I have been trying to get my wife's bike to fit her better. I made this stem in three pieces and welded them together. The really funny part is I took her bike apart, removed the stem and didn't see the shims drop out so it still does not fit the bars properly.


IMG_3554 by frankthewelder, on Flickr



IMG_3553 by frankthewelder, on Flickr

nice. I've done some similar work with brass making woodworking tools.

Brass wood working tools?

wood planes -- you can tell I got some porosity

That's pretty cool, looks like the real thing I like how the binder blends in. It was welded too? I wonder how you got the transitions so smooth everywhere.

I'm tempted to try gas-welding aluminum one of these days...

I'd say it looks better than most cast stems. I'm guessing he got the transitions so smooth through good old-fashioned elbow grease.

the binder was machined into the clamp as one-piece. the extension is 1" X.120 wall, ovalized and the quill is a lathe made part. The whole thing took about 20 hours. Lots of filing.

Aluminum transfers heat very quickly. Gas welding is very effective for sheet metal work and works a lot like steel brazing with a unique flux. Typically 1100 series filler is used as are special glasses. It is very difficult to get a thicker piece hot enough to use this method.


that brass tool is neat. I don't think I have tried to gas-weld brass.

Cool. I'm not familiar with TIG but you don't often see smoothed weld, except on Canondales. Is there an extra step besides the filling and sanding?

Regarding gas-welding Al. I'm wondering about it after seeing those older Aluminum French bikes (Barra and others) that were gas-welded (or brazed?).