brazing wire in that slot and sweat the silver out along the shoreline of the reinforcement:



See image below of the reinforcement/tube assembly post slot:



This ensures alignment. I then use a stock grommet made by Salsa Cycles for the port hole to keep water out. Testing fit:



And then finished/assembled:



The cable stops are meant to work with a zip tie or a clip (the clips actually don't work all that well... they always pop off but a zip tie works perfectly. IMO: The zip tie is a heck of a little piece of engineering!). This ensures that the cable routing is fully sealed and no cable is exposed to the elements. It also reduces the spot where water can enter the cable and housing. A bit more weight, but well worth the price of that gain. Upon request, I will do exposed cable with traditional cable stops as you mention above but I typically do all full housing for any cables on a mountain bike or a bike that will see a lot of different hard weather conditions.

Hope that helps!

 

[polexican23]

another amazing ride put out by 44. you ready for the snow and fattire biking?

 

[fortyfour]

Small Update: So for the past handful of months I've been working to dial in how I make my chain stays and seat stays on the new Di-Acro No. 4 bender compared to the old JD2. The way the two benders work is a bit different and I have to say the No. 4 does take a bit more time to set up. I had originally just been counting the holes and making marks with sharpie and labeling them M1 or R1 for Mountain Bend #1, Road Bend #1 and so on. But of course both chain stay and seat stay bends are different so that meant multiple marks and the sharpie was coming off and.. you get the point perhaps that I'd constantly have to refer to notes either written or mental and get some variation here and there. Over time, i started to think that numbering the holes on the bender would help to reference things and then come up with some sort of pin and sleeve system to make it a bit more straight forward and make the notes really quick to reference. So I took yesterday to do that. Here's how it works:



Pin and sleeve in place for a Plus sized mountain seat stay. So that's Hole #5 with .5" pin + 1.25" sleeve. My note in my black book simply states:

27Plus SS: Hole #5 - .5+1.25

That's a bit geeky, but gives you a little look behind the curtain for the systems I have to create to make bikes one at a time but have the same feel when you look at one bike to another and have them seem like they came from a family of objects if that makes sense.

So I numbered the first 14 holes (I'll number all of them but for yesterday, that's as far as I seemingly will go with bike related parts):



Then I made a series of pins and sleeves. Pins are .5", .75" and 1". Sleeves start with 1.25", then 1.5" and 2.00". I'll make some additional sleeves as I see a need for them.



As you can see above, the sleeves work off of the .5" pin. So for set up, I can just reference my notes depending on the stay, then drop in the appropriate pin or pin+sleeve combination. Here's the whole kit so far:



I still can use the original adjustable stop (top) but honestly, that does take some time to set up so I'm going to make one that has two pins to work with the numbered pin holes on the bender and it will have a micro adjustable face that dials in and out. Therefore I can just drop that into a pair of holes and dial in/out the adjustment for a custom stop. Here's a pair of matched stays using the new system:



To the right is a template. I have templates for all my seat stays and chain stays. I find these invaluable as I am often referencing them when making pairs of stays for consistency of look but I also use them when figuring out tough clearance issues before the bike is built. I also use drawings, but some times I find it easier and quicker to work in real time off of an existing bike (one of my personal bikes) to reference for another client build. That's often why you may see another bike in the picture to tell you the truth! I've pulled a personal bike down to the shop to use as a reference point. I think this really gives my bikes a consistent look and feel from one bike to the next so they really do look and feel like they came from a family of objects.

Anyhow, that's the new system for the bender!

Here's this weeks worth of work. Managed to miter and tack 3 bikes this week with some new systems in place to increase efficiencies.

 

[BoilermakerFan]

That is a great idea! Not geeky at all, it's brilliant.

Someday I may dive into the idea of building my own motorcycle frame from scratch, but that will be years away and I think I can probably find a lot of other things to do with that time and money for my builds...

 

[fortyfour]

Been looking for a nice cast iron pedestal grinder base from day one for a larger Wilton bullet vise I've been sitting on for some time. Patience paid off in dividends last week! This weekend I'm going to take the time to do the install but this also enables me to finally do some shifting and additional installations. I'll post more once everything is set up. Super stoked on this latest find.

 

[56rpm]

Nice score! And it fits your motif.

 

[fergus]

Nice find!

 

[jinjaninja]

As always disturbingly awesome....

