Framebuilders - filing down tig welds on steel frames?
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after having my frame severely dented by an attempted theft, i have decided to have two bikes, one for the real rides and one for a commuter/around town bike. the around towner is gonna have to be cheap, and because of my own personal preferences i dont want a lugged bike. so the question:
can you file down tig welds on steel frames for a more filet brazed look? I am specifically talking about a 99ish khs aero track made with reynolds 520.
I think a bondo covering would be safer, easier and look better.
Bushman
07-23-07, 04:34 PM
I think a bondo covering would be safer, easier and look better.
+1! yes! break out the bondo, mix it properly and apply it. Then spend a few hours carefully shaping it and feather it into the existing paint a bit (sand it). Work you way up about 1000 grit wet dry, and start wet sanding, rinsing the paper lots. then dry with ACETONE, primer it and paint it.
prep prep prep is key here.
You can do the same thing with 5 minute epoxy, and since it's is an adhesive it will stick better to the mishmash of stuff that is likely to be there to bond to. You may need to add some filler to it, talc powder microballoons sadust that was screened or run through a blender. In theory one shouldn't file/grind a weld.
nitropowered
07-23-07, 10:22 PM
Sorry to slightly steal the thread but can anyone recommend a powder coat safe/friendly (as in won't burn up or deform in the curing process) filler material?
Nessism
07-24-07, 02:29 PM
can you file down tig welds on steel frames for a more filet brazed look? I am specifically talking about a 99ish khs aero track made with reynolds 520.
You can file them but don't go too deep - just knock off the ugly high-spot lumps. I did this on a frame and it turned out great. :D
There is a "bondo" you can powdercoat over. Maybe Eastwood has it. I forget the name, but I think I may have dropped it here before it. It would be worth asking your coater, because there are different levels of sophistication out there. Andrews, for instance says on their page there are PCs in the works that will coat plain plastic, or wood. Other powdercoaters specify you have to finish with (usually tigged) bronze. If there isn't metal content then it is hard to get coverage with electrostatics, but some seem more confident about the options than others.