Brazing square tube
08-03-07, 06:59 PM
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Brazing square tube
Greetings,
I've been reading about the pros and cons of brazing and welding frames, and it sounds like brazing is a good way to go, but all the examples I've seen so far are mitered or lugged round tubing. Will brazing be suitable with square tubing as well? Newb question, but...
Thanks,
Tony
I've been reading about the pros and cons of brazing and welding frames, and it sounds like brazing is a good way to go, but all the examples I've seen so far are mitered or lugged round tubing. Will brazing be suitable with square tubing as well? Newb question, but...
Thanks,
Tony
08-04-07, 08:44 PM
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Square tubes are used all the time in brazed, especially in rear triangles. These guys use a lot https://smokebikes.com/
and the now-retired Vulture Cycles had a cool variation with the square tubes rotated.
and the now-retired Vulture Cycles had a cool variation with the square tubes rotated.
08-05-07, 10:00 AM
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Mark Stonich has an article that describes the advantages and disadvantages of square tubing in comparison to round tubing here https://mnhpva.org/tech/tubes_mark.html
He suggests that if you are not familiar with welding or brazing thin-walled tubing that mild square tubing a good way to get started. It will be a little heavier than round alloy, but much faster to build without any special tools (hacksaw cuts, filing to square up versus lots of filing to "fishmouth" round tube joints).
My only problem has been finding thin-walled mild square tubing. The mail order places like Wicks and Aircraft Spuce only carry 4130 square tubing and it is much more expensive than round tubing. There are a couple of good sized metal dealers in Minneapolis that sell small quantities of all kinds of metals.
He suggests that if you are not familiar with welding or brazing thin-walled tubing that mild square tubing a good way to get started. It will be a little heavier than round alloy, but much faster to build without any special tools (hacksaw cuts, filing to square up versus lots of filing to "fishmouth" round tube joints).
My only problem has been finding thin-walled mild square tubing. The mail order places like Wicks and Aircraft Spuce only carry 4130 square tubing and it is much more expensive than round tubing. There are a couple of good sized metal dealers in Minneapolis that sell small quantities of all kinds of metals.
08-05-07, 02:55 PM
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Mark Stonich has an article ...He suggests that if you are not familiar with welding or brazing thin-walled tubing that mild square tubing a good way to get started. It will be a little heavier than round alloy, but much faster to build without any special tools (hacksaw cuts, filing to square up versus lots of filing to "fishmouth" round tube joints).
Good article! Heavier doesn't worry me as much at this point as collapsing at an inopportune moment (which, I guess, is really any moment I'm on the bike). As to your observation about sourcing, I really haven't gone shopping there yet, mostly I've been researching what makes different types of recumbents tick and how they might need to be built. My nether regions don't put up with as much abuse as they did 25 years ago (or my neck either, for that matter), and some kind of bent seems like it might just be the ticket. Alas, the $1200-$3800 sticker I've seen locally is out of my price range. Besides, it's time to learn to do something new. I've done silver soldering/brazing on small items so the concept isn't completely foreign, I just haven't tried anything on this scale.
Thanks,
Tony
