Welding Aluminum Bicycle Frames

This video shows the details of how a high-end aluminum bicycle frame is fabricated and welded.
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[@scootergeorge9576]

I used to weld aluminum bike frame parts for Trek bikes when they had a plant in Chehalis WA. Was originally Kleine bikes till Trek bought them out. We used tig welding with argon gas. the parts had to be meticulously clean to get best results. All parts were given a detergent bath and rinse to remove any grease or oil followed by a dip in an acid bath and neutralizer to remove oxidation. Then, the components were tack welded in sturdy jigs, adjustable for specific frame sizes. An aluminum part can look perfectly clean but have a thin layer of oxidation. That layer melts at 2000 degree while the base metal melts at 1200. You get blow through as well as ugly blackened welds if the oxidation layer is not removed.

[@RonCovell]

Scooter, thanks for 'chiming in' - you certainly know your stuff!

[@HondoTrailside]

I don't know, the other side of that as far as industry info is concerned is that the oxide layer forms instantly, and you get rid of it not through heat, but the HF AC of the tig welder blasts it off. Or so they say. Does have to be scrupulously clean though.

[@NwoDispatcher]

Scooter George how well does a stainless wire brush work?

[@scootergeorge9576]

All I know is, if components sat around more than a few days, they went through the acid bath again. Centralia College used big, powerful Miller machines. I found some aluminum tubing in the scrap bin, and setting up the machine as told, tried welding. Got horrible black welds. burned holes in the metal. Had argon gas flow. good tungsten tip. aluminum LOOKED CLEAN. Instructor suggested I wire brush the parts first. Made a HUGE difference.

[@scootergeorge9576]

Works great BUT as long as you reserve it just for your aluminum stuff. The welding instructor at Centralia College in Washington said stainless but out at Trek bikes, they had a bench grinder with a steel wire wheel and it worked just fine.

[@davidberndt6275]

Hats of to you Ron. Not only a great craftsman, but impressed that you've replied almost every comment, good, bad and ugly. Nicely done :)

[@RonCovell]

Thank you so much. I have really tried to answer every serious question, but my most recent video has garnered 750 comments in 24 hours. I spent three hours this morning trying to catch up, but only made it about halfway through. I may get about as many comments every day this week, so at this rate I just won't be able to keep up. I suppose people have had worse problems!

[@gchsbus]

This guy makes welding aluminium look easy. This is not a walk in the park.

[@RonCovell]

Most people find some level of challenge with welding aluminum, but the only way to get good at it is to practice - a LOT!

[@josesaldivar655]

+Ron Covell With good interest and steady hand, about how many inches ? or hours ? yes, it can depend on the welder. Thnx.

[@petekosar8379]

I am impressed the with the jig table, and the way the drawing is used for aliment! And PRAISE GOD!!! That I learned something new today 👍

[@RonCovell]

I'm delighted that you enjoyed this video. You may like some of the other videos I have on my channel - kzbin.info

[@petekosar8379]

@@RonCovell will do thanks Mr. Covell.

[@AmorsAverageAdventures]

Wow this is great! I dabbled a very teeny tiny bit in welding over quarantine in 2020 and am hoping to go to school soon to learn properly. I’m also getting into bicycling as well, so this video is just all around awesome 😃

[@RonCovell]

I'm delighted that you enjoyed this video!

[@ChristopherJones16]

same but the school around here is partnered up with a communist tech college and they require mandatory vaccination in order to attend the school. No thanks!

[@doofwop]

I still have an SC aluminum 26" Chameleon hardtail from 2001 when they were still made in USA. Welds are beautiful on this frame. I cracked the seatstay and sent it to Frank The Welder who repaired it and it hung in his shop for two years until I remembered he had it. Got it back and built it up deluxe, now it's my commuter. Sadly an aluminum frame is not something you want to keep beating on for years due to its relatively low fatigue life when compared to steel or Ti so in order to keep riding it I'll just have to tone it down. But the geometry is a perfect fit for my body dimensions and riding style.

[@RonCovell]

Sounds like a great bike for your planned usage!

[@josephhertzberg2734]

Frank is welding royalty

[@petem6291]

Dear Ron I love the shop tours , I am looking forward to the 3rd D.V.D on the roadster build ..Thank you for taking the time to make these Video's Pete M

[@RonCovell]

Pete - glad you like them! I just started shooting the next video in the roadster series today. I don't know when it will be finished, and uploaded to KZbin, but I'm on the way, at least.

