Originally Posted by
Kontact
Looking into it, TIG was not very mature until the development of accurate amperage metering in the late '70s, and then further improved with solid state metering. With the usual delay in adoption between industry and hobby stuff, I don't think it is too shocking that frame builders didn't get with TIG until the '80s. Of course, the Teledyne Titan was TIG'd, but probably by aerospace welders. The other early Ti bike was vacuum brazed, so TIG couldn't have been too common for anyone to go to such extremes.
The other factor is that TIG'd steel welds are ugly, and I think that was a factor until the ubiquitousness of welded MTBs got everyone to "appreciate" those nasty little welds. Just like we all stopped appreciating polished aluminum.
What were '70s BMX bikes? MIG? Lugged?
Somehow I knew we were going to get to where this thread becomes a anti TIG screed, unfortunately you had to take the shot as no one took the bait. I spent my summers in the early 70’s TIG welding and it was mostly used for specialty applications as the equipment was expensive at the time but no one brazed anything after the late 60’s. That said every metal shop worth it salt had TIG welders. The reason for the slow adoption with the steel bicycle industry was the infrastructure was well established for lugged bicycles and was much cheaper to build with. It takes substantially more skill to weld thin wall tubing than to braze a lugged joint together. Tubing and lug suppliers were prevalent and sourcing materials was very simple and ubiquitous. There is absolutely no advantage to lugged construction other than triggering some long imprinted memories.