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    I offer all three methods of steel frame construction, TIG welded, fillet brazed and lug brazed.   Both fillet and lug brazing have been used to make quality bikes since bikes began, TIG welding is somewhat newer.  Personally, I see three main differences between the methods, time to construct, aesthetics and  geometric possibilities (many builders will argue about relatively minor technical issues, I don't think that those differences are worth worrying about).  Lug brazing is pretty much limited to traditional geometry road bikes, with nothing too weird.  Fillet brazing and welding allow for just about any frame design that you can imagine, with a welded bike taking less time to build.  

    Lugs can be brazed with brass or silver.  If you want to use stainless steel lugs (which can be polished and masked for a really classic look), they must be silver brazed.  Ultimately, there is one main difference between the two methods, cost (silver filler costs more than brass, and silver brazing takes a little more prep work).  Certainly, there is a difference in the "heat effected zone", but with the "air hardening" tubes, silver brazing doesn't reach high enough temperatures for the heat treating effect to take place.

    Most framebuilders who fillet braze offer only polished fillets.  And because they plan on grinding the fillets smooth, they don't worry about what the fillets look like, they just pile the brass on and grind it back off.  I do things a little different.  I braze as if I will not be grinding my fillets down.  I do my best to make beautiful, small, and consistent beads (much like a nice TIG weld).  As it turns out, not only does this make my life easier if I do need to grind them smooth, but I also put less heat into the joint, which makes for a stronger frame.  But of course, the most important benefit is that, because I happen to like the way my fillets look (and because it saves me from having to grind), I am happy to offer a frame with unpolished fillets to you at a much lower price.

    TIG welding, like fillet brazing, allows for any frame design that you can imagine (even some that you can't).  It is so much cheaper than fillet brazing because it is faster to weld a joint than braze it and there is less clean-up work needed when you are done.

    These prices include True Temper Verus tubing, stock vertical dropouts, basic fittings, and a single color finish with no fancy artwork.  In the case of the lugged frames, the price also includes Richard Sachs "Richie Issimo" lugs.  A fork, if needed, is extra.

E-mail:  matthoule@bicyclespecialtiesonline.com        S-mail: PO Box 112 Port Townsend, Wa. 98368-0112         Phone: (360)280-8987