[@timdouglass4934]

I'm not a welder but I always admire a fine weld.

[@RonCovell]

I'm very glad!

[@jakespeed63]

Ever notice that most, not all, successful operations are neat and organized?? Our Porsche Race shop was ridiculously clean most of the time...but that's how we became a championship team. Nice job!! Made in America!!

[@RonCovell]

Yes, I like to see clean and organized working spaces. (Although what's behind my camera is not as clean as what's in front)!

[@flaplaya]

Someone really knows how to burn it in deep getting maximum performance out of those welds, nice. Brings back memories having my dad weld a slippery set of handlebars to the top of my gooseneck. He nailed it perfest and slippage was a thing of the past. Good Video.

[@RonCovell]

I'm glad you liked it!

[@soihavetoplay]

Thanks for sharing, I am not sure there was much on this video, no cleaning steps, prep, specs, etc. just a little bit of welding, but the best I got was to use the breadboard flat to set the position of the parts to start. That was a good tip.

[@RonCovell]

Glad you enjoyed it! I do have other videos that go into more depth on the welding processes: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aaTTYnWGZ559aqc

[@TopReasons]

Quality to Price ration is Outstanding

[@RonCovell]

Thanks!

[@davidsnyder2000]

Amazing parts and workmanship 👍 Super impressed!🙂

[@RonCovell]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@docker5468]

I bet everything in the welders house is super neat and precise, to match his work

[@thesickening0169]

That milling table, wow. And those welds, laying dimes man. Super nice!

[@RonCovell]

Yes, the fixturing table used at Santa Cruz Bicycles is fabulous, and their welder, Mike Woods, is very, very good.

[@cheikhtidianeniang6755]

asking questions is the best way to make discovers

[@RonCovell]

Yes, that's absolutely true!

[@myfirstcrappyvideobilly]

This video is right on time bro. I've been kicking around an idea for a purpose built delivery bike. I have sketches and ideas for the geometry but going from paper to actually making it is daunting.

[@RonCovell]

Go for it!

[@myfirstcrappyvideobilly]

I'll get my money up and show some pictures. Hopefully we can make something great together. I was thinking about this all morning on courrier.

[@myfirstcrappyvideobilly]

Track bikes have their place but they're delicate and don't hold up

[@asdfghjkl0226]

His welding skill is high level.

[@avro549B]

Good jigs seem to be absolutely essential for welding geometrically-critical things.

[@RonCovell]

Yes, stuff moves when it's tack welded, and moves more when it's finish welded, so it's hard to get precision without rigid fixturing.

[@HondoTrailside]

Normally they cut the copes in a milling machine, so that they are pretty perfect when assembled. Then they fixture it. Then they weld all the tubes except the seat stays, then they take it out, cold set any problems, then they weld the seat stays. That is on conventional frames. This is pretty unconventional. Of course a lot of the frames sold are not straight.

[@giannislivas419]

καταπληκτικό!!!

[@mangravy2000]

@krrrruptidsoless - Watch it again. He says they jump around to minimize distortion but it always distorts so they heat it up in the oven and move it around.

[@TheMotocross4life]

avro549B yes for most welding applications the hardest part about smaller items that aren't secured is distortion. Pipelines and such it isn't as much of an issue

[@yulmp2]

My “ Handmade in USA” Cannondale mountain bike has beautiful welds.

[@RonCovell]

Cannondale is well known as an excellent brand!

[@JB-1138]

How much does a made in USA frame cost?

[@wernerautomation2834]

@@RonCovell Actually, when they were made in the US they were well known for snapping at the welds, earning them the name "crack n fail". Mostly due to bad design, though others blame grinding their welds smooth. New ones (made in taiwan) are done in a more conventional process - more boring to be sure, but less failure prone. None of this has to do with country of origin, just that cannondale was not an excellent brand for quality back in those days.

[@RonCovell]

Thanks for the excellent background information on Cannondale!

[@Stevesbe]

Otherwise known as Crackandfail

[@physicsguybrian]

Thank you for showing us around....er....the little table.

[@RonCovell]

You bet!

[@claytonholton2749]

Thank you for encouraging to let you do the work!!!

[@RonCovell]

Always!