Sent from my HTC 2PS6200 using Tapatalk

 

[BoilermakerFan]

Sweet score!

And I think I'm going to invest in a Lincoln Squarewave TIG 200 after the first of the year. My local supply shop has them for less than anywhere online by about $100. Right now they are offering a $125 M-I-R too, but I don't know if that will continue into 2018. The reviews of SW 200 are great and it includes the torch, the foot pedal and an accessories kit so it puts it about $400 cheaper than a Miller for me from the same place and that's without the rebate. They gave me a formal quote today so they can honor that for the next 30 days incase the pricing changes in January.

 

[fortyfour]

Sweet score!

And I think I'm going to invest in a Lincoln Squarewave TIG 200 after the first of the year. My local supply shop has them for less than anywhere online by about $100. Right now they are offering a $125 M-I-R too, but I don't know if that will continue into 2018. The reviews of SW 200 are great and it includes the torch, the foot pedal and an accessories kit so it puts it about $400 cheaper than a Miller for me from the same place and that's without the rebate. They gave me a formal quote today so they can honor that for the next 30 days incase the pricing changes in January.

Nice - I'd have to do a side by side comparison of specs, but what I know from my own and for anyone looking to TIG weld this is what I generally recommend:

- High Frequency Start
- Pulse feature with full control of the pulse range, peak and background amperage, pre-flow and post flow settings
- Full control over amperage settings (0-150+ amps)
- AC/DC option
- Foot pedal
- IF it does not come with a lighter line to the torch, invest in a good "super flex" type line and torch set up. This repays itself in spades.


If the machine has all that, you're starting off on the right foot forward! Whatever the torch comes with for consumables, definitely invest in branded gas lenses meant for your torch.

- 1/16 and 3/32 if doing thinner materials.

- Get both a No. 8 Stub nozzle and appropriate gas lens as well as a No. 10 nozzle and matching gas lens. I find both of those nozzles and gas lens assemblies to be the most versatile and useful. So you get both coverage in the No. 10 but for tough to reach acute angles and tight spaces, the No. 8 stub can't be beat.

- Also I recommend 2% lanthanated tungsten (blue tip).

All of the consumables, always purchase name brand goodies. Especially the gas lenses that are made specifically by the torch manufacturer - the cheap ones can use steel o-rings to hold the lenses mech face to the collet body, and I've experienced odd arc's striking off of that part or making the arc wander and / or produce dirty welds because it's arcing off that steel clip. The good ones use brass or copper clips to hold the mesh face in place which acts as an insulator so the arc is very stable.

Have fun with it! Any questions, don't hesitate to ask. No secrets over here when it comes to TIG welding. Happy to pass on tips/tricks I know.

 

[Dentaltec]

Im new to this site, I use the search function mostly to access the pertinent info I am looking for and I came across this thread from 2011.

As I enjoy the comfort of my leather chair and morning coffee I have spent the better part of 2 hours reading through most of this thread.

I am commenting on it to share with the OP how awesome it is to see true passion. Passion seems to be a luxury today, and an emotion many of us save for tomorrow. Often the day to day struggles to be productive and worthy of this gift of life are nowhere near as fulfilling as what I have witnessed in this thread.

Thank you for sharing a bit of who you are, your words your photos your work. Very very cool!

 

[fortyfour]

Im new to this site, I use the search function mostly to access the pertinent info I am looking for and I came across this thread from 2011.

As I enjoy the comfort of my leather chair and morning coffee I have spent the better part of 2 hours reading through most of this thread.

I am commenting on it to share with the OP how awesome it is to see true passion. Passion seems to be a luxury today, and an emotion many of us save for tomorrow. Often the day to day struggles to be productive and worthy of this gift of life are nowhere near as fulfilling as what I have witnessed in this thread.

Thank you for sharing a bit of who you are, your words your photos your work. Very very cool!

Thank you for the kinds words.

My only advice to one and all is simply this: Find and make time for your passion. Even if it's limited to say an hour, 30 minutes or only a handful of minutes over the course of your work week. That time I devote to pursuing my own passion obviously has been turned into a way of life, but before this was a reality, I certainly spent much of my day and week enduring the daily grind. Those little spans of time that I went out for a ride, picked up pencil and paper to draw or made something "just for the heck of it" made all that hard work worth while.

