Paul im about to start a fabrication and welding course at night school and your videos are one of the reasons I decided to go for it, keep doing what you're doing man, you're an inspiration ❤
I must say, I am immensely enjoying your videos. In the next year or so (I've got other irons in the fire at the moment) I would love to build a bicycle; your website is not discouraging this! Also, I think that you might be the Bob Ross of bicycles. Thanks for the content.
I think this is my third of fourth time watching this. It's just so mesmerising. Especially how the weld just disappears. Now I wanna do this to convert my threaded fork to threadless. :)
I love how you make the effort to round the edges of the inner tube so they don't become a stress riser. That's quality work. Somehow I expected you to braze the inner tube in. I was wondering how you would make the braze go into that tiny fit until you said TIG welding 🤓 Your videos are so inspiring. Thank you for sharing your great experience, Paul. It's much appreciated.
You can tell the guy who sharpens your tungsten: he is extremely good at it. I’ve never seen tungsten as sharp as yours is. I didn’t even think it could be this sharp and perfect.
Thanks for the great video! I've done a few of these extensions. I had one develop a stress crack after a year of heavy riding so now I put in a 1/8 plug weld on each end as a added measure of safety.
Looking to build myself an ebike frame and I've spend the whole day watching your channel and have learned a hell of a lot. Subscribed Paul, your a master of your craft!!!
I love this approach, and most of ways you take on framebuilding. Your experience proves its self. I look forward to your videos every week. Keep them coming!
WOW! Amazing job. I often thought the whole tube would have to be replaced in order to get a longer steering tube. I would guess this method could be used to convert a fork to a threadless setup as well. Thanks for the video.
Great video! Thanks for sharing. I used this method to extend a couple forks, back when I was building recumbent frames...I always wondered if it was a good/safe method. Your video gives me confidence that it is truly a safe method. I suspect that void at the end of your weld was from the press-lube, or gas escaping via the path of least resistance. So refreshing to see you hold your TIG torch dead still, until the post flow times out.
Cut off abrasive saws are nicer or a 4.5" angle grinder with a disc cutting blade. I actually quit using a hack saw over twenty years ago as to application to bicycle frame building.
@@paulbrodie I'm going to take it to a machine shop and have them weld and grind it properly so I have peace of mind, and I'll throw a steerer tube check into my next bike rebuild.
@@RainytheNB I would suggest taking it to a framebuilder instead of a machine shop. Most machine shops probably have little or no experience working on bicycle frames or forks.
Yes, we seem to be focussed on bicycles right now, but maybe sometime in the future we will take a look at Ruby 2.0. In the meantime, there is lots on my website: www.flashbackfab.com
Great video! I don't know what got into your puddle but it's possible it was a little bit of grease or something on the filler rod. I think that might have happened to me the other day. I always try to remember to clean the rod (and not hold it in my mouth while moving things around the table) now.
Hey Paul, love the videos! I have a question for you; do you think it would be safe to use this technique to extend a threaded fork steerer and convert to threadless? Essentially replacing the threaded top section with a non-threaded steerer tube. Thanks! Looking forward to more videos
I've done this before without machine tools: Not all 1" threaded fork tubes are the same! Check your headset on the donor fork to make sure it fits well. For a 1" threaded fork, you can use a 22.2mm seat post as the pipe that attaches donor to original fork. These are common on old schwinns and new cheap kids bikes. You don't have to butt the end of the donor fork to the end of the old fork. You can leave the pipe exposed in the middle. If you don't do this, you will have a hard time finding a long enough donor fork. Leaving some pipe showing in the middle allows you to use a fork from a 56-58cm bike and have a decent amount of quill stem adjustment. The fork I extended was for a 64cm bike. Will this make it weaker and allow it to flex and bind the headset? IDK I didn't notice any difference. You don't have to clean the welds. I stick welded mine and left the welds lumpy inside the head tube. They don't rub and they can't be seen, so I didn't care to grind them down.