[@magitingtv.7704]

Support sir Nice job God 🙏 bless you Sir From phillipines

[@RonCovell]

Thanks!

[@Logicianable]

Thank you 🌹👍

[@RonCovell]

I am so glad you have discovered my videos, and enjoy them!

[@krrrruptidsoless]

I would like to see the alignment process. And see how much the tempering re-distorts it. Or see how they combat the heat treatment from re-distorting it.

[@RonCovell]

There are several KZbin videos that touch on these subjects.

[@riocruser]

I love to understand how it works. Thank you very much. Now I understood how my bike was made. PHANTASTIQUE 😄😯🤟👨‍🦳

[@RonCovell]

You are welcome 😊

[@ricks1314]

I wish Commencal saw this!! I’ve had two broken frames from them, all short of warranty expiration but neither honored! They admit to over heating but keep doing it!!

[@RonCovell]

I'm sorry to hear that they do not honor their warranty.

[@black_vikiiing]

man what skill! this type of weld is what I always look for on bike frames. In my eyes it's always the best

[@RonCovell]

Glad you like it!

[@olhaabike8806]

Good work. new V10 is a dream bike, wondeful

[@RonCovell]

Thanks for 'chiming in'!

[@charlesdjones1]

To add a little context here, retail for these bikes start at $2k, and go up to over $15k.

[@RonCovell]

Thanks for adding that information!

[@malachy1847]

Ever thought of drilling holes in some of the tubing and sending gas purge up the bikes internals bit like the way process pipe welds are done.... there by creating a strong internal bead and by that process seriously strengthening the whole frame... Great welding ... Five Stars...

[@RonCovell]

There are many cases where purging the inside of a tube while welding is very beneficial. Food-quality stainless tubing is one very common example.My understanding is that In the world of aluminum bicycle frames, purging is not generally used.

[@russellharper3027]

I'm guessing this comment won't be seen since it's an old video. That's a beautifully fabricated and welded frame, but it bothers me that it was apparently not fully welded where the copes overlap at the head tube. The top part of the down tube was only tacked before being covered by the monocoque. Maybe part of the process was edited out. When building racecar chassis, that's a big no no and requires some thinking ahead. It can cause more pull/distortion when you have to weld part of a fit when the rest of the chassis isn't tacked yet, but it creates a stress riser and leaves a lot of critical strength on the table. If you or anyone that's actually in the know has some more insight I'd be curious to hear it. Bike frames are built in the margins where weight and strength are critical and there's really no room for compromise just to save a little time, so I was surprised to see this.

[@RonCovell]

Thanks for watching, and commenting! I have been around a lot of race car chassis construction, and in my experience, not all builders will completely finish weld a joint if it is covered by another welded structure. I'm not a structural engineer, so I can't 'run the numbers' to see how much strength is 'left on the table' with this style of construction. If an incompletely welded joint can't move because it is trapped by something encircling it, I don't know that can be considered a stress riser. In the aircraft world, many structures have holes placed near their centers to reduce weight. This reduces the strength very little, since the majority of the loads are carried near the edges of the part. Maybe someone with more experience can share their experience with this important issue!

[@montycrain5783]

Have you any experience Welding British 7020 aluminum. I believe that number is correct, it was used by Spondon Engineering on their Beautiful round tube motorcycle frames. They have since been bought by Norton and you can see their frames on their v-4 bikes. From one of their old brochures they mention their material could be bent, welded and would stress relieve locally at the weld and age harden back to T6 hardness. To talk about beautiful tig welding you need to see one of their frames. The British also make a High Manganese Aerospace Steel called T6 that is basically their steel for uses we use chromoly for. More forgiving, and can also be used with Bronze welding for lower temp minimum distortion motorcycle frames such as those still sold by Harris Engineering. From what I understand both the annealed steel and bronze welding rod have a 85,000psi tensile strength.It was also the same steel used on the jet powered Land Speed vehicle "Thrust" which I believe was Tig Welded.

[@RonCovell]

Monty Crain - Thank you for giving me this information! 7000 series aluminum is extremely strong, the 7075 alloy that's most often used in the USA is not weldable. I was not aware that there was another alloy in that series which could be welded! I was also unaware of the high manganese steel used for aerospace fabrication. For the record, bronze filler rod can be used for TIG welding mild steel and chrome moly. It definitely keeps the distortion down, but it has a much lower tensile strength, so it's not suited for every application.

