So I was thinking of repainting my Kilo TT to make it have a cleaner more "vintage" look and I was looking at the welds. I thought to myself, instead of buying a new lugged frame why don't I just sand some of the welds to smooth it out, or add some JB weld or something of that sort to make it seem like it was fillet brazed?

Has anyone ever done this on a Kilo? I've searched the forums and a lot of people have been talking about aluminum frames but not on steel frames... Am I missing something? Will this end up in catastrophic failure?

why, it's a Kilo.

Bike Island carries a lugged version of the Kilo https://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_S...ls&ProdID=1876 for that old school look....

Don't want to spend more money on a different frame when I have a perfectly good one, same reason why I dont want to buy a lugged Kilo.

this.

I dunno... I think you'd have to do an extraordinarily good job with your JB weld or whatever for this to look halfway decent. Paint jobs are tough as it is. Remember, every single imperfection in your lug job will be magnified with a coat of paint.

shouldnt be that hard to do. make sure the surface is very clean and paint free before you use the jb weld. that stuff is great, but the surfaces need to be clean!

if you want it to look really good, id suggest getting it professionally painted or powdercoated when you are done doing the "bodywork"

this.

and please, don't remove weld bead. add filler.

+1

As someone who grew up working in a motorcycle/hotrod body shop owned by my dad and uncle, I'll chime in and say this can definitely be done but as dookie said, don't grind down the weld bead. Build up with filler and sand it smooth.

+1 on not touching the welds.As far as filler, no need for JB, just use regular bondo.It's easier to work with and will hold up just fine with proper prep.

Framebuilders will give some tips

I find it curious that of all the TIG welded frames I've seen, the Kilo TT has about the nicest tidiest welding that you can find, regardless of price. I have a Kilo WT, which I believe is made in the same factories and by the same welders as the Kilo TT, and I think one of the best things about this bike is the quality of the frame welding. It's actually nicer than my Salsa Casseroll, which is a much more expensive frame, and nicer than other more expensive frames such as the Surly Steamroller. So, I don't understand wanting to clean up the appearance of the stock weldments, when they are already very good and pleasing to the eye. Like others have said, if you want something that looks vintage, then just get a nice lugged frame and be done with it, because TIG welded steel frames can never have a truly vintage look.

Agreed. My Kilo had really nice welds.

My freinds KHS elites welds are perfect, And so are my brothers kilo

my welds are great.

look even greater under the powdercoat.



if you wanted to sand or file them i would strongly advise you to add body filler and sand that instead.

otherwise your claim of having a perfectly good bike will prompt a "... but NOT ANYMORE!" of Lurr proportions.

this

Yeah I looked at it again compared to older aluminum frame welds and my gosh, I dont think it's worth it to perfect welds that already look pretty good. I was just wondering if it was possible to go for that 'filet brazed' look. But yeah it's more of a project and I am going to take it to a professional powdercoater. I kind of want to go with a nicer steel frame but I realize that I'll never need anything more than a Kilo... Besides, I got mine for $180 complete, with an upgraded formula wheelset too. Maybe if a good deal on a nicer steel frame that pops up... but until then I love the feel of the Kilo!

Edit: Grammar

My Kilos welds look pretty good. Like others have said, don't mess with the weld beads. The beads are what hold your frame together, and you will make the frame weaker if you compromise the "glue" that holds it together.

If you want fillet brazed, save up for a fillet brazed frame. Take it slow and save up some money, all the while keeping a lookout on CL and eBay. Good luck!

If you want a smooth look there are always electro forged schwinns

The JB Weld should be OK, but do not use bondo if you're going to powdercoat.

If you are going to powdercoat,the use of fillers is out,even JB.For powdercoating the workpiece is charged with a current and JB, being a epoxy, is non-conductive.

Hmmm. Its worked for me before. Maybe because I didn't have it too thick?

Thickness might play a role.Or maybe,while technically being non-conductive,the suspended metal content is enough to get the powder to stick.OP should check with his powdercoater before hand though.Im pretty sure mine handles pure metal only.

Cut the bike frame apart... buy/order some "lugs" and braze it back into a bike frame .

Powdercoat typically won't work on JB Weld. You'd need to use something like this:



https://www.autobodytoolmart.com/usc-...r-p-14787.aspx