Your videos are very helpful, thank you! Curious if it you think this method would be strong enough to use on say a down tube (far from ideal of course but I'm looking for ways to build with short lengths of recycled tubing)?
It is possible on a downtube, but the tubing is thinner so you have to be extra careful. Not really a great idea. Find longer recycled tubing, at the very least. Better still, invest in good quality tubing. You get a confidence knowing you are building with high level materials. Good luck!
How is the steel steerer fixed into the aluminium crown? Would it not have been possible to remove the existing steerer and replace with a longer one? If the steerer is a press or thermal (is that the right term?) fit, would you be worried about the heat causing the steerer to expand and loosen within the crown?
@@paulbrodie i see, please make it 🙏 i want to install alloy fork in my vintage roadbike, but alloy fork for standart steerer is expensive than oversize steerer, here.
hi Paul i very much look forward to your videos. can you advise how to repair a crack on a titanium bike frame, can i tig braze it ? Im from the home of Raleigh bikes Nottingham manyt thx
Thank you blackbear. Sorry, I cannot help you with this one. Welding titanium is somewhat of a specialty. I suggest you contact a titanium framebuilder. I do not think Tig-brazing is the solution.
Paul, there is a study "Strength of Thin-Walled, Butt-Welded Steel Tube" by Cameron Daugherty and Dr. Mark Archibald at Grove City College" (sorry, can't post the link). The bottom line was that in a 4130 tube they found the strength of a welded tube was within 1% of an unwelded tube, no insert. What are your thoughts?
@@paulbrodie Understood, I just extended a steerer tube that was cut too close to the butt to get reinforcement in, so the study helps me sleep at night!
@@wvucyclist1 Well, if it was cut too close to the butt, you could make an insert that has a taper that matches the taper of the butt. I might not feel comfortable without an insert, because when you only weld it, it's very hard to know if you're getting 100% penetration in your weld.
I have a bmx fork and the steerer stem tube broke where the threads end. I plan on grinding out the welds at the bottom where the steerer tube attaches to the forks and then press it out. I found a donor fork that I will cut the steerer tube from and press it into the bmx forks and reweld it. Have you ever done this?
Campy alignment tool(s), back in 1987 when I was contemplating which set to get, the fancy Campy ones or the Park, I went for the Park because the cones can be threaded closer together for the rear dropouts, do you have a set of those too?
Google Dynabrade belt sanders. It will be in their catalogue. The belt size is 1/4" X 24". They are not inexpensive but they are very well made and will last years if you treat them well.
I there a risk in making the steer tube much stiffer than normal? I’ve heard a lot of the flex in the fork can occur in the steer tube. The crown on the Brodie fork is really beefy, so maybe it doesn’t matter on his fork, but on a cheap fork I could see it being an issue. I suppose it depends on how the bike will be used/ridden.
No. Mostly because the top tube and down tube are not parallel to each other. But you did say "replace" the down tube. If you are going to go to that much work, just change the top tube as well. At that point, you replace the head tube too....
@@paulbrodie @Andy Tong You wouldn't need holes if you brazed the sleeve into the lower tube first, cool, clean, flux, press the upper top tube on and braze the top part. You would apply heat to the upper tube (not the lower tube, which shouldn't melt the brass in the lower joint) and apply the filler rod down inside. Holes are a potential failure point which is the last thing we want in forks.
@@rickpaulos If I did it your way, that would be 2 heat cycles. That doesn't make sense to me. I still prefer Tig for this. I don't believe there is a hole in my method.
What was the thickness of the chromoly extension tube you used? I only saw you mention 0.083" for the insert. Do you have any advice about extending a steerer tube for a tallbike? It would be nice to use a thin steerer tube (0.035") to keep the weight down (not much stress at the very top), but not sure how thick it needs to be at the top of the existing fork steerer.