[@dttek6210]

Thank you

[@RonCovell]

You're welcome!

[@kenwinsor1914]

I Love seeing welds like yours Ron and they are Beautiful. Ok, I come from a house of Millwrights, Dad, Grandpa and Great Grandpa ( I even have my Great Grandpa's tool box and he wrote 1902 under the lid with chalk that over the years that it galvanized/stained itself into the wood 💖 ). They were all Awesome and I never became a Millwright because it wasn't for me, as I wanted to be a truck driver instead and I did 30 years of it and now I'm in a wear house at a easy job forking around 😂😂. Some of the stories I have heard from my Dad and Grandpa are Hella fumny. My Grandpa was the serious one, and my dad and his buddy were the goofball ones, and the crap that they use to do 😂😂😂😂 I guess my Grandpa told a rookie to weld up a aluminum piece that my dad said kinda look like a Christmas tree. He did and it was welded, but my dad and his buddy knew that the rookie welded it up with stick weld? My grandpa was always a big cheese boss, and went over and touched it and it crumbled to the ground. My dad said him and Wes were laughing their asses off😂😂😂 I know nothing about welding, but listening to them and walking by some metal structure, my grandpa and my dad would always say under the breath, shit welds, or rat welds. My grandpa and my father were awesome welders. I've seen my grandpa weld millipede welds and my father wasn't as good as him he said, but he could do centipede welds all day long! Love your welds Ron and if you made 24in BMX Cruisers I definitely buy one, unless you?

[@RonCovell]

You have some great talents in your family. May you carry on the traditions!

[@kenwinsor1914]

@@RonCovell 😁😎👊

[@amscout1156]

On my list of projects to make when I get my powertig welder.

[@RonCovell]

Am Scout - That will be a great project!

[@matthewhawkins106]

Thanks very much for this video presentation Ron. It was very enjoyable and quite a pleasure to watch. Thank you. Sincerely, Matthew

[@RonCovell]

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@JeRzUx]

lmao

[@cesarecannavo1134]

Wow, very great MTB-Frame. I like so much aluminum frame. I don't are interested to carbon fiber frame. I thinking with the 6061-aluminum flying, we have one absolute stability, more as carbon. I have in last time, so many bike, GT, or Cannondale, all I have buy with aluminum. I hope so much, in the next time more from this frame set see and possibility to buy one. Thanks for this great video recension. Greetings from Switzerland..

[@RonCovell]

I'm very glad you liked the video! Perhaps you would like this series I made on building an aluminum bicycle frame: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmiZgXmgfZaGgKM kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGeQqWmDZ9ydZ6M kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZS3nISVjsSXeKM

[@raufus]

He is a very skilled welder, not anyone can weld aluminum like that.

[@RonCovell]

Yes - Mike Woods is an excellent welder, indeed!

[@samailas.malgwi8900]

Wow this is great, I have never seen this before. hope to be in this business 👍

[@RonCovell]

Best of luck, and let me know if I can help!

[@samcotten5160]

Building bikes looks like some easy money

[@RonCovell]

Well, people will pay lots of money for a custom-made bicycle frame. I don't know if I agree that it's 'easy'. Try it, and let me know when you buy your first corporate jet!

[@samcotten5160]

@@RonCovell let me rephrase that. Looks like some good money for some decently difficult work. 🙂 How's that lol 😝

[@RonCovell]

I'm with you 100% - but I still want a ride in your jet!

[@deepg2477]

excellent quality of welding, you are pro!

[@Enzo6006]

great video! I would love a video showing the heat treat process as well

[@RonCovell]

Heat treating bicycle frames is not a trivial process. Here's the short version: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mIeXk6p3d9GDjNk Here's a more in-depth description of the process, although the video is dated, the information is still accurate. kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3OaiqKKerqVhtk

[@Enzo6006]

@@RonCovell thanks Ron! that second video is a great. I have found that those old archived videos can be a very useful resource

[@carlreyes5344]

Classic example of HOW TO DO AN INTERVIEW WITH A SCRIPT MEMORIZED AND REHEARSED A LOT...✌🏻️😅🤘🏻

[@TUONOv4]

Very good!! 👨🏻‍🏭

[@RonCovell]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@davidvelasquez5678]

Soy ciclista y al entrar a este mundo que es full adrenalina mi vida cambio Y actualmente estoy en la carrera de Soladadura Universal ya que me encantaría fabricar cuadros de bicicleta Saludos desde Perú

[@RonCovell]

Muy contento de saber de usted desde Perú, y ¡buena suerte en la construcción de su bicicleta!

