Titanium Welding & Repair Story
5milestogo
Posts: 224
Have got to write this as today is the first day back on the road for 12 months since a spiral fracture appeared on the seat tube on my 'vintage' GT Ti Edge.
Months of searching and speaking to Ti frame providers like Enigma / Van Nicholas led me to beleive that I'd be sending the frame along to China or CIS with a fairly hefty outlay
But hey presto, Sigma Sports in Hampton introduced me to Competition Fabrications, a specialist welding outfit in Attleborough, Norfolk, UK whom I understand focus into the motor racing industry but maintain an interest in the bike market. It was sent to them, they turned it round in less than a week, and I have just put the wheels & bars back on. The weld is great, very neat and complete, the bike is back to its responsive best and I'm happy as larry!
I didn't need to strip the frame, costs were very manageable and they were great to deal with. Thanks to Richie & Nick.
A quick on search on google will give their details. Happy to show before and after photo's if anyone is interested. There are some interesting stories on there regards other success stories they have had with custom cars etc as testament to their skills.
(before anybody asks yes, I got myself a longer seat post!)
Months of searching and speaking to Ti frame providers like Enigma / Van Nicholas led me to beleive that I'd be sending the frame along to China or CIS with a fairly hefty outlay
But hey presto, Sigma Sports in Hampton introduced me to Competition Fabrications, a specialist welding outfit in Attleborough, Norfolk, UK whom I understand focus into the motor racing industry but maintain an interest in the bike market. It was sent to them, they turned it round in less than a week, and I have just put the wheels & bars back on. The weld is great, very neat and complete, the bike is back to its responsive best and I'm happy as larry!
I didn't need to strip the frame, costs were very manageable and they were great to deal with. Thanks to Richie & Nick.
A quick on search on google will give their details. Happy to show before and after photo's if anyone is interested. There are some interesting stories on there regards other success stories they have had with custom cars etc as testament to their skills.
(before anybody asks yes, I got myself a longer seat post!)
Rose Pro DX Cross 3000
GT Edge Ti
Ribble Audax
GT Edge Ti
Ribble Audax
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Comments
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Good ending for your bike, and thanks for the tip, seems like they fill a handy gap in the market0
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Yes, pics please.0
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Yes, pics please.
+10 -
Yeah, me too. I have a couple of titanium frames from xacd.com based in China. Up to now
they're ok.0 -
A great story with a happy ending.
Can't beat Titanium, was it a triple triangle frame ?
Yes please on the pics0 -
Pic link below.
Yes, its a triple triangle, picked it up from someone who brought it out of the USA (tough to find a 63cm frame) with all the race team gear still attached. You can see the crack - it pretty much sheered off!
They fabricated it then stuck on some diamond shaped Ti patches to tidy it up. They also touched up the stays.
Anyone else seen a GT Edge Ti about? Only know of 2 - one in Hull the other Chicago!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47300258@N05/Rose Pro DX Cross 3000
GT Edge Ti
Ribble Audax0 -
Very nice, I'm sure there was one on ebay recently, but as usual size huge so too big for me - mind you that's anything over a 530
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Judging by the quality of the welds, I'd advise them to stick to the day job and don't try bike fabrication - 'industrial' rather than 'craftsman' would be my description. The reason the frame broke in the first place is actually due to a fundamental flaw in the design and the way the seattube and seatstays cross-over - a frame designer would avoid that style of joint because it actually is a stress-raiser - the kind of thing you learn in Welding & fabrication 101.Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..0
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Monty Dog wrote:- a frame designer would avoid that style of joint because it actually is a stress-raiser - the kind of thing you learn in Welding & fabrication 101.
better go an tell GT that then.
"Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
Parktools :?:SheldonBrown0 -
Yes, which perhaps is why GT no longer make ti frames and they're as rare as rocking horse poo plus the same GT that went bust?Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..0
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Monty Dog wrote:Yes, which perhaps is why GT no longer make ti frames and they're as rare as rocking horse poo plus the same GT that went bust?
GT made titanium and of course Aluminium frames with the triple triangle, obviously you are an expert in the above commented fields but I would like to point out that Gary Turner [co founder of GT bikes] was in fact a Welding Engineer.
I don't think he / they would have made so many bikes without that potential weakness being pointed out to the general public.
Also Lotto didn't have a problem with it riding the Tour De France [amongst other] on triple triangle bikes. See link
http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/frame ... 93crx.aspx
Also I don't think GT going bankrupt had anything to do with the triple triangle design of their bikes, surely did they not produce the same design after their return, I may be wrong.
I had two GT road frame / bikes one Force and a GT 2.0 ZR, a great bike wish I hadn't sold it.
I must admit though the welds do look as we used to say a bit like a Seagull had a dump over the area. Very specialist area Ti welding though.0 -
What's a welding engineer?0
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boblo wrote:What's a welding engineer?
An engineer who specialises in welding? Complicated subject with many, many applications.- - - - - - - - - -
On Strava.{/url}0 -
boblo wrote:What's a welding engineer?
Answer: Improve
A welding engineer is a person with the demonstrated education, experience, and knowledge in specialized fields of welding, brazing, cutting and materials joining. Welding engineering is a broad field that covers fields from automotive and shipbuilding to nuclear power, areospace and mining. If there is joining of metals involved then there is probably a welding engineer involved the in the process.
A welding engineer is capable of directing those operations associated with weldments and other types of joints that are completed in accordance with the appropriate contract documents, codes, and other standards to produce a satisfactory product. The welding engineer's activities begins before production or construction welding and continues through the production process then ending when the production process is complete. This may include NDE, materials science, filler metal control, corrosion control and repair welding.
Most Welding Engineering curriculum's are built on a solid general engineering, calculus-based, foundation that includes course work in mathematics, physical metallurgy, physics, chemistry, engineering mechanics, thermodynamics, fluids and other core engineering requirements. See Ohio State University for information on 4 year ABET accredited welding engineering degrees
Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_wel ... z1Touw5hop0 -
or just pick up an arc welder and have-a-go.
the weld in the picture doesnt look too bad to me. its always people who havent welded that tell me of welding so good it was smooth.
you only have so much control over a pool of molten metal. 0 -
I'd agree with that. It'll be plenty strong enough, OK it's not very pretty but so what?- - - - - - - - - -
On Strava.{/url}0
