# smoothing welds
**URL:** https://tarck.cc/t/smoothing-welds/15250
**Category:** Bikes
**Created:** [October 5, 2009, 12:48pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/smoothing-welds/15250 "2009-10-05T12:48:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@dillybars](https://tarck.cc/u/dillybars)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/smoothing-welds/15250/21 "2009-10-05T18:59:40Z")
> [@GRHebard](#):
>
> [quote=VT tallbike]
>
> 
horrible idea atmo
first time you go over train tracks/sprint on the bike… cracks all over the welds
bondo, doesnt flex.[/quote]
Don’t use bondo, use something like everglaze or any fiberglass puddy that will flex…
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### Author:  [@VT\_regularbike](https://tarck.cc/u/VT_regularbike)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/smoothing-welds/15250/22 "2009-10-05T19:18:41Z")
Wow you guys took the bondo comment way too seriously. Was joke guise.
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### Author:  [@pixieshatintruck](https://tarck.cc/u/pixieshatintruck)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/smoothing-welds/15250/23 "2009-10-05T20:07:58Z")
papier mache will flex
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### Author:  [@GRHebard](https://tarck.cc/u/GRHebard)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/smoothing-welds/15250/24 "2009-10-05T20:12:38Z")
VT, yeah i thought it was a joke.
i just dont know how people taking advice would take it
about bondo not cracking on car body panels, a car has suspension, and many other elements that damp vibrations
try putting bondo on a control arm/sway bar and tell me if it doesnt crack
im not sure if it would crack or not. if it doesnt, good for you.
if it does, you just created a lot more work for yourself
this has been discussed plenty of times, but covering up welds is an unprofessional thing
welding takes talent, and (at least on mine) the TK2 welds look pretty fuckin good
i wouldnt cover them up
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### Author:  [@quilbert420](https://tarck.cc/u/quilbert420)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2009, 9:54pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/smoothing-welds/15250/25 "2009-10-05T21:54:06Z")
ugliest welds are the best/strongest welds atmo
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### Author:  [@dillybars](https://tarck.cc/u/dillybars)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/smoothing-welds/15250/26 "2009-10-05T22:03:07Z")
> [@biekridder](#):
>
> ugliest welds are the best/strongest welds atmo
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### Author:  [@quilbert420](https://tarck.cc/u/quilbert420)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2009, 10:14pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/smoothing-welds/15250/27 "2009-10-05T22:14:29Z")
lol whut
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### Author:  [@halbritt](https://tarck.cc/u/halbritt)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/smoothing-welds/15250/28 "2009-10-05T22:24:31Z")
My help, it’s not needed in this thread.
> [@zombie](#):
>
> 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.
Best answer.
Also:
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### Author:  [@why](https://tarck.cc/u/why)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/smoothing-welds/15250/29 "2009-10-06T00:26:14Z")
when did this place turn into bike forums?
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### Author:  [@cookietruck](https://tarck.cc/u/cookietruck)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2009, 1:08am UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/smoothing-welds/15250/30 "2009-10-06T01:08:22Z")
so not welding but brazing. hmmm.
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### Author:  [@halbritt](https://tarck.cc/u/halbritt)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2009, 4:47am UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/smoothing-welds/15250/31 "2009-10-06T04:47:34Z")
WTH, dude uses a rosebud and a torch. He’s putting a damned lot of heat into that frame.
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### Author:  [@DangerCat](https://tarck.cc/u/DangerCat)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2009, 5:16am UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/smoothing-welds/15250/32 "2009-10-06T05:16:27Z")
[quote=halbritt]WTH, dude uses a rosebud and a torch. He’s putting a damned lot of heat into that frame.
[/quote]
Is it me or should he be wearing protective eyewear?
Is he doing some kind of welding that doesn’t burn his eyes out?
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### Author:  [@zombie](https://tarck.cc/u/zombie)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2009, 5:22am UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/smoothing-welds/15250/33 "2009-10-06T05:22:46Z")
I wear clear lenses with silver flux and light tint with brass, only because it glows enough to make my eyes a little sensitive. But no, it’s not like welding. There’s no arc, which is what fucks your eyes up when you stare at a weld.
