RE: [CR]measuring ugliness

(Example: Racing:Jean Robic)

Content-class: urn:content-classes:message
Subject: RE: [CR]measuring ugliness
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 10:09:47 +1100
Thread-Topic: [CR]measuring ugliness
Thread-Index: AcTHGE8s0ZuuWwbRQE+3N3SmLiLKBAAYIcSQ
From: <Suzy.Jackson@csiro.au>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>


Tony Rentschler wrote:
> Learn to TIG weld, and when you can smoothly and cleanly join very
> thin-walled steel tubes with a tiny weld, or, as a challenge, perhaps
> two beer cans or some stainless steel foil, then I just _know_ you will
> gain a new perspective, and see beauty and soul where you now see none.
> "Soul," for my money, is poured into a creation by the builder, and is
> not dependent upon any specific technique.

I haven't learnt TIG welding (yet), but it's most definitely on my list of skills to master. Unfortunately my partner balks at spending $2-3K on a TIG setup, so it may take some time :) Given this of course it's reasonable that, having spent some time brazing (at least enough to appreciate the skill required) I've got a fairly healthy bias towards things involving flames.

I guess what I was trying to get at is that the perfect TIG weld looks like there isn't a weld at all. Put two bikes by different builders side by side with perfect TIG welds (and without paint), and you'd be hard pressed to spot the difference. That, I guess, is why a lot of manufacturers now do other things to differentiate their frames. My Colnago's strangely shaped tubes, and my GT's triple-triangle frame come to mind as attempts to differentiate.

The same goes for most lugs though. Put two bikes side by side with perfectly brazed bog-standard lugs (of whatever flavour) and they look identical. However unlike TIG welded frames, it's fairly easy for a builder to differentiate his or her frames when using lugs. Just a little work with a file, and the mark is made.

Regards,

Suzy Jackson,

Sydney, Australia