Yes, the insert is .083" wall thickness. To extend the "steerer tube" I used another steerer tube. The wall thickness is 1.5mm, or approx. .060". These are all industry standards. A steerer tube of .035" would be grossly inadequate. Don't use it.
Thank you for a very informative video! I’m struggling to find the right size CrMo tube to fit inside the steerer tube (1 inch) - can I use a standard carbon steel or is it important to use the same material as the steerer tube?
Thank you Martin. I think you need a 7/8" 4130 tube that will need to be turned down very slightly to give a slight interference with the steerer tube. It's better to use 4130 so that everything is strong. Thanks for watching.😉
It's possible, but I would not recommend it. A steerer tube will flex over rough terrain, and braze tends to crack from flexing. That's why Tig welding is better; it resists cracking from flexing.
WHy do I want a sander like yours? I don't even have anything to sand. But I want one like yours, it's so cute. I would find some things to sand. Perhaps some hard-to-see parts of my house ...
Alex, it has been a long time since I watched the video. If I was Tig welding the steerer, which I think I was, then it was a mile steel rod. Thanks for watching...
If I'd brazed it, even if I filed it down very smooth, you would always see the bronze band of filler material. With Tig welding the join becomes invisible. If done well, the bronze would be perfectly strong. Thanks for watching!
@@paulbrodie Would MIG with co2 for better penetration and shielding have worked in this case? Curious as to your thoughts if you didn't TIG what you would have reached for?
@@AN-kg4ei To be truthful, I have never MIG welded. Never had a machine, never had the opportunity. MIG is more of a production tool, I think you can have a finer touch with TIG. I only have TIG and brazing, so if I didn't TIG...
Not a stupid question at all. You need to figure out where the internal butt starts inside the steerer. The steerer tube gets cut 1" above that. The insert is 2" long, so 1" fits into each side. Then you can figure out if there is enough length for a quill stem. Sometimes there is not enough room. Make sense?
Where is your shop? If you can help me, I would appreciate it. I don't think there's anyone in Mississippi that does this. If you're interested in getting my fork in the mail, I'm still looking for someone right now!
Odis, I am in Langley, BC, many miles from you. You know that I'm 66 and retired, right? This RUclips channel is keeping me very busy, so I am not taking on side jobs, sorry. But thanks for watching :)
@@paulbrodie that's ok, I'll just have to keep looking. please keep active, and enjoy your retirement. Don't sit around, get out and enjoy all this free time. You deserve it. Take care.
I love welding content and weld anytime I get a chance. One thing though, Skin cancer is real (I had my own scare just recently). The UVB rays that come off welding arcs (especially TIG welding) are brutal and WILL burn you and eventually cause skin cancer.. Please cover ALL your skin when electric welding.
Maybe some forks are suitable for changing the steerer tube, but not all forks. I did a Google search and found some "vertical tubes" for sale. That's what the company calls them. I prefer to use the proper name which is a "steerer tube".
@@paulbrodie No they actually make an adaptor that slides inside old tube, Expands and extends it up to length you need! They have non and threaded extensions what I'm saying! Yeah you could press out old tube sure weld it lol! to each his own! Either way came out nice! But I had a guy with same thing few weeks ago and we actually just bought an adaptor instead welding extension on it! We hack sawed the old thread section off. Broke out the 1/2 socket to expand the new insert and poof put bearing nuts on slid in new stem!
@@BuildBreakFix How many frame builders are using this method to extend steerer tubes? Can you name a few? Because of liability issues "good" frame builders won't get anywhere near fork modifications, unless they are 100% sure it is done properly.
I think this is referring to Quill extenders which raise the handlebars- and misses the point of extending the steerer tube to then use in a frame with a taller head tube.
Every time i go to older videos i realize how good you are over and over!!
Well, that's a very nice compliment. Thank you!
@@paulbrodie I''ll do this to mine on monday. I bought a new frame and I need to replace the thread because it's in bad shape
My intuition says invisible welds are impossible. It's a conspiracy!
