Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames ?

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Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

Rhubard rhubard, something about chain drive was just as popular as belt drive in the early years. Just not in the UK....
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

Rhubard rhubard, something about quadracycles and tri-cycles having chain or gear dive before belt drive....
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

I had a chance to have a damn good look over the welds on my ('70) frame while stripping it prior to repainting and thought the quality of the welds was pretty good; neat, well filled, no slag inclusions, no spatter and no grinding. What process did they use?
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

Yes i've had a look at mine (painted 850 though) too - pretty clean and neat welds and fillets.
If there is no slag inclusions, you'd have to think it was mig ? A good mig operator can leave a pretty tidy bead.

The sputter could have been cleaned up, possibly by cold chisel and then filing - most sputter will just flip off. I think I saw too the frames were blasted before painting, an agressive media can remove all grinding and filing marks ?

P.S. Doing that many frames per week, they'd get pretty good at it...
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

Did you guys not bother to read the magazine article, he could tell were they where made by the quality of the MIG welds, MIG MIG MIG , NOT STICK NOT BRAZED NOT TIGED MIG MIG MIG.
I have a poor BSA friend who told me that they used to stick weld some of there frames, but of course I have no physical and I could be just making this up, like someone else who had a friend that used to visit the Fiat exhaust pipe factory
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

Even it it hadn't been made very clear in the CB article that the frames were in fact MIG welded, this would have been something that would be pretty much taken as read by anyone with the slightest amount of understanding concerning modern production processes!

As stated in an earlier post, returning to the MMA process to build frames, would be a bit like specifying belt drive on the very latest "corner crippler" super sports bike!
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

Is there any bandwagon you haven't jumped on yet, CF ?
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

splatt said:
Did you guys not bother to read the magazine article, he could tell were they where made by the quality of the MIG welds, MIG MIG MIG , NOT STICK NOT BRAZED NOT TIGED MIG MIG MIG.
Click to expand...

Its not that simple though, is it.
That pic isn't obvious how that frame is being welded.
Someone here earlier said their blasted frame had bronze looking welds.

It was my understanding, WITHOUT EVER HAVING SEEN IT IN WRITING, or having 1000 friends that visited the factory, that all the early featherbeds were oxy-welded.
Manxs in Sif bronze, the others in ??

So when did they stop oxy-welding, and did they then go to stick (first) or straight to mig ?

Real info is thin on the ground here....
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

Rohan said:
Is there any bandwagon you haven't jumped on yet, CF ?
Click to expand...


Cant see that pointing out your ignorance in thinking that a welded construction frame made in the 1970s was built using the MMA process, is jumping on a bandwagon of any sort.............pretty much anyone who has read the Sprayson CB article also knows you are wrong on this!
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

Wrong about what ?
All I've asked is questions about what was going on - read back through what I said.
AND, questioning your assumptions, seemingly with no basis to back them up...

That pic in the magazine article was less than informative - in fact I suspect deliberately so - whatever welding gear was being used was not visible, compounded by the operator holding a mask in his hand. Even oxy welding uses goggles or a mask, so from that what do we conclude ?
He was posing for a pic, and not actually showing what method was being used...

P.S. I said right from the get-go that I'm certain my 850 was migged.
Its whats happening earlier, and when, that is of interest.
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

Can I point out that on another thread here in a similar vein, CF was rabbiting on about Commando frames being bronze welded. No mention of being migged.
And we've had they were "certainly" MMA'ed.
Hence my comments about bandwagons...

Lets have some history here - when, where, and WHY do you say that.
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

I 'm pulling this asumption out of my arse but, MANXES would have been brazed due to the use of higher quality tubing, and from a cost point of view I thought they would have STICK welded up frames before gas fusion welding.
Pic of man welding, like I said try gas welding while holding on to a welding helmet.
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

You are pulling this out of your arse, manxes were SiF bronze welded.
Totally different process to brazing.
SiF bronze can be built up into fillets, with mild oxy flame.
Braze (brass) flows into gaps, getting everything good and hot..

Making assumptions about what was going on isn't history.
Did you and CF go to the same school ?
Sorry......

Pic of man welding, like I said try gas welding while holding on to a welding helmet.
Click to expand...
It wasn't entirely obvious what you said previously, some words were missing. ?
I'd agree, but that pic was posed so we could see the welders face, not so we knew the welding process. No-one welds holding their mask like that ??
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

out of one of Tony Foales books
It is true that the road going version of the famous Norton featherbed frame were welded in this way. He was refering to STICK(MMA)
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

Rohan said:
Wrong about what ?
All I've asked is questions about what was going on - read back through what I said.
AND, questioning your assumptions, seemingly with no basis to back them up...

That pic in the magazine article was less than informative - in fact I suspect deliberately so - whatever welding gear was being used was not visible, compounded by the operator holding a mask in his hand. Even oxy welding uses goggles or a mask, so from that what do we conclude ?
He was posing for a pic, and not actually showing what method was being used...

P.S. I said right from the get-go that I'm certain my 850 was migged.
Its whats happening earlier, and when, that is of interest.
Click to expand...


You obviously have scant understanding on the subject of welded tubular structures! As outlined in earlier posts, before MIG welding came into common usage, MS frames of welded construction, would have been made using the MMA process. Higher quality frames using non air hardening chrom-moly or chrom-manganese tubes, would have been brazed. Incidentally are you able to weld yourself, and if so which processes are you familiar with?
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

Now we are getting somewhere.

------------------

Edited to show what I was referring to.
this.
splatt said:
out of one of Tony Foales books
It is true that the road going version of the famous Norton featherbed frame were welded in this way. He was refering to STICK(MMA)
Click to expand...
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

Rohan said:
Now we are getting somewhere.
Click to expand...


Are you able to weld/braze yourself, and if so can you post some examples of your work? I would guess that anyone with such an in depth knowledge of this subject, would be highly skilled and able to produce some very impressive results!
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

. Higher quality frames using non air hardening chrom-moly or chrom-manganese tubes, would have been brazed. ?[/quote]

Manganese Moly not chrome
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

MS frames of welded construction, would have been made using the MMA process.
Click to expand...

You keep throwing in statements like these, without any basis for quoting them.
'Must have', 'would have', certainly did' are not history, they are your opinion...

Well I've a certificate in welding (short courses) so probably have used more mig tig and oxy than many. Not commercially though, or recently.

This is my oxy-welding pressure test
Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames ?


This little cube - it has later been nickel plated (yes I did the plating) - has been pressurized to 3000 psi. If it bursts, or leaks, you fail. If you look closely it bulges, a lot. Thats thick steel, can't remember gauge. 3/16" ?
Welds are oxy only, no filler rod. Not pretty, but they have to be STRONG.

All welding tests are subjected to break test - under a press, if the weld cracks before the tubing sheet bar etc, you fail....

Perhaps we could ask your credentials ?
Or even if you own any Nortons.
Or have repaired any ?
 
Re: Where was the Reynolds factory that made Commando frames

P.S. A 70mm cube has an internal surface area of slightly more than 20 square inches.
@ 3000 psi, thats an internal applied total pressure of + 60,000 pounds of pressure.
Hence the bulging....

Internal combustion engine pressures are mild by comparison !
 
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