No matter what vehicle it is, whether trucks, cars, or bikes, each of their frames are prone to distortion. However, It’s undeniable that bikes are considered the most unstable and risky vehicle. Thus, it’s highly probable that bike frames will be requiring constant maintenance.
Well, in the case of frame deformation, the only solution to correct these occurring is welding. But, welding can go seriously wrong if it isn’t dealt with extreme care and preciseness.
There are different ways to weld bike frames! The technique and the steps you use to determine the weld quality; therefore, scroll down to learn those ways.
Top 5 Methods for Bike Frame Welding
Multiple frame welding methods make it tough to pick out the best-fitting one for your bike frames. Therefore, the below-mentioned methods are the most popular and modified ones, easing out your selection issues.
1. MIG Welding
MIG welding is also known as gas metal arc welding and is now considered one of the simple and straightforward welding methods. That’s why even the beginners are confident enough to carry on with MIG welding.
However, it’s essential to understand that welding outdoors can be a problem creator. That’s because MIG welding requires gas shielding to protect the weld from any environmental irregularities, e.g., corrosion. So try welding within your garage or shops!
Besides, the welding process is similar to the arc process; an electrode wire is incorporated into the weld pool with the help of a welding gun. This results in a weld joint that can vary due to the speed control and welder actions.
2. TIG Welding
TIG welding is a bit complex method to proceed on with. It requires the welder to be an expert in carrying out welding techniques. For Beginners, it’s not recommended to get going with TIG welding as minor mistakes can cause harm to bike frames. Also don’t buy any expensive TIG Welder as a beginner.
It is also known as GAS Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW). This method eliminates the need for filler materials; thus, cleaner welds are inevitable. Likewise, MIG welding, gas shielding is essential for TIG welding.
This welding is usually achieved by using non-consumable tungsten that liquefies the metal resulting in a smooth and sleek frame.
3. Laser beam Welding
Compared to the other two, this one is a quiet newer process but is quickly evolving with the increasing need for bike frame welding. It’s a more advanced method that makes use of lasers as a heat source. This heat build-up enables the user to join the metal frames with ease.
More importantly, the quality produced is endless. Alongside quality, the timing issues and the costs are minimized. That’s why highly renowned automobiles are making use of this type of welding procedure.
4. Stick Welding
Stick welding is a conventional type of welding that makes modern welding issues dexter to solve. However, MIG and TIG welding is more advanced than stick welding. Still, stick welding is one of the top trending welding due to its effortless functioning, outdoor compatibility, and cost.
The stick welding is mainly centered on a replaceable stick. That specific stick is joined with the torch that acts as filler metal and electrode simultaneously.
Moreover, the arc is then placed at the base of the stick, transforming it to a filler metal and then establishing it on the base metal, forming a weld. Noticeably, the stick is covered with a flux that forms a gas bubble to protect the metal from oxidation.
However, this even leads to the formation of waste that requires cleanup. Therefore, stick welding can be messy. Managing all the mess can be pretty complex while welding.
5. Plasma Arc Welding
Plasma arc welding makes use of minor arc for exact and precise welds. Along with a smaller arc, the torch that it makes use of can gain high temperatures. In this process, the gas is pressurized within the torch stick and further leads to bear electrical conductivity to create a plasma arc. This process leads to high temperatures, liquefying the base metal.
This type of welding ensures deep penetration, so it results in meticulous bike frame welds. Alongside penetration, it also offers a wide range of speeds letting the user manipulate and adjust accordingly.
The only thing that’s unlikable about it is that it reaches high temperatures, making it dangerous to deal with. But anyway, it’s one of the beneficial welding processes.
Watch Complete Video about Bike Frame Welding
Should I choose Welding or Brazing?
Treating the cracks or bends on bike frames can either be done through the welding or brazing method. Brazing is a method used to join metals by flowing a molten filler metal into the weld joint.
There’s no doubt that brazing is more potent, but welding is preferred on steel bike frames due to low costs and less time consumption.
Conclusion
Again, I repeat that there are numerous ways to weld bike frames, but we could only discuss the most important ones. These methods mentioned above are enough to weld not just bike frames but even any material.
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