A fillet brazed stainless bike, unpainted?

[jimcav]

Is it possible? I am interested in such. I had an unpainted 953 bike but it cracked. I have a lovely painted XCR bike, but I really love fillet brazed look and was hoping someone could do it in stainless (silver solder I think?)
If there is a builder doing this or willing to try, pelase let me know
thanks
jim
jacav2@cox.net

[Dancingbear]

Are you wanting the fillets to be the same color as the the stainless tubes? Silver solder, or silver alloyed filler rod will have a golden color. ( or at least the alloys strong enough to build frames with) The only silver alloys I have used that are actually silver in color were lower strength solders used in jewelry. Anyone else more alloy savvy than I am want to clarify?

[pdxharth]

Joseph Ahearne just did a stainless bike with a fillet braised bb and this is his attempt to match the color. To be fair, it looks much closer in real life than in the photos

Bottom Bracket Area | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[jimcav]

hey thanks for replying--no I am fine with the fillets being gold etc--I was just hoping to leave it all raw and showcase the frame building rather than paint I assumed it was a silver based solder because I had a very short email conversation with Kelly Bedford about stainless. I also assumed i would need to periodically polish the fillets as silver tarnishes etc. But I don't know if anyone was already doing fillet brazed stainless tubes or would try?
thanks
jim

[boxerboxer]

Are you talking bare frame without even a clearcoat?

[jimcav]

cool thanks for that--that is crazy impressive but I am not necessarily after a polished stainless look, would probably prefer a matte, brushed, bead-blasted (whatever the correct term is) for stainless.
thanks
jim

Joseph Ahearne just did a stainless bike with a fillet braised bb and this is his attempt to match the color. To be fair, it looks much closer in real life than in the photos

Bottom Bracket Area | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[jimcav]

yep bare, just like my 953 bike was--i occassionally had to hit it with a scotchbrite pad--there was definitely not any clearcoat or anything on it

[ToddFarr]

Joseph Ahearne just did a stainless bike with a fillet braised bb and this is his attempt to match the color. To be fair, it looks much closer in real life than in the photos

Bottom Bracket Area | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I saw this bike when I was in Sugar Wheel Works a month or so ago, and the color does look a lot closer in real life.

[Dave Anderson]

Yes, its possible... I've done them..... Joel Greenblatt at Clockwork has built several as well. See here: Robert's XCr Single Speed | Flickr - Photo Sharing! Building a fillet brazed stainless bike is not a problem. As you note, though, the fillets will tarnish and so you will need to be able to live with that look, or be willing to get the metal polish (or Scotchbite) out from time to time.

Dave

[jimcav]

Great Dave--thanks for the link and info. That is exactly what I am wanting. Curious do you only do 953 or do you know if there is anything unique about the others (XCR, KVA) that would be better or worse for fillet-brazing? not sure i want to go the 953 route again, once bitten and all that.

Thanks
jim

Yes, its possible... I've done them..... Joel Greenblatt at Clockwork has built several as well. See here: Robert's XCr Single Speed | Flickr - Photo Sharing! Building a fillet brazed stainless bike is not a problem. As you note, though, the fillets will tarnish and so you will need to be able to live with that look, or be willing to get the metal polish (or Scotchbite) out from time to time.

Dave

[Dave Anderson]

Hi Jim,

Thank you for your question. I work with all three of the materials that you mention, and wouldn't hesitate to use any one of them for a fillet brazed application. Each brand offers somewhat different tubing profiles and characteristics, though, and so that can sometimes affect which tubes that I use for a given application. Its also not uncommon for me to mix and match tubes from more than one MFG in a single frame if I think that it will make for a better whole, etc.

Thank you,

Dave

[Clockwork]

Jim-

I'll be starting a fillet brazed stainless frame with KVA tubes this week if you like to follow: Mathew's KVA Light Tourer - a set on Flickr

-Joel

[jimcav]

awesome Joel. I will follow. thank you to both you and Dave for the replies--for either of you, I am pretty sure a raw stainless is what i want and fillet brazed is what i find the sexiest, so... have you worked with any fitter who might be reasonable distance from me (i am in the san diego area), but get to maryland and indiana each year to se family.
thanks
jim

Jim-

I'll be starting a fillet brazed stainless frame with KVA tubes this week if you like to follow: Mathew's KVA Light Tourer - a set on Flickr

-Joel