All excellent points, especially regarding the external Maico springs. But don't forget the BMW forks had the leading axle forks going back to the 60s too though. :-)
Now to try to get back OT, I have noticed that some people refer to any torch welding as "brazing". I assume when you refer to brazing you are referring to the correct definition which means using brass filler rod? I was taught that welding with a steel or other filler rod is referred to as oxy acetylene welding, or has the definition changed?
Your right about the Old BMW forks. Crafty Germans. The road going old BMWs really didn't have long travel suspension though. Or as flat of an offset on the trees either to go with it. I think probably all the old school BMWs were meant to go a little off road though and did have more travel than most bikes back then as the Country of Origin sort of required such capabilities without breakdowns. Thinking about the shaft drives for that matter was a ggo d alternative to going off the pavement back then without worries. Right!
"Oxy/acetylene welding" is just that "welding" The fusion of the parent metals together, with or without a filler rod. Regardless of what kind of parent metals are being fused together or welded if it lends itself to this procedure.
Brazing is the process of "bonding" any 2 pieces of metal together with a heat source and is commonly referred to as brazing when done with the use of Brass or bronze based filler rod. It isn't considered actual welding because heat is never applied to the material to the point of creating an a actual puddle in the material being bonded. This can be done with an Oxy/Acetylene Torch with a multitude of available brass based Brazing rods whether they are preflux coated or its bare brass wire that you have to dip it in the flux yourself out of a jar or container. Nowadays most "Brazing Filler rods" are precoated so the dipping part isn't necassary. These precoated rods deteriorate or degrade after a few years though in shops if they sit too long so its always a good idea to go buy some fresh rod, its cheap. If theres any question of its age. or shows signs of the flux sluffing off. These rods melt at a lower temperature than that of the metals you are trying to connect to one another.
A Tig Torch can also be used to do this with the Silicon Bronze rod I previously mentioned while discussing header fabrication at the flange area. Silicon bronze filler rod for this type application is bare, it doesn't need any flux if the metal is descaled and cleaned properly of any surface contaminants. When done correctly. It looks just like a nice tig weld would on the Steel and if painted you can't tell the difference. This would be considered Brazing also, as you are not really melting/fusing the base or parent metals together. This can also be done with a Tig welder when joining 2 dissasimaler metals together that won't readally weld to one another.
Silicon Bronze wire is also available in rolls of differing sizes and diameters that can be used on a mig welder to Weld or directly fuze solid brass together or alloys of copper or disassimaler metals together from the Brass, bronze, copper, family but this would be considered actual welding. As the deposition of this type wire actually melts the parent metals together. The use of straight Argon Gas is required though, which normally is selected only for Tig welding or back purging of the inside of a vessel or pipe for Xray quality welds. The wire feed mig welding of silicon bronze is also used to fill up, or Braze up "Weep" holes in say a sealed lower rail between 2 posts on Mild Steel handrail sections when the railings are sent out for galvanizing. If Weep holes aren't put into these sealed end lower rails they can explode while being galvanized. As the trapped air will get so hot due to expansion of this trapped air inside these lower rails if not drilled approximately 1/4" or 3/8" or so. Before being dipped into the galvanizing tanks. I've seen this pressure expansion cause explosions of this nature and when it happens, its not pretty. If 1 hole is good 2 is better, one always at each end on the underside just between posts. Once galvanized you can easily fill or "braze" up these Weep holes with silicon bronze off a spool on a mig welder with the same Argon gas without messing up or melting off the coat of Zinc Galvanizing. Its the best way to do this. This would be considered brazing also and is commonly done in waste water, nuclear plants and high corrosive environments. So moisture doesn't migrate in to the holes in these lower rails and cause rust from the inside out. This is also done on the outdoor galvanized railings in prisons so the prisoners can't hide contraband for one another in these little holes be it messages on paper or dope rolled up in paper. I've had to do this to railings inside and outside and on weight lifting equipment that sits out in the recreation yard all year in some of California's prisons ( San Quentin, Folsom, and a few of the County Jails) back when I built exercise and weight lifting equipment for institutional use. They don't allow this equipment anymore in the Californian prison systems. Weightlifting equipment that is, unless something has changed in the last 25 years or so.
Hope that explains "Brazing" for you "Xcuvator" and a few actual examples of why it would be done as well. Notice I tried not to say weld when I meant "fill" or "braze" when not talking about welding. Except the exception of Brass to Brass with Brass. I got to check myself. I may of slipped on that one. I'm sure someone will let me know. They can proof read for me. I don't mind. I sometimes can't remember what I did today on my own work orders I turn in everyday. I can however remember just about every detail of every procedure of welding I've done over the past 40 years.
Sorry everybody if this is off topic. I promise I'm going riding Sunday so I won't be boring anybody with welding information on Sunday atleast. I hope everybody gets to do the same its been warming up to the upper 70's low 80s all through the last 2 weeks here. A clear sign that summer is coming for me.
Timmy
