The Seven weld bead may be the most misunderstood aspect of our work. It looks so simple, uniform, and beautiful (or so many people tell us).
Getting to this serene point began 35 years ago when Tim Delaney, Seven’s Lead Technical Welder & Teacher, developed the titanium welding techniques that most builders use today.
We’ve refined and improved our welding techniques countless times over the years. We’ve run countless in-house fatigue tests to enhance our weld durability and to ensure we thoroughly test any improvement concepts.
The weld bead beauty you can see is good; it is a sign of care and quality. The underlying engineering and testing you never see are what make Sevens tougher and truer than any other.
These images of Stef welding show a few examples of the intricate techniques we employ. During her nearly 30 years in the industry, Stef has welded more than 10,000 titanium frames, more than any other human. Regardless, Stef’s work is all about quality, not quantity.
As part of our Special Projects Team, Stef is responsible for welding Seven’s one-off SOURCE Endurance Race Gravel project bike, shown here. Seven’s special projects are frame designs that go beyond Seven’s already extreme customization. In this case, as relates to welding, the SOURCE project has tube interface geometry and tube wall manipulation we’re combining in new ways; it requires nuanced, self-aware welding skills. Stef is the perfect person for the SOURCE project.
Here, Stef uses a shielding technique to ensure zero oxygen contamination of the titanium weld. The inside of the frame is purged of oxygen, the backside of the weldment is protected from contamination by a shielding device, and the oversized torch cup protects the weld itself. These time-consuming techniques, along with a many others, are critical to providing the strongest, most durable weld possible.Stef, like all of our welders, focuses on one frame at a time. She will only work on the next project once she’s completed this frame. This singular focus helps build better bikes. There are no distractions and no conflicting information. We want our builders to focus on each frame as if it’s for a family member.Our welders use special titanium alloy welding wire that is more supple than the adjacent tube. This weld bead ductility provides increased strength and toughness. Additionally, we use three types of titanium weld wire, each optimized for specific methods of welding.Stef checks each frame on our granite surface plate, confirming frame alignment. She’ll repeat this check multiple times during the welding process to verify what she already knows: There is no straighter frame. Stef knows this because she follows welding techniques Seven developed over the past 35 years. We call this technique induction alignment; our use of welding techniques to achieve proper tolerances rather than solely relying on cold setting the frame after welding. Induction alignment makes the welds stronger and the frame straighter.We use a multi-pass weld technique. We don’t use pulse welders or other process simplification methods. There are no shortcuts to building the most durable frames available.
Most of Seven’s framebuilding efforts are invisible. That’s okay. We know what we did.
Tube specification accuracy, material cleanliness, as-machined frame alignment, joint fit-up, etc. These types of hidden precisions throughout our tack welding process are fundamental to building a strong straight frame. Equally important, these obscured cornerstones provide the beginnings of Seven’s legendary ride.
Stef understands these nuances better than most. She is part of our Special Projects Team. With nearly 30 years of frame welding experience, she is one of Seven’s Master Welders. Here Stef works through the tack welding procedure for our SOURCE Endurance Race Gravel project bike.
Stef tack welds the seat tube and bottom bracket assembly, the first phase of frame tacking. A tack is a small weld that holds the tubes together. These steps allow her to remove the assembly from the frame jig and weld the frame without fixture hindrance.Stef checks the accuracy and alignment of this seat tube assembly. The bottom bracket is the foundation of the frame. If, after welding, the seat tube is not perfectly aligned to the bottom bracket, the frame will not be straight and will not ride true. Working precisely now and at every step makes perfect finished frame alignment possible.Stef welds the internal guides and ports. Some internal housing routing welds are done before tacking and some after. It’s complicated.Stef modifies each of her welding helmets and shields, making them as light as possible. This subtle mod allows her to work faster and with higher precision. Make no mistake: Stef’s weld quality is second to none. Regardless, even after 30 years, she constantly refines her craft.Stef tacks the down tube in place. The coped tube fits its mating tube within a few thousandths of an inch — about the thickness of a human hair. This invisible accuracy helps us build straighter frames that roll faster and live longer.Stef tack welds the top tube and seat tube. The titanium weld area is cleaned and prepared in a four-step process. This is yet another unseen tedious procedure that set the stage for the strongest, most durable welds possible.
Skip is part of our Special Projects Team. He is Seven’s mostMaster Framebuilder, with more than 30 years of custom machining experience. Here he completes a one-off project code named SOURCE Endurance Race Gravel. The SOURCE integrates a number of details and advanced features in a new combination we’ve not yet offered publicly. Details to follow. And available soon for all.
Skip machines the down tube of a custom frame. Our proprietary coping system ensures tube length accuracy to within 0.003″ — the thickness of a piece of paper.Skip machines the head tube; preparing the frame for Seven’s innovative internal housing routing system.Skip bends Seven’s ultra-thin Moto seat stays in three dimensions for improved ride flow.The tubeset is ready for welding. Each part of this frame kit was custom-machined by one master framebuilder. Each frame tube in this kit is unique when compared to any other frame we’ve ever built. More custom than necessary? Maybe, but it’s what we do.
We’ve been working on a new project bike code-named SOURCE. It’ll be public soon. In the meantime, here are a few images of Skip working on the frame’s rear triangle.
Skip checking the bending accuracy on our three-dimensional dropped chainstay design. All of the bends are in multiple planes. Complex to machine, but the performance benefits are many: Stiffer, shorter, and more tire clearance.Skip machining FlowState chainstays. A new design for a special project. Those hands have built frames for more than 30 years. He’s a master framebuilder times ten.Chainstays and seat stays ready for welding. Each of the four stays have multiple bends in multiple planes for optimal performance.Did you know that Shimano makes Dura-Ace level fixtures? They don’t. But Seven does, sometimes. We call it found object fixturing.
Designed and built with Velosmith Bicycle Studio, a Seven Cycles retailer in Wilmette, Illinois. Velosmith brought the Seven to the Chris King Open House. The Radavist took some fantastic photos at the Open House along with many beautiful bikes. Seven was fortunate to be part of it. Thank you, Velosmith, Chris King, and The Radavist! Photographs by The Radavist.
Velosmith Allroads blue beauty. Photograph credit: The RadavistFull In-Route system for clean and hidden housing presentation. Photograph credit: The RadavistSymmetry. Photograph credit: The RadavistDropped chainstays and Fastback dropout interface. Fast, stiff, clearance. Photograph credit: The RadavistSeven paint designed by Velosmith. Photograph credit: The RadavistLove to watch it go. Photograph credit: The Radavist
