Originally Posted by
Dean V
It doesn't really matter if the failure is at a weld or somewhere else. It has still failed.
If it can be welded by some elite few without the joint being a problem I guess you need to find out who those frame builders are, somehow.
As you are no doubt aware there are many steel alloys that have been developed for the sole reason of being reliably weldable.
Also other processes (brazing, lugs) for those alloys that can't be welded.
It's not a question of elite skill, just prep and cleanliness. Weld it clean and bike will take many, many more cycles than the most perfect eqivalent riding steel frame. Get nitride in the weld and a Ti frame may not last a month.
That doesn't mean steel is bad or you need to love Ti, but it is the pertinent facts to the discussion.