You're giving away uncommon knowledge and I can't get enough. Thank you so much.
Paul im about to start a fabrication and welding course at night school and your videos are one of the reasons I decided to go for it, keep doing what you're doing man, you're an inspiration ❤
Thank you Mark.
This is by far the best framebuilding related series on RUclips, ever. More, more!
Thanks M R. We both feel it's very important to share the "process" of making something, and we're having a good time so far :)
In the old country,,, my mentor used to do this method on the bicycle frames…no frame was trash ,,,, every frame was gold..
Yes, it is amazing what can be accomplished with a bit of skill and resourcefulness. I like that kind of mentality. Thanks for watching!
Never knew I could be nerded out with bike builds
No doubt!!
I must say, I am immensely enjoying your videos. In the next year or so (I've got other irons in the fire at the moment) I would love to build a bicycle; your website is not discouraging this! Also, I think that you might be the Bob Ross of bicycles. Thanks for the content.
I just love the way you do and explain things. Calm and secure.
I think this is my third of fourth time watching this. It's just so mesmerising. Especially how the weld just disappears. Now I wanna do this to convert my threaded fork to threadless. :)
Thanks for watching (so many times)... Yes, one of my specialties is "invisible welding" ....
Brilliant! You just gave me the solution for fixing a fork I made years ago. Many thanks,
Thanks Paul.
I love how you make the effort to round the edges of the inner tube so they don't become a stress riser. That's quality work.
Somehow I expected you to braze the inner tube in. I was wondering how you would make the braze go into that tiny fit until you said TIG welding 🤓
Your videos are so inspiring. Thank you for sharing your great experience, Paul. It's much appreciated.
Andre, thanks for watching 😉
You can tell the guy who sharpens your tungsten: he is extremely good at it. I’ve never seen tungsten as sharp as yours is. I didn’t even think it could be this sharp and perfect.
I sharpen my own tungstens. That's because I am a #fussyframebuilder. Thanks for watching!
@@paulbrodie That's what I assumed ;D
Really great attention to detail in every aspect. The diagram at the beginning is extremely helpful as well. Nicely done!
Thank you. Glad you found our video useful....
I was in to MTB at the time of these forks. Nr3 is still my all time favorit fork!
Thanks for watching! 😉
Thanks for the great video! I've done a few of these extensions. I had one develop a stress crack after a year of heavy riding so now I put in a 1/8 plug weld on each end as a added measure of safety.
This was a pleasure to watch!!
Relaxing,lol 😆
Greetings from Croatia from Kris!😎
Thank you Kris!
Looking to build myself an ebike frame and I've spend the whole day watching your channel and have learned a hell of a lot.
Subscribed Paul, your a master of your craft!!!
Thank you Jack!
These videos are great. Thank you for putting these out.
Thank you Matthew! 😉
Aligning the forks by hand is amazing
It's the 0nly way I know how to do it...
I love this approach, and most of ways you take on framebuilding. Your experience proves its self. I look forward to your videos every week. Keep them coming!
Learnt a lot, Thanks...
Thanks for watching!
Oddly satisfying. Thanks for posting.
WOW! Amazing job. I often thought the whole tube would have to be replaced in order to get a longer steering tube. I would guess this method could be used to convert a fork to a threadless setup as well. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for watching!
Great video! Thanks for sharing. I used this method to extend a couple forks, back when I was building recumbent frames...I always wondered if it was a good/safe method. Your video gives me confidence that it is truly a safe method. I suspect that void at the end of your weld was from the press-lube, or gas escaping via the path of least resistance. So refreshing to see you hold your TIG torch dead still, until the post flow times out.
Scott, thanks for watching and commenting.
Beautiful work! 👍
Thanks :)
PAUL - Make a Video of Carbon Fiber Steerer Tube Extension !!!!!
Good Video BTW
Hi Paul, (from Australia)
Great video... Please make a video about your Campagnolo tools. :)
Thank you. I only have a couple Campy tools so that is hardly a video. What would you like to know?