Here's some recent heat from the past 3 days. Been jamming on 3 bikes at once to pick up some lost time due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Also benefits on shared tooling/set up time too.

 

[nickelTwin]

I noticed the weld around the seat tube below the seat stays and top tube joint. I was wondering why that is there.
Thanks

 

[BoilermakerFan]

I noticed the weld around the seat tube below the seat stays and top tube joint. I was wondering why that is there.
Thanks

All of the tubing interfaces have to be welded. There are 5 pieces of tubing connecting at that joint.

 

[BoilermakerFan]

Nice - I'd have to do a side by side comparison of specs, but what I know from my own and for anyone looking to TIG weld this is what I generally recommend:

- High Frequency Start
- Pulse feature with full control of the pulse range, peak and background amperage, pre-flow and post flow settings
- Full control over amperage settings (0-150+ amps)
- AC/DC option
- Foot pedal
- IF it does not come with a lighter line to the torch, invest in a good "super flex" type line and torch set up. This repays itself in spades.


If the machine has all that, you're starting off on the right foot forward! Whatever the torch comes with for consumables, definitely invest in branded gas lenses meant for your torch.

- 1/16 and 3/32 if doing thinner materials.

- Get both a No. 8 Stub nozzle and appropriate gas lens as well as a No. 10 nozzle and matching gas lens. I find both of those nozzles and gas lens assemblies to be the most versatile and useful. So you get both coverage in the No. 10 but for tough to reach acute angles and tight spaces, the No. 8 stub can't be beat.

- Also I recommend 2% lanthanated tungsten (blue tip).

All of the consumables, always purchase name brand goodies. Especially the gas lenses that are made specifically by the torch manufacturer - the cheap ones can use steel o-rings to hold the lenses mech face to the collet body, and I've experienced odd arc's striking off of that part or making the arc wander and / or produce dirty welds because it's arcing off that steel clip. The good ones use brass or copper clips to hold the mesh face in place which acts as an insulator so the arc is very stable.

Have fun with it! Any questions, don't hesitate to ask. No secrets over here when it comes to TIG welding. Happy to pass on tips/tricks I know.

Thanks. I forget which model you use, but value for the dollar, nothing touches the Lincoln Squarewave 200 and I'm not a Lincoln fan boy. I *really* tried to justify a Miller over the Lincoln. I just like the color blue better.

BUT, Lincoln just killed it with this welder for a shop hobbiest like me. It has a couple of draw backs... the minimum amperage is 10A and the starting amps are 25A IIRC, but all reviews have said that's only a problem for thin aluminum. There is a pretty easy work around to starting the arc for thin material using a piece of aluminum or steel block to start the arc in front of the thin sheet material. I'm buying the TIG 200 for the capability of welding aluminum, but it will be a while before I do. 95% of what I will weld will be steel.

The TIG 200 comes with a 12.5' flex cable. For my usage in my small garage the 12.5' vs. 25' isn't a deal breaker since my welder would only be a few feet away from the work anyway.

I'll be getting Mike Furick cups. He was extremely helpful like you and I like his cups so I'll be giving him my business.

My LWS has very competitive prices on consumables. It's really not worth the hassle of buying online so I will be using the good stuff.

 

[nickelTwin]

I guess I should rephrase the question.
I was wondering why that joint was there.
The purpose of that joint.
Thanks

 

[nickelTwin]

Not a common place for a joint on most bikes.

 

[nickelTwin]

I'm guessing you are adding a thicker wall tubing to the seat cluster area?
Just a guess

 

[sqznby]

Im new to this site, I use the search function mostly to access the pertinent info I am looking for and I came across this thread from 2011.

As I enjoy the comfort of my leather chair and morning coffee I have spent the better part of 2 hours reading through most of this thread.

I am commenting on it to share with the OP how awesome it is to see true passion. Passion seems to be a luxury today, and an emotion many of us save for tomorrow. Often the day to day struggles to be productive and worthy of this gift of life are nowhere near as fulfilling as what I have witnessed in this thread.

Thank you for sharing a bit of who you are, your words your photos your work. Very very cool!

Very well said. I couldn't agree more.

All of the tubing interfaces have to be welded. There are 5 pieces of tubing connecting at that joint.

I believe he is speaking of the two pictures above. The weld around the tubing.


As always 44, amazing work. And I am so jealous of the #4.