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Welcome cyclhed! Always good to have someone with shared interests around. Image

"welding round tube with coped fit ups at angles less than 90 degrees are difficult" One way to "get in there" that works well is to build an aluminium foil argon dam behind the area your welding so you can extend your tungsten enough to reach the joint. That and I use a #4 or #5 cup with 3/32 electrode. <read, think cheap, small and steal the Ole' Lady's tin foil> :mrgreen: Just don't wrap the foil to tight against the weld joint, leave kind of a bowl to hold the gas...tin foil vaporizes really fast with a tig arc, don't ask how I know. :oops: Another option would be to use a gas lens but I don't have one for my torch, maybe some day...I want to try one of these; http://www.usaweld.com/TIG-Pyrex-Cups-Kits-s/67.htm

It looks like your frame is coming along nicely. What "Grade" CREW are you using for your frame, 1018, 1020? DOM is over rated and $$$ for a bike frame IMHO.
Go break something, then you can weld it back the right way.

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cyclhed
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    Thu Jan 24, 2013 12:32 pm

Thanks Fat Bob. One of my favorite videos is this one where Jody shows the tin foil method: http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/welding-4130.html
I know the video is for 4130, but the joints are what I'm focusing on there.
I've been practicing on some 40 degree joints. Yesterday I tried a 1/16 electrode, #7 cup, 140A, 15CFH, 1.3 PPS with both 5/32 and 1/16 ER70S2 filler rods. I worked pretty good and I got a fairly decent looking weld. The 1/16 rod had some undercut. The problem with these joints is the different type joints around the tube so I need to adjust for that. That seems to be where I'm either too hot or not hot enough. I think the key is to adjust properly for the different conditions when I get to them.
The tubing I have is probably 1018, but I don't know for sure. I bought it 8 or 9 years ago in Atlanta when I lived there.
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Hey cyclhed,

How you doing on the frame build? Motor and tranny mounting plates in yet? :?:

When I did mine I did it at a buddies machine shop. He has all the benders, welders and adjustable jigs a guy could ever hope for. ;) He was the one that taught me the foil trick originally...just wish I had remembered to take pictures at the stage you are. :( It was raining when I was ready to bring it home (110 miles South of Denver) so gave it a shot of black rattle paint to keep the rust off. It's come a long way since then but still not done,,, are they ever "done"? :twisted:

How it looked a week latter after getting it home ...
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Like you said, a 1/6 electrode is a little to small for the wall thickness and amps required to build a bike frame. As I recall we were using a 3/32...
Go break something, then you can weld it back the right way.

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