Not to mention there is a very good reason why people building steel frames with those kind of tubesets (dimensions, material) go the very labor intensive road of using lugs and brazing (and learning to do so), instead of stick welding. I'm sure they just haven't thought of that obvious solution!

but to be fair, we don't know anything about the motive, the budget, and the circumstances under which that builder was working and what the goal was. A

(lthough it is a bit hard to imagine what those might have been to justify a trainwreck like this :D)

That Bottecchia looks like it was finished on the Monday after a major weekend drinking binge.

Do we have pictures of the Torpado? :)
I bought one recently as a project.Compared to my Garlotti The craftsmanship looks really decent, the chrome is decent, the original paint and decals are roached. I haven't even rode it yet so who know;s I may hate it.

I painted the cutouts in the lugs with gold. I Can't get the paint to stick and will redo it with the original white accents.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...900926d046.jpg

Sounds reasonable. I bought the bike, primarily for the saddle...
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e7f468f5d7.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b77d9437ef.jpg

Not to mention several other components...
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...109351a956.jpg

Including the cleanest steel rimmed Campy high flange hubbed wheel set ever to come my way. Even the steel spokes are, pretty much, uncorroded (wheels have not been cleaned yet)...
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...78f66247a6.jpg
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Anyway, can't wait for Spring. The snow is six feet deep in some parts of my back yard. Been a long time since I have seen such heavy snowfall in Thunder Bay.

I thought of this thread while I was looking at the workmanship of this '62 Raleaigh Lenton Sports. Not to be confused with a "real" Lenton Sports from the 50's, these were basically like a Raleigh Sports 2030 tubed frame with a fancy paint job. The brazing and finishing is much worse than my '67 Raleigh Sports though. This bit on the fork really grates on my ocd.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a3767c4a78.jpg

It could tempt you to strip the paint, clean up the brazing, and repaint it. But not really.

This Raleigh was, without doubt, the poorest workmanship I have seen in a bike. The work was sloppy and the chain stays were not even the same length. Pooey--stinko. Anyone care to guess how much it sold for on Ebay years ago..?
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...dfbafd4591.jpg

WTF .... IF the drop out was longer on the defaileur side, then it was ON PURPOSE. They didn't have hangers invented yet.
But yah, ALL Raleighs SUCKED with chrome plated rust and oddball sizing of everything.
OTOH >> My 1973 CCM has ZERO issues and ZERO specks rust on the outside. The primer was outstandingly TOUGH too.

Raleigh could do some nice work when they wanted to. My '56 Super Lenton I find to be very impressive.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3ee47ee889.jpg

Other times you have to wonder about what they deemed acceptable. Here's a detail of my '71 Twenty.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...aa3c568b1b.jpg

That is an interesting topic. I am very focused on craftsmanship but when a weld or a brazing isn't done cleanly or properly it then affects my confidence in the frame. I prefer a perfectly made frame rather than an averagely made frame with poor craftsmanship regarding welds or brazing on the the critical points.

Those 2 forks look like half welded junkyard hack jobs. Can't be factory.