smoothing welds

because im vain I want to smooth the welds out in my tk2 before i repaint it. I know that a few aluminum frames are finished this way, but I was wondering if anyone has done it themselves or if its just a really bad idea.

I have done it with a sandblaster and didn’t have a problem. Just don’t go crazy and I think you will be alright.
Granted you might want to listen to someone with more of a technical knowledge than myself. Heath, Carl, anyone?

Wheres Halbritt on this one?

I think this sounds like a bad idea. The welds on your bike most likely are not designed to have a fillet, so I wouldn’t attempt it unless you have consulted a welder or a mechanical engineer.

welds aren’t meant to be smoothed.

See don’t listen to me, I am a dumb redneck who does this crap without asking someone who knows better.

is a filler possible?

I would really recommend some type of filler over sanding. It will, for the most part, give the same appearance without deteriorating the integrity of the welds.

horrible idea atmo

first time you go over train tracks/sprint on the bike… cracks all over the welds
bondo, doesnt flex.

papier mache

Don’t remove material from the weld.

Removing material will structurally weaken the frame. Don’t do this.

Adding filler will look like crap. Don’t do this.

Your bike is a bunch of thin-walled tubes welded together in the most economical fashion possible, try and embrace it as the get-the-job-done tool it is. If you want something real clean looking, get someone to braze you up a steel frame with big meaty fillets that can be worked to perfection.

Sand paper and bondo won’t turn a '95 Civic into a '51 Mercury.

horrible idea atmo

first time you go over train tracks/sprint on the bike… cracks all over the welds
bondo, doesnt flex.[/quote]

I would be very surprised if it cracked. You would only need a very thin layer, and a thin layer of bondo will flex with the metal and won’t crack. Bondo does flex, a little bit anyway, enough to keep it from cracking when you go over train tracks in a car. I really don’t think it would be a problem.

tell that to cannondale atmo

tell that to cannondale atmo[/quote]

Wrong-o

oh

what about grinding down welds when doing like body work on a car?

like when you weld in new rockers and theres and extra bead therr

that sheet metal ain’t a load-bearing element.

zombie do you have pics of your frames up anywhere on flickr or something?

i’m curious and would like to check them out

[quote=biekridder]zombie do you have pics of your frames up anywhere on flickr or something?

i’m curious and would like to check them out[/quote]

No sir, I do not yet. To be perfectly honest, I haven’t built anything I’m proud of enough to show. I put up a few pics of my first frame with a few random parts hanging on it up in Post Your Bike thread a week or two ago, if you want to see an ugly bike with no paint.

I’m trying to keep these early crude frames to myself while I climb this learning curve. The frame I’m working on right now is actually going to be chopped into a bunch of tiny pieces when it’s finished so that I can inspect all my brazes.