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### Author:  [@DangerCat](https://tarck.cc/u/DangerCat)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2009, 5:28am UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/smoothing-welds/15250/34 "2009-10-06T05:28:25Z")
> [@zombie](#):
>
> I wear clear lenses with silver flux and light tint with brass, only because it glows enough to make my eyes a little sensitive. But no, it’s not like welding. There’s no arc, which is what fucks your eyes up when you stare at a weld.
thank you.
Welding is one of those things I was around enough growing up to know just enough to get confused.
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### Author:  [@halbritt](https://tarck.cc/u/halbritt)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2009, 7:36am UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/smoothing-welds/15250/35 "2009-10-06T07:36:40Z")
He is wearing protective eyewear. They look like shade 3 glasses and would have a green tint for absorbing IR light which is primarily what’s emitted when using an O/A torch. Shade 3 is the lightest shade and is common for glass blowers. Brazing is such a low-temp process comparatively that it gives off very little IR light. When I’m cutting with O/A or plasma, I use a shade 5 lens. When I TIG weld under 100 amps I’ll use a shade 9. My hood goes to shade 13, I believe and I usually keep it at shade 10. Any kind of arc welding gives off intense IR and UV light.
The darkness of the tint is usually just for comfort as most if not all safety goggles and welding hoods absorb 100% UV and IR. Some folks freak out when an auto hood flashes 'em (fails to darken) when really, there’s no possibility of damage to one’s vision.
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### Author:  [@DangerCat](https://tarck.cc/u/DangerCat)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2009, 7:41am UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/smoothing-welds/15250/36 "2009-10-06T07:41:40Z")
[quote=halbritt]He is wearing protective eyewear. They look like shade 3 glasses and would have a green tint for absorbing IR light which is primarily what’s emitted when using an O/A torch. Shade 3 is the lightest shade and is common for glass blowers. Brazing is such a low-temp process comparatively that it gives off very little IR light. When I’m cutting with O/A or plasma, I use a shade 5 lens. When I TIG weld under 100 amps I’ll use a shade 9. My hood goes to shade 13, I believe and I usually keep it at shade 10. Any kind of arc welding gives off intense IR and UV light.
The darkness of the tint is usually just for comfort as most if not all safety goggles and welding hoods absorb 100% UV and IR. Some folks freak out when an auto hood flashes 'em (fails to darken) when really, there’s no possibility of damage to one’s vision.[/quote]
All I know is I have seen my dad come home with a flash sunburn bc he quickly touched something up at work and was dumb and didn’t through sleeves and a full hood on.
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### Author:  [@kembear](https://tarck.cc/u/kembear)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2009, 9:50am UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/smoothing-welds/15250/37 "2009-10-06T09:50:14Z")
I’ve welded for hours with short sleeves and not been sunburned by it, can’t imagine getting sunburned by quickly touching something up.
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### Author:  [@cookietruck](https://tarck.cc/u/cookietruck)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2009, 12:37pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/smoothing-welds/15250/38 "2009-10-06T12:37:58Z")
[quote=halbritt]WTH, dude uses a rosebud and a torch. He’s putting a damned lot of heat into that frame.
[/quote]
yeah there was huge discussion of that method on the CR list. a few dudes saying he overheated the joint and it’s not safe while a large majority (of framebuilders) were saying that it’s fine, he just heats it up quick to the right temp brazes and lets it cool. that shop did tons of testing brazing up joints quick vs slow and did destructive testing and concluded that the fast braze method was stronger…
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### Author:  [@GRHebard](https://tarck.cc/u/GRHebard)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2009, 3:33pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/smoothing-welds/15250/39 "2009-10-06T15:33:55Z")
The only time I wear sleeves when welding is in the winter
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### Author:  [@VT\_regularbike](https://tarck.cc/u/VT_regularbike)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://tarck.cc/t/smoothing-welds/15250/40 "2009-10-06T16:41:13Z")
I’ve never worn the sleeves even though I have them. Most of the time its just a glove on my left hand, my welding mask, and whatever I happen to be wearing at the time. I need to get my ass in gear and get some scrap bikes so I can start my cargo bike project.
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