Not any environment, it was tig welded but with argon, an inert gas, pumped around the weld and inside the tubes to create a shield to locally control the environment around the weld and prevent reaction with oxygen.
Next up, donor parts, paint and first assembly......after stripping the donor bike it was time to blast the forks and stem ready for painting.
And then glass bead blasting on a set of titanium handlebars to match the frame...
Next, with the Fisher forks and stem painted gloss black, Fisher superlight headset was fitted and it was time to select components. I decided to go for a simple black theme to show off the beautiful frame. Mainly Shimano XT gruppo from 1990, titanium bars and Ringle seat tube clamp and skewers....no name seat post, age correct though.
Mavic M231 rims, perfect width bottom bracket and fresh push fit bearings from the donor bike, XT cranks, derailleurs, Ritchey Z Max tyres, probably swap the saddle for a Turbo.....hopefully final parts arriving next week ready for Part 4 - The final build and first ride, in 2 weeks.