I’ve made a few changes to my design in the process of manufacturing. All of it is still within the scope of my original intent, but the changes will make the process more straightforward and limit errors. I really want this thing to sit straight (not always be riding to one angle) so I’ve decided to weld the joints (MIG) rather than braze them and rely on the settling to somehow stay straight. Welding also gives me more comfort with the strength. I’m still on the fence about the finish, originally I wanted to paint it really vibrant colors (as noted in past blogs) but the tubes and lugs in raw metal are beautiful and have a wonderful industrial feel to them. I’m going to make the decision when everything is finished, but I’m leaning toward not painting it and treating it instead.
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You should really consider painting it with vibrant colors, as you stated earlier. I think that a hot pink, or neon green would suit you really well. Treating it might work as well, but I think it would reflect your vivacious personalit more if you committed to a paint color.
I think it’s a great idea to not paint your frame. It draws attention to the metal itself, and lets people know it’s made out of steel, which is great since it’s probably the most timeless material to build a bike frame out of. I know that MIG welding is easier and more accessible, but have you considered TIG? When I welded my swing bike, it was extremely tough to make pretty welds since you don’t have enough control over the current. It’s also easy to burn through bike tubing, which is relatively thin, because of this. If you’re going without a paint job and want your bike to look nice, TIG is probably a better way to go.