Respect a very good work
What a brilliant video!
Your welds, Sir are immaculate. Bravo, well done, impressive work
Thank you! Cheers!
Hi Paul, wonderful how you make it all look so understanding, and the invisible weld was amazing looking
Thank you Darrell.
I love this videos, quality content with all the tips and tricks from an experienced builder. This is great!😍
this is exactly what i need done, just gotta find someone to do it :)
Hope you find someone....
Absolutely amazing artistry and foundry work. I’ve subscribed.
Thank you David.
Cut off abrasive saws are nicer or a 4.5" angle grinder with a disc cutting blade. I actually quit using a hack saw over twenty years ago as to application to bicycle frame building.
I know cutoff wheels work well I just don't like the noise or the dust.
Smooth. 😎
I love your work
Thank you!
Damn this was the best video to know how to fix or extend a fork. Very helpful.
Thank you Ernesto.
@@paulbrodie no thank you for the video you made. It give me hope to do the job.
I was feeling hopeless when I got my new forks and they were 2 inches too short. This video gave me some hope!
It's good to have Hope. Just make sure the extension is done properly so the forks are 100% safe.
@@paulbrodie I'm going to take it to a machine shop and have them weld and grind it properly so I have peace of mind, and I'll throw a steerer tube check into my next bike rebuild.
@@RainytheNB I would suggest taking it to a framebuilder instead of a machine shop. Most machine shops probably have little or no experience working on bicycle frames or forks.
@@paulbrodie I found a local marine shop who have built bicycle forks before, So I'm confident that it'll be well made.
@@RainytheNB Very good.
You're like the Bob Ross of bike building.
sweet fix. would love to hear about ruby 2.0 (at 4:40), looks gorgeous!
Yes, we seem to be focussed on bicycles right now, but maybe sometime in the future we will take a look at Ruby 2.0. In the meantime, there is lots on my website: www.flashbackfab.com
@@paulbrodie nice, thx
Great video! I don't know what got into your puddle but it's possible it was a little bit of grease or something on the filler rod. I think that might have happened to me the other day. I always try to remember to clean the rod (and not hold it in my mouth while moving things around the table) now.
I do the same ...I try not to squueze my bare butt cheeks too tight around my rod (filler) while I'm handling my welded compartments.
Hey Paul, love the videos! I have a question for you; do you think it would be safe to use this technique to extend a threaded fork steerer and convert to threadless? Essentially replacing the threaded top section with a non-threaded steerer tube.
Thanks! Looking forward to more videos
Thanks Nolan. Yes, you can convert from threaded to threadless. Just be careful with the process and use 4130.
I have had in mind the same idea but I never found the solution, thanks again @paulbrodie
Sorry what mean is 4130, thanks teacher.
@@cheewaiyow7469 4130 is a type of Chromoly steel.
FROK...nya bagus mas.👍👍👍
Paul, could you basically do the some procedure and convert a threaded steerer tube to threadless?
Yes, that is possible.
Brilliant!
Thank you Colin.
what an immaculate weld, Kudos!
Thanks Chris!
I've done this before without machine tools:
Not all 1" threaded fork tubes are the same! Check your headset on the donor fork to make sure it fits well.
For a 1" threaded fork, you can use a 22.2mm seat post as the pipe that attaches donor to original fork. These are common on old schwinns and new cheap kids bikes.
You don't have to butt the end of the donor fork to the end of the old fork. You can leave the pipe exposed in the middle. If you don't do this, you will have a hard time finding a long enough donor fork. Leaving some pipe showing in the middle allows you to use a fork from a 56-58cm bike and have a decent amount of quill stem adjustment. The fork I extended was for a 64cm bike. Will this make it weaker and allow it to flex and bind the headset? IDK I didn't notice any difference.
You don't have to clean the welds. I stick welded mine and left the welds lumpy inside the head tube. They don't rub and they can't be seen, so I didn't care to grind them down.