[@ianmangham4570]

The bmx PK Ripper first got me into alloy welds

[@ianmangham4570]

You and us all 🤟🤠💯

[@GQNissanPatrol_TD42]

Wow, this is amazing. I'm so passionate about engineering.

[@RonCovell]

Glad you liked it!

[@truantray]

This is fabrication, not engineering.

[@sivodesilva9866]

Gonne order a puls tig machine right now...very motivating

[@RonCovell]

ez lol - There are many advantages for using pulsing when TIG welding!

[@sivodesilva9866]

@@RonCovell thank you for the great info...

[@CrustyBiker]

I love the look of Aluminium welds and the look of bare aluminium, it used to seem like the perfect metal to me, but didn't know then how much it can be prone to salt attack, discovered that from riding motorbike in winter and dishwashing aluminium food trays...

[@RonCovell]

Well, one option is to anodize the aluminum. Anodizing is quite good at protecting aluminum from salt water and many acids. The anodizing can be clear, so it looks a lot like bare aluminum, or it can be colored, which can offer an interesting 'candy' like finish. Many aluminum bicycle parts are anodized - like crank arms and stems.

[@CrustyBiker]

@@RonCovell ah okay yeah, I've seen anodized aluminium parts before but don't know the process of getting I supposed probably through some sort of electrolysis in a solution bath, I'll have to look it, thanks! 👍

[@lordassasen]

Just curious I dont know if someone has asked it yet but is the welding done using a foot pedal? It didn't sound like one was being used.

[@RonCovell]

Yes, the TIG welding machine had a foot pedal to control the amperage 'on the fly'. That's the system preferred by many professional welders. Unless the amperage changes are large, you often can't hear them.

[@caseyquillen6073]

Always enjoy your videos, Ron. Thanks for taking the time to show us these interesting people/processes.

[@RonCovell]

I appreciate your support. I was delighted to meet Mike Woods - he's an exceptional welder and craftsman.

[@samuelkyambo2091]

Encourage him for us, we have no direct link and his work is commendable

[@maerec9303]

Ur welding seams are looking good

[@RonCovell]

Thank you!

[@22rekid]

Stackin' dimes homie.

[@RonCovell]

Glad you liked it!

[@InvincibleExtremes]

looks really cool. light and strong and straight after the straitning and heat treating

[@RonCovell]

Aluminum is a great material to make a bicycle frame from, as long as it's heat treated!

[@consaka1]

What is the process for heat treating it? Also what grade of aluminum is it?

[@TrevorDennis100]

You could bet the farm that This Old Tony has watched this and had an opinion on the welding. Hopefully a positive one.

[@RonCovell]

I hope so too!

[@051658]

I have a question for you, I used to ride a recumbent trike, and a car hit me, as a result the main frame got fractured, and eventually broke apart, somebody told me that it can be solder together, yet where I live nobody knows how to do it, and some people even say , that it can’t be done, so if I could send you some picks so you can give your profesional opinion, and if you are up to it I could send it to you. I hope to hear from you Carlos

[@RonCovell]

You did not specify what material your bicycle frame is made from, but I presume it's aluminum. Yes, aluminum can be brazed, but bicycle frames are generally welded together, since in most cases a welded joint is stronger than a brazed one. I don't do work for customers any more, but thanks for asking!

[@Shootingstarvideo]

Whoa. Starting @ 2:59, looks like a little troll face is welding.

[@RonCovell]

A little troll face? I don't see it.

[@Shootingstarvideo]

Look at the glove on the right. Looks like forehead, eyebrows, eyes, nose and mouth.

[@RonCovell]

Well, now that you pointed it out, I DO see a little troll face that I never noticed, even after seeing that video clip dozens of times! You have some sharp eyes, indeed!

[@Shootingstarvideo]

Ron Covell Yeah, it is creepy looking. Once you see it...

[@Shootingstarvideo]

But that is some very good welding.

[@timlim6477]

First class skill.

[@RonCovell]

Thank you for the nice comment, Tim!

[@timlim6477]

Not at all. High skill should be commended. Such skill is getting rare in the US, I believe.

