but, i am getting there! here's the front triangle passing the alignment test with flying colors. small frames are inherently straight - there's just less distance to get crooked in!
i've been really busy with out of town visitors,
wheel building, parts specs on builds, and
yesterday i pretty much just did customer relations - calling people close to when their build comes up and really cementing down details. each of these "final calls" {which usually aren't} takes at least an hour plus.............one
framebuilding acquaintance recently estimated that only 40% of their time being a "
framebuilder" is spent building frames, and upon thinking about it, i must concur. there is just so much to do. add to this that my back is being
wack right now and that i feel like
i'm getting sick {but, it's
probally just pollen allergies - outside surfaces are turning yellow.......anybody here remember the bee pollen incident?} and you can see how hard it is to "crystal ball" exact delivery times........still, i think that
i'm "ahead" on builds......averaging 9-10 month
actually delivery times as of now. i know it's easy to want me to hurry up on everyone
else's bike and then really take my time on yours but, this super detail stuff just takes time, more so as i do it all sitting down.
i'm always really glad for
every one's patience, as it also tells me that people are ordering my bikes not because they are the cheapest or that you can have one tomorrow, but because they appreciate the time, style and skill imparted into each piece. right on. thanks,
ya'll......
stuff like this: most people just bend the tabs and slot with a machine, but i still do this all by hand.......
i've actually got it down to awful damn fast with a square, a sharpie, a hacksaw and a warding file. a really tight fit is a
necessity when joining stainless steel to chrome-
moly alloys with silver alloy fillers.....
a 14" bastard file, a 12" round file and a 10" 2
nd cut file and the tips are all nicely
spear pointed for a pleasing look and a nice cup to feed and hold filler.
lastly, after mitering in a dedicated
chain stay fixture the stays are precisely fitted to the jig & the front triangle - now you can see what the bike will look like - sweet!
i'm going to clean the shop today as parts and packing material are strewn everywhere and then maybe try to get out and enjoy the sun before we allegedly get stormy weather for a few days, shutting me up inside to get my
seat stay groove on..........little bikes have really dynamic bends {the last bike this small i did i recycle-binned 3 pairs of
SS's -
arrrrgghh} but i hope to nail this one first try...........it should wrap up very early next week, SO, get me a color #,
Lex! Steve.
but, i am getting there! here's the front triangle passing the alignment test with flying colors. small frames are inherently straight - there's just less distance to get crooked in! i've been really busy with out of town visitors, wheel building, parts specs on builds, and yesterday i pretty much just did customer relations - calling people close to when their build comes up and really cementing down details. each of these "final calls" {which usually aren't} takes at least an hour plus.............one framebuilding acquaintance recently estimated that only 40% of their time being a "framebuilder" is spent building frames, and upon thinking about it, i must concur. there is just so much to do. add to this that my back is being wack right now and that i feel like i'm getting sick {but, it's probally just pollen allergies - outside surfaces are turning yellow.......anybody here remember the bee pollen incident?} and you can see how hard it is to "crystal ball" exact delivery times........still, i think that i'm "ahead" on builds......averaging 9-10 month actually delivery times as of now. i know it's easy to want me to hurry up on everyone else's bike and then really take my time on yours but, this super detail stuff just takes time, more so as i do it all sitting down. i'm always really glad for every one's patience, as it also tells me that people are ordering my bikes not because they are the cheapest or that you can have one tomorrow, but because they appreciate the time, style and skill imparted into each piece. right on. thanks, ya'll......
stuff like this: most people just bend the tabs and slot with a machine, but i still do this all by hand.......i've actually got it down to awful damn fast with a square, a sharpie, a hacksaw and a warding file. a really tight fit is a necessity when joining stainless steel to chrome-moly alloys with silver alloy fillers.....
a 14" bastard file, a 12" round file and a 10" 2nd cut file and the tips are all nicely spear pointed for a pleasing look and a nice cup to feed and hold filler.
lastly, after mitering in a dedicated chain stay fixture the stays are precisely fitted to the jig & the front triangle - now you can see what the bike will look like - sweet! i'm going to clean the shop today as parts and packing material are strewn everywhere and then maybe try to get out and enjoy the sun before we allegedly get stormy weather for a few days, shutting me up inside to get my seat stay groove on..........little bikes have really dynamic bends {the last bike this small i did i recycle-binned 3 pairs of SS's - arrrrgghh} but i hope to nail this one first try...........it should wrap up very early next week, SO, get me a color #, Lex! Steve.
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