I’ve always wondered about this: what was your reasoning behind the aluminium fork crown?
(Besides looking really cool on a Sovereign ;-)
I wanted something different.
Thanks Paul :)
top top top com sempre dando um show parabéns...até a próxima..
Paul this is brilliant thanks! I've got a fairly rare one-off fork that I need the steerer extend on - can I send it to you to have it done? :)
Matt I sent you an email..
@@paulbrodie Hi Paul - sending you an email about this - hope you havent forgotten! :)
Your videos are very helpful, thank you! Curious if it you think this method would be strong enough to use on say a down tube (far from ideal of course but I'm looking for ways to build with short lengths of recycled tubing)?
It is possible on a downtube, but the tubing is thinner so you have to be extra careful. Not really a great idea. Find longer recycled tubing, at the very least. Better still, invest in good quality tubing. You get a confidence knowing you are building with high level materials. Good luck!
Hello Master 🙏, what do we do when we have a carbon fork? Thanks for the answer!
I am a machinist and I build the same sanding stick
Should I say Small World? 😉
Good job
How is the steel steerer fixed into the aluminium crown? Would it not have been possible to remove the existing steerer and replace with a longer one?
If the steerer is a press or thermal (is that the right term?) fit, would you be worried about the heat causing the steerer to expand and loosen within the crown?
I wish you could do my forks
nice video sir, but im still looking for tutorial abaut change steerer fork from oversize to standart
Sorry, we do not offer that video. Might be a lot less work just to locate the correct fork..
@@paulbrodie i see, please make it 🙏
i want to install alloy fork in my vintage roadbike, but alloy fork for standart steerer is expensive than oversize steerer, here.
@@MasDito Don't hold your breath, you could be waiting a very, very, very long time. Sorry.
At what point do we have an off-line chuckle at Track 2 forks? (I know they weren't yours)
impressive work !
Thank you!
hi Paul i very much look forward to your videos. can you advise how to repair a crack on a titanium bike frame, can i tig braze it ? Im from the home of Raleigh bikes Nottingham manyt thx
Thank you blackbear. Sorry, I cannot help you with this one. Welding titanium is somewhat of a specialty. I suggest you contact a titanium framebuilder. I do not think Tig-brazing is the solution.
Is it possible to extend the steel steerer of a carbon fork? Also, is it possible to cut more threads on a steel steerer?
Great video! About how much would something like this cost to have done?
Thanks JW. A good framebuilder should be able to give you a quote. I am retired...
Paul, there is a study "Strength of Thin-Walled, Butt-Welded Steel Tube" by Cameron Daugherty and Dr. Mark Archibald at Grove City College" (sorry, can't post the link). The bottom line was that in a 4130 tube they found the strength of a welded tube was within 1% of an unwelded tube, no insert. What are your thoughts?
That might be true, but the insert is added insurance and let's me sleep at night!
@@paulbrodie Understood, I just extended a steerer tube that was cut too close to the butt to get reinforcement in, so the study helps me sleep at night!
@@wvucyclist1 Well, if it was cut too close to the butt, you could make an insert that has a taper that matches the taper of the butt. I might not feel comfortable without an insert, because when you only weld it, it's very hard to know if you're getting 100% penetration in your weld.
I have a bmx fork and the steerer stem tube broke where the threads end. I plan on grinding out the welds at the bottom where the steerer tube attaches to the forks and then press it out. I found a donor fork that I will cut the steerer tube from and press it into the bmx forks and reweld it. Have you ever done this?
Campy alignment tool(s), back in 1987 when I was contemplating which set to get, the fancy Campy ones or the Park, I went for the Park because the cones can be threaded closer together for the rear dropouts, do you have a set of those too?
No, I only have a Campy set.