[@ASHWIN-oo5co]

Its great and thank you for the detailed video,We are new to the manufacturing of Aluminium Cycle Frames.Could you please let us know whats the table name and its fixtures which you used to hold the frame rigidly

[@RonCovell]

That type of table is often called a 'fixturing table' or sometimes simply a 'welding table', and there are many manufacturers worldwide. Here's one example to get you started: www.trick-tools.com/StrongHand-Rhino-Cart-Mobile-Fixturing-Station-TDQ54830-K1-10380

[@ASHWIN-oo5co]

@@RonCovell Thank ron :)

[@dhavinjokam7592]

Polygon bike from Indonesia is amazing

[@faizzq18]

Jokam🙌

[@Patiboke]

The regularity of those welds, awesome!

[@RonCovell]

Yes, Mike Wood is an exceptional welder!

[@duenodelustucru]

Wow! That's a cute artisanal way to do things, but honestly the hyper industrialized Chinese way is unbeatable in every aspect.

[@RonCovell]

Yes, there is no way to custom-build a bike and be competitive with mass produced frames. Nevertheless, this is the process used to make a prototype frame like this one, or a custom design to meet the needs of a particular customer.

[@ToyotaLand4d56]

Perfect handiwork

[@RonCovell]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ToyotaLand4d56]

@@RonCovell Right!

[@ianmangham4570]

PK RIPPER, showed us alloy alloy stacked dimes

[@vcval]

in regards to distortion once you've tacked one side do you tack the other as well might help to have a mirror image jig and help it with a rubber mallet just to get things right might not solve the problem but might lessen the affects of the heat ?

[@RonCovell]

When tacking tubing, it is good practice to alternate the locations of the tacks. It takes a minimum of 3 tack welds to really hold a joint rigidly, and more tacks is better.

[@BilalKhan-fo4ir]

thank you

[@RonCovell]

Thanks for watching, and commenting!

[@vlogsepeda655]

Nice bicycle frame. I really like it.

[@RonCovell]

Thanks for watching, and commenting!

[@hendrikhanso]

nice little video. very interesting. keep those videos coming! thanks.

[@RonCovell]

I'm so glad you liked it, and there are more videos on the way!

[@FrancoisGasnier71]

Where does that monocoque thing comes from? Is it made from plates in the shop itself or is it build on demand by a supplier?

[@RonCovell]

I don't know where the monocoque is actually made. I didn't see any stamping equipment on my tour of the Santa Cruz facilities, so it's likely they subcontract that component.

[@FrancoisGasnier71]

Thank you for your answer! Must be quite costly.

[@markdeadrick3978]

I don't know where Santa Cruz gets theirs, but I know someone who used to supply more or less the entire industry when this technology came to bikes. His name is Gary Pimentel with American Monococque (San Diego area). The equipment to do it is a bit pricy, but the forms and process is rather simple. It's basically a big urethane sheet that is pressurized over the aluminum blank and the form. High pressure pushes the aluminum sheet over the form, then just some simple trimming is done in post. He has some forms made out of wood for short runs, but most are just CNC aluminum dies, which we crank out all the time. Compare this to tubular hydroforming, where very high pressure is fed into a tube, that forms into a female mold. It's way more expensive as far as tooling, and takes some very heavy machinery, but makes some really nice and relatively inexpensive parts, when the tooling can be amortized over thousands of parts.

[@RonCovell]

Mark, thank you for that excellent description, and for letting us know about American Monocoque!

[@ericmcginnis9413]

Good job welding!

[@RonCovell]

Glad you liked it!

[@maxinpains6937]

Top notch.

[@RonCovell]

Glad you liked it!

[@tonyengland9744]

Best mountain bike for me ever. SANTA CRUZ.

[@RonCovell]

They have an excellent reputation in the industry!

[@arsygarcia1366]

Wow! Amazing

[@RonCovell]

Thank you! 😊

[@tdg911]

my machine must be messed up because my AL welds look nothing like his lol .

[@RonCovell]

Yeah - it's probably the machine (smile)!

[@ralphwaters8905]

He sure used a low frequency for that; sounded like 40 Hz. Does that give a wider bead?

[@RonCovell]

I'm nearly certain it was 60 Hz. Sometimes the sound captured by the mic on the camera can be deceptive.

[@elpabloncho]

Just asking as a noob, is not necessary to have gas flow inside the tubes?

