Today I brazed my chain stays in place. It was a tricky operation. I had to pick an arbitrary point on the seat tube on the drawing and triangulate using an imaginary chain stay line to find the rear axle placement. I then had to trim the chain stays and miter them to fit in the bottom bracket. It's this miter point where yesterday's error took place. I took extra care and they came out beautifully.
With the chain stays in place, It was time to begin work on the seat stays. I got them trimmed to the perfect length so I can begin mitering them tomorrow. This is a decorative miter I won't try to describe without pictures. That will be tomorrow.
I had to wait a half hour for a jig to become available for my chain stay brazing. I used the time to wander over to the mechanic school side of campus and take some photos. I also took some photos of other frame building students working and their frames.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Frame building class day 6.
We put the main triangle together today. I didn't take as many photos for two reasons; One, you can only look at so many mitered tubes; right? And two I am very busy working hard to complete the frame on time. Me and the retired cop, Kit, are the only two to have put our front triangles together.
Inside the bottom bracket shell, the seat tube is supposed to be mitered to meet the down tube perfectly; and mine was. As I said before my teacher says my miters are immaculate. When I dry fit the joint everything lined up perfectly. Then you have to put it in the jig for a second dry fit; no problem. The problem came when I took it apart, fluxed it up and put it back in the jig.
Because the flux and the jig add drag and makes it difficult to feel what's going on inside the bottom bracket shell. While trying to spin the seat tube and get it's miter to "fall" perfectly on the down tube, I missed by a couple of degrees. I was devastated. But my teachers said not to worry about it. Instead of the joint being 4 times as strong as it needs to be, now it is only 3.8 times as strong as it needs to be. The only people who will know about it is them, my painter, my mechanic and now whoever reads this. It pissed me off pretty good. I squandered a FUCKING PERFECT miter!
The mistake caused the seat tube not to insert as far as it could, and the down tube to protrude into the bottom bracket shell a little to far. You can see it in the photos. When I chase the threads in the bottom bracket shell, the chase tool will cut off the part of the down tube that protrudes.
Oh well it's my very first frame. I can't get so worked up about a tiny error that won't effect the bike and only a hand full of people will ever see. Time to concentrate on the remaining tasks. There is plenty of work still to be done. I have to let go and soldier on. It reminds me of a tradition The Native Americans have. They purposely weave a mistake into their tapestries because only God or nature is perfect: certainly not man!
Inside the bottom bracket shell, the seat tube is supposed to be mitered to meet the down tube perfectly; and mine was. As I said before my teacher says my miters are immaculate. When I dry fit the joint everything lined up perfectly