Hello, do they still make that belt sander I haven’t seen one like it do you have any suggestions.
cheers David 😊
Google Dynabrade belt sanders. It will be in their catalogue. The belt size is 1/4" X 24". They are not inexpensive but they are very well made and will last years if you treat them well.
paul brodie Thanks for letting me know cheers David
Awesome!
Well thank you!
Could this be done with a silver braze instead?
I suppose it is possible, but I think Tig is better.
@@paulbrodie thanks but I'm not equipped for that.
I there a risk in making the steer tube much stiffer than normal? I’ve heard a lot of the flex in the fork can occur in the steer tube.
The crown on the Brodie fork is really beefy, so maybe it doesn’t matter on his fork, but on a cheap fork I could see it being an issue. I suppose it depends on how the bike will be used/ridden.
I can use this method to extend a cromo frame? Extending the toptube and then replacing the downtube according to the new measurements
No. Mostly because the top tube and down tube are not parallel to each other. But you did say "replace" the down tube. If you are going to go to that much work, just change the top tube as well. At that point, you replace the head tube too....
@@paulbrodie thank you mr. Brodie, I'll do that then. greetings and thanks for all the videos full of knowledge
Most welcome; Thanks for watching!
Would you suggest brazing using this method? Maybe add a few holes to add bronze into?
Brazing could work if you were careful and had good technique, but I prefer Tig welding.
@@paulbrodie @Andy Tong You wouldn't need holes if you brazed the sleeve into the lower tube first, cool, clean, flux, press the upper top tube on and braze the top part. You would apply heat to the upper tube (not the lower tube, which shouldn't melt the brass in the lower joint) and apply the filler rod down inside. Holes are a potential failure point which is the last thing we want in forks.
@@rickpaulos If I did it your way, that would be 2 heat cycles. That doesn't make sense to me. I still prefer Tig for this. I don't believe there is a hole in my method.
What was the thickness of the chromoly extension tube you used? I only saw you mention 0.083" for the insert. Do you have any advice about extending a steerer tube for a tallbike? It would be nice to use a thin steerer tube (0.035") to keep the weight down (not much stress at the very top), but not sure how thick it needs to be at the top of the existing fork steerer.
Yes, the insert is .083" wall thickness. To extend the "steerer tube" I used another steerer tube. The wall thickness is 1.5mm, or approx. .060". These are all industry standards. A steerer tube of .035" would be grossly inadequate. Don't use it.
great Job
Thank you for a very informative video! I’m struggling to find the right size CrMo tube to fit inside the steerer tube (1 inch) - can I use a standard carbon steel or is it important to use the same material as the steerer tube?
Thank you Martin. I think you need a 7/8" 4130 tube that will need to be turned down very slightly to give a slight interference with the steerer tube. It's better to use 4130 so that everything is strong. Thanks for watching.😉
@@paulbrodie Thanks a lot for your quick response! I manage to find a suitable 42CrMo tube on Aliexpress :). OD25, ID16. I will turn it down to fit.
@@martinkjerschow6409 Very good.
Great ! How can I contact you ? I have a Colnago fork that I want to fix it.
Hi, can tig welding be changed to brazing?
It's possible, but I would not recommend it. A steerer tube will flex over rough terrain, and braze tends to crack from flexing. That's why Tig welding is better; it resists cracking from flexing.
you deserve 10💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎🚴♂️🚴♂️🚴♂️🚴♂️🚴♂️🚴♂️a true craftmans.....
Thank you Thomas!
WHy do I want a sander like yours? I don't even have anything to sand. But I want one like yours, it's so cute. I would find some things to sand. Perhaps some hard-to-see parts of my house ...
Maybe it's the Law of Attraction that is compelling you? Thanks for watching :)
paul, are you able to do this by brazing or only tig?
I prefer Tig.
Is the rod a brass rod?
Alex, it has been a long time since I watched the video. If I was Tig welding the steerer, which I think I was, then it was a mile steel rod. Thanks for watching...
Hi Paul. Recently found your channel. Great stuff. One question on this video. Why did you tig rather than braze?