[@RonCovell]

You'll find that there is a difference of opinion on this. With reactive metals like stainless steel and titanium, internal purging is quite important. With steel alloys, very few builders do internal purging. Aluminum is occasionally purged, but it's not the norm, and the frame shown in this video was not internally purged.

[@elpabloncho]

@@RonCovell great, thank you for the explanation 🙏

[@tomthompson7400]

fine looking frame , any more videos of making the mono part of the frame , even a shot of the finished product. but fine workmanship.

[@RonCovell]

You can see a photo of the finished bicycle here: gp1.pinkbike.org/p4pb8315711/p4pb8315711.jpg

[@tomthompson7400]

many thanks sir.

[@tomthompson7400]

outstanding

[@OmarUnikel]

@Ron Covell Thank you very much friend. I appreciate your kind reply. In the case of small workshops that do not have heat treatment, what do you recommend for welding, what contribution ER 4043 or ER 5554? Many greetings friend. From Mexico City.

[@RonCovell]

In my work, I used 4043 filler rod mostly for welding cast material. I have never seen or used 5554, but I use 5356 for parts that need the greatest strength, or that will be heat treated.

[@RBAERO]

I have one V10. Nice video

[@RonCovell]

Cool, thanks!

[@massacredh]

GOD Level. congratulations, greetings from Chile.

[@RonCovell]

I'm very glad you liked it!

[@Natiran]

Beautiful

[@RonCovell]

Thank you

[@gangadhrmamidi1597]

Super work

[@RonCovell]

I'm so glad you liked it!

[@LarryLinton]

Great workmanship...

[@RonCovell]

I'm so glad you liked it!

[@punitpanchal90]

Nice work

[@RonCovell]

Thanks!

[@CoolStuffGuysLike]

Beautiful welds!

[@RonCovell]

Mike Woods is an exceptional welder!

[@PeterNetped]

kzbin.infovideos

[@chasedowns6472]

beautiful fitment

[@RonCovell]

Thank you!

[@iamrocketray]

As an ex welder(Arc,Gas,Mig & Tig) Aluminium is a problematic metal to weld because the oxide that forms on the surface melts at a higher temperature than the actual metal so cleanliness i.e. minimizing that oxide formation is essential and Tig(tungsten inert gas) welding is the only way to go, although i have welded Aluminium successfully with gas(oxygen/acetylene) are Aluminium frames(mass produced not custom) still hand welded or do they use robots nowadays

[@RonCovell]

I hope some knowledgeable person can answer this question - it's something I've wondered about, too.

[@consaka1]

I would think they have to use some kind of machine. I mean after all there is a limit to how many people can weld that good. If you look at those frames they are all pretty perfect. They all look like Jody(from welding tips and tricks) welded them. He is one of the best I have ever seen. That being said if you welded aluminum with oxy/acetylene I take my hat off to you. How would you keep the flame from contaminating the metal? My torch wouldn't stay stable enough for that. As it warms up it changes from carburizing to oxidising lol Seems to randomly change little bits after that even. I actually tried to weld aluminum with it at one time many years ago. took forever to heat up and when it did a big chunk just sloughed off. :( I took the next project to a shop.

[@RonCovell]

Aluminum is commonly gas welded. It takes a special flux, and a special lens to cut the glare given off by the flux. Here's one of the best: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bnmXZmCsmdOrn5Y

[@iamrocketray]

The rods we used were hollow with flux down the middle,very slightly carbonizing flame(BOC Saffire torch) and we didn't have the lense's then so had to put up with the glare.Aluminium moves a lot so you either clamped it down or tacked it at an angle so the movement pulled it back straight.But the welds were nowhere near as pretty as TIG welds.

[@carlotv1212]

Is this mig welding or stick welding ?

[@RonCovell]

It is TIG welding, different from either MIG or stick: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aaTTYnWGZ559aqc

[@mebeasensei]

After seeing this, seeing some of the complexities, I don't think I will learn to make bike frames after all - especially when he says the frames warp and need to be heated, straightened and then reheated. wow

[@RonCovell]

While bicycle frame building is not for everyone, I would encourage anyone who is interested in learning the processes.

