Signature Snapshot: Titanium Cyclocross: 01

This is the first of a few postings following this frame through some parts of the production process. We have been working with Signature Cycles on this custom titanium cross bike, and they have agreed to send us the parts kit to do a pro build and photo shoot of the completed bicycle here at our factory. Every day frames leave us to be built up in their respective shops and we find ourselves wondering how they turn out. Undoubtedly our customers outfit their bikes with the finest parts, so we are working together with Signature to create this opportunity for us to see another completed build and provide you with a glimpse behind the scenes.
At this point the frame has been machined and tacked together and has arrived in the welding department.
We put heatsinks into all of the joints to minimize the distortion caused by welding. The heatsinks do double duty... they are also a vehicle for us to deliver the argon gas to the inside of the frame. This is called purging, it is a critical step in welding titanium.
Perfectly prepared joints are also critical to a good weld.
We have souped-up our T.I.G. welding torches with large gas dispersion lenses. These lenses gently shield the area that is being welded with a current of inert argon gas, displacing the contaminates in the air and providing an ideal environment for welding.

After the frame is welded it gets it's alignment checked..... stay tuned.