Thx
Mike
If I'd brazed it, even if I filed it down very smooth, you would always see the bronze band of filler material. With Tig welding the join becomes invisible. If done well, the bronze would be perfectly strong. Thanks for watching!
@@paulbrodie Would MIG with co2 for better penetration and shielding have worked in this case? Curious as to your thoughts if you didn't TIG what you would have reached for?
@@AN-kg4ei To be truthful, I have never MIG welded. Never had a machine, never had the opportunity. MIG is more of a production tool, I think you can have a finer touch with TIG. I only have TIG and brazing, so if I didn't TIG...
You say "hacksaw" and I think Allen Millyard. (ps If not peacock calls, where are the cakes?)
Only Allen Millyard cuts engines in half with a hacksaw, then welds the pieces back together to make something larger..
Hello this is probably a stupid question but, do you still have enough depth to insert a quill stem after this?
Not a stupid question at all. You need to figure out where the internal butt starts inside the steerer. The steerer tube gets cut 1" above that. The insert is 2" long, so 1" fits into each side. Then you can figure out if there is enough length for a quill stem. Sometimes there is not enough room. Make sense?
@@paulbrodie Yes it does ! Thank you very much, I love your videos. Cheers from Belgium !
@@charlesvanderborght Hello Belgium! Thanks for watching and commenting 😉
what happened when you closed the weld: the air could not go anywhere, and you got a pressure hole :)
I just closed the hole. There was no problem. When we made Tig frames the top tube was always sealed. We just closed the hole, no problem.
Where is your shop? If you can help me, I would appreciate it. I don't think there's anyone in Mississippi that does this. If you're interested in getting my fork in the mail, I'm still looking for someone right now!
Odis, I am in Langley, BC, many miles from you. You know that I'm 66 and retired, right? This RUclips channel is keeping me very busy, so I am not taking on side jobs, sorry. But thanks for watching :)
@@paulbrodie that's ok, I'll just have to keep looking. please keep active, and enjoy your retirement. Don't sit around, get out and enjoy all this free time. You deserve it. Take care.
What brand lathe is that Paul?
It's a Sharp Industries, probably made in Taiwan. It's served me well but now I want something better..
Does anyone know someone who provides this service?
I have the skill, but I am retired, sorry. Thanks for watching!
would it be really safe for a enduro/dh fork?
Hard to say.
🤘🇨🇦
I love welding content and weld anytime I get a chance. One thing though, Skin cancer is real (I had my own scare just recently). The UVB rays that come off welding arcs (especially TIG welding) are brutal and WILL burn you and eventually cause skin cancer.. Please cover ALL your skin when electric welding.
Thanks. I promise I will be careful. :)
8765. 309!
Is that part of a song?
oh my god you can't even tell it was welded
I like to call it Invisible Welding!
Why would you even bother cutting it and welding it... they make extension tube sets for just about every kind of fork these days. Hum....
Maybe some forks are suitable for changing the steerer tube, but not all forks. I did a Google search and found some "vertical tubes" for sale. That's what the company calls them. I prefer to use the proper name which is a "steerer tube".
@@paulbrodie No they actually make an adaptor that slides inside old tube, Expands and extends it up to length you need! They have non and threaded extensions what I'm saying! Yeah you could press out old tube sure weld it lol! to each his own! Either way came out nice! But I had a guy with same thing few weeks ago and we actually just bought an adaptor instead welding extension on it! We hack sawed the old thread section off. Broke out the 1/2 socket to expand the new insert and poof put bearing nuts on slid in new stem!
@@BuildBreakFix How many frame builders are using this method to extend steerer tubes? Can you name a few? Because of liability issues "good" frame builders won't get anywhere near fork modifications, unless they are 100% sure it is done properly.
I think this is referring to Quill extenders which raise the handlebars- and misses the point of extending the steerer tube to then use in a frame with a taller head tube.
@@leendeen8745 yes !