This article is part of a series I am writing on my experience taking a bicycle frame building class from master framebuilder, Doug Fattic.
Robert miters his top tube on the blesed Bridgeport.
I think the name of this class should be changed to “There will be blood.” As I type this article with my thumbs on my iPhone, I am nursing not one, not two, but three large gashes on my fingers. I’ve only been framebuilding two days, and I already have battle scars.
Today was a more active day with many tube cuts and lots of filing. After a brief lesson on using metal files, Doug let us loose to prep our lugs and bottom brackets while he sheparded each of us along at different stages. After helping Andrew with fitting and other issues with his 6′6″ body, Doug turned to me to help design my bike on his design fixture.
When we began, Doug assured me mine would be the easiest to design as Dutch style transportation bikes will handle a wider range of body types for a given frame size.
Here I am filing with three bandaids on. Yes, that is blood on my bottom bracket. Image Courtesy of Robert George.
Unfortunately, an error in the fabrication of my design fixture and a issues with the final lug angle made the design take hours with us having to start from scatch three times. I had really wanted to have 700c (road bike size) wheels on my bike, however Doug recommended 26″ (mountain bike size) wheels to allow the largest tires with fenders. I caved on this, but it turns out the easiest fix to my lug angle issue was to switch to 700c so I ended up with the bike I had originally wanted.
With my bike designed, we broke for dinner and we students returned after supper to continue prepping our parts. I went to town making my lug ends come to a nice sharp point with my file. With a slip of the hand three times, I gouged myself pretty wicked. I guess I’m taking the idea of putting a bit of myself into my bike literally.
Tomorrow, we get our first lesson in brazing. Yeehaw, playing with shooting fire!
Read the next post in the series, Day 3 and 4, Playing with fire.
Read the previous post in the series, Day 1, Cold and overwhelmed.
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on Dec 3rd, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Hope your finger recovers fast and completely.
I´m glad to see you´re understanding every thing (that´s the only way I can see it – good move on the lug angle LOL) and that you got what you wanted (700c wheels)
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I can´t wait to see your new frame finished!
Have fun!
on Dec 4th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Enjoyed your story and look forward to following the building process. By the way, Robert is my son. Semper Fi
on Dec 4th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Robert is doing great. Thanks for reading.
on Dec 22nd, 2008 at 1:49 pm
[...] Read the next post in the series, Day 2, There will be blood!. [...]
on Dec 22nd, 2008 at 1:58 pm
[...] brazing. Doug warned this would be our toughest day. In my opinion it was not the toughest by far (see my last post), but as I finish the day, I was bone [...]