What king of gear do you need to weld steel or aluminium pipes together to make frames? I want to modify some frames to my spec' and wondered what kit I would need. I figured there will be some welders on here who will know.
What you need there is a professional frame repairer/builder as the kit would cost more than a new frame and the jig to hold the frame in place to prevent it distorting is a very specialised piece of kit.
Are you a welder stavromuller?
You need an AC TIG welder - mine cost over £3,500 plus consumables. Then you need a frame jig - factor in £3k+ for one of them. Then you need all the metalworking kit - probably lathe, mill etc.
Then you need to be able to use all that stuff to a level that means you won't kill yourself or anyone else riding your bikes.
Apart from that, it's easy 😉
dallas - would you know what to do with all of the kit?
serious question.. the fact you are asking the question hints to a response but...
Interesting. £3500 is a non starter, I was thinking more 2nd hand mig off ebay. I only want to stick some tubes back together after I have cut them and re-shaped them. I'm not thinking of going into production. cheers anyway.
might be best with pritt stick then, i hear its good.
If you stick to steel you can get away with an oxy propane kit and brass braze. You will not be able to weld with this. You will still need a large amount of practice and undertake destructive tests of your joints. Not something to take a chance on.
You will not want on old set of hoses and regulators on a oxy propane kit so buy new.
scotia - Member
might be best with pritt stick then, i hear its good.
It's not the best lip balm.....
I'm a sheetmetal worker but I've welded enough aluminium frames to know that it's real tricky to get right and I think you can forget MIG for that but with any welding process, it's distortion that's the problem. Best advice is discuss with a frame builder what it is you want to achieve
You can MIG thicker steel, but not aluminium - okay for thick 4130 maybe. Gas brazing steel would be cheaper, yes, but factor in the cylinder rental and gas costs.