[@littlekingcobrasden4217]

I'm doing some Custom Fabrication on my bicycle that requires cutting parts of the frame off of one bicycle and Welding them onto another. I did not realize until I already start it that one frame is aluminum in one frame is steel. I'm not very experienced with welding to begin with, almost welding is mostly bed frame gauge steel. Usually modifying bed frame material to make whatever I need. The welder I have is just a 110 wire welder I inherited from my father. I do know he has used it for different kinds of welding. I don't know the difference between Mig and Tig, I don't know what gas is he used to make what kinds of whales. I've only used it for straight wire welding with steel. Can anybody tell me what I need to make this wire welder work welding aluminum to steel?

[@RonCovell]

Unfortunately, your 110 wire feed (MIG) welder really can't be used to weld aluminum, and you can't weld aluminum to steel using normal shop equipment.

[@littlekingcobrasden4217]

@@RonCovell thank you for your help. Asking questions like this is the only way I can learn.

[@GreasyFingerboys]

Ron, why wasn't the down tube fully welded to the head tube at the point that the "monocoque" covered that joint?

[@RonCovell]

Mike Woods - the fabricator for Santa Cruz Bicycles - believes that a joint which is completely surrounded by another welded joint does not need to be completely welded.

[@ramelsofranes21]

Love it

[@RonCovell]

I'm very glad you enjoyed this video!

[@gustavmeyrink_2.0]

As an aluminium welder by trade one of the reasons I never bought an aluminium framed bike was that I'd always look at the welds and think 'I would do better than that'. This frame is borderline, kinda ok but I wouldn't be all that happy with it.

[@RonCovell]

You must be an exceptional welder, indeed!

[@gustavmeyrink_2.0]

@@RonCovell the guy from the 6061.com YT channel seems ok. I used to make structures out of tubing similar to bike tubes but they were a lot bigger than bike frames so that included a lot of overhead work and other awkwardness since you couldn't just flip the things over or use jigs. One of the things I was most proud of was a 3d structure that had a 22m (70ft ?) diagonal measurement. Stretched over 3 work benches and no chance to clamp anything so needed careful balancing of the welds to keep it square. Ended up 1.5mm out. Measured that thing half a dozen times because I couldn't believe it was that little! I slept well that night. :)

[@chicobicalho5621]

1:19 How was the monocoque built? I already know how two tubes are welded together, but I'd love to know how that monocoque is made.

[@RonCovell]

The monocoque in this video was probably hydroformed. You can see a more low-tech way of making a bicycle monocoque here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmiZgXmgfZaGgKM

[@stoneyswolf]

It looks like it's two separate halves that were stamped then welded together probably in China.

[@RonCovell]

There are companies that do hydroforming all over the world, including in the United States. That frame and the monocoque halves were definitely welded in California - I was there!

[@pashakdescilly7517]

The use here of the term 'monocoque' is not really correct. A monocoque is a structure where the outer surface forms the structure - the typical modern car body is sort of a monocoque, but not a pure one. This bicycle frame is part tubular, part formed sheet metal. Monocoque it is not

[@RonCovell]

I agree that the entire frame is not a monocoque design, but I believe the formed upper section can be fairly called a monocoque structure.

[@freewayron]

With all that work what’s the cost of one bike frame to be built since bikes are usual a couple hundred dollars?

[@RonCovell]

Well yes, there are many mass-produced bikes you can buy for a couple hundred dollars, but anything custom made can cost thousands.

[@romsawyer2694]

I wanna know what brand of bikes this guy working for or brands that making frames like this one

[@RonCovell]

I have lost track of Mike Woods. He worked for Santa Cruz bicycles when I shot this video, but he had his own frame-building business on the side.

[@gokos4765]

what type of welding machine did you use? Im used to seeing those types with sparks flying

[@RonCovell]

TIG welding was used on this bicycle frame. MIG and stick welding both are accompanied by a shower of sparks, but sparks of any kind are quite rare with TIG welding, and usually only happen if there are impurities on or in the metal.

[@donaldklopper]

gorgeous work!

[@RonCovell]

Yes, Mike is an exceptional welder!

[@RonCovell]

Aluminum has been used for bicycle frames for over 20 years now. I'd say it has stood the test of time fairly well.

[@kevinhornbuckle]

No purge of the I.D.? Pithy Bikes on KZbin has a good series on fixtures for bike frame welding.

[@RonCovell]

Purging the inside of tubing is quite important with stainless steel, but not nearly as important with aluminum, mild steel, or alloy steel. It never hurts, though!