[CR]Closed off tubing?

(Example: Framebuilding)

To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
From: "Bianca Pratorius" <biankita@comcast.net>
Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2007 18:19:00 -0400
Subject: [CR]Closed off tubing?

Rarely do I see brazed frames with lugs that have no access to one or more of the tubes. My new Gios has no breather hole on the fork blades. It also has no breather holes on the seat stays. How is this even possible? I understand there has to be some way for hot gasses to escape during the brazing process. Since the fork is chromed, I assume they plugged the holes before dunking in chrome or some such thing. The seat stays, I don't get at all, since the rest of the frame has no chrome at all. I just finished Boeshielding the bike and the solvent in the Boeshield must have dissolved some other kind of protecting substance from the factory, because red gooey liquid ran out from the bb and other locations. Do I drill holes in the seat stays? Do I drill holes in the fork blades? Are bikes without breather holes less or more prone to rust? (PS,... my old Gios Torino had all the regular breather holes)

Garth Libre in Miami Fl. USA