Aaron Barcheck founded Mosaic Bespoke Bicycles just five years ago but has already earned a solid reputation as one of the best titanium welders in the businessJames Huang/Future Publishing
We shadowed Mosaic Bespoke Bicycles founder Aaron Barcheck as he welded together this titanium road bikeJames Huang/Future Publishing
Barcheck starts by first fusion welding the joints so that the tubes are securely connected and stable. He then does a second pass with welding rod to fill in the jointJames Huang/Future Publishing
It’s critical when welding titanium that it be done in an inert environment. Otherwise, the weld region can become oxidized and brittle, leading to possible failures down the road. In this case, argon gas is injected down by the bottom bracket and most of the other open ports on the frame are sealed off with tape or aluminum foilJames Huang/Future Publishing
Aaron Barcheck’s tools of the tradeJames Huang/Future Publishing
This fixture ensures proper alignment when welding disc brake tabsJames Huang/Future Publishing
Mosaic uses welding and brazing rods of various materials and sizes depending on the frame material and jointJames Huang/Future Publishing
Mosaic can make you a custom stem, tooJames Huang/Future Publishing
Small bits to be welded or brazed on are sorted in plastic binsJames Huang/Future Publishing
Aaron Barcheck checks his settings before starting to weldJames Huang/Future Publishing
Torch and rod in hand, Barcheck gets to workJames Huang/Future Publishing
Staring directly at a weld job in progress even for a moment can cause serious eye damage unless proper protection is usedJames Huang/Future Publishing
Barcheck pauses every few seconds but keeps the argon gas flowing. This allows some of the residual heat to dissipate while still preventing the hot metal from oxidizingJames Huang/Future Publishing
Barcheck builds every titanium frame with double-pass welds. The joints between the bottom bracket shell and the seat tube and down tube are fusion welded to start – meaning they’re joined using only the welding torch. Barcheck does a second pass later using welding rod to reinforce the area, as seen in the joint between the seat tube and down tubeJames Huang/Future Publishing
Steady as she goes…James Huang/Future Publishing
Cast aside the idea that welders can’t drink coffee and still produce a nice, even beadJames Huang/Future Publishing
Ever wonder what a welder sees through the mask? Here you goJames Huang/Future Publishing