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I always assumed both stays of the old "wrap-arounds" were one length of tubing heated and then "wrapped" around the seat cluster, something like a glass artisan would do.
Originally Posted by
gugie
No idea when they first started appearing, but you certainly see a lot of vintage English bikes with wrap arounds.
As far as advantages/disadvantages, I've haven't brazed any up that way (yet), but they'd be a bit more difficult as both seat stays have to meet up at the same exact place so they're even. Here's a modern, available wrap around casting (from framebuildersupply.com) that I'd probably use if I wanted to to do that.
A clear advantage would be more surface area for the braze filler material. More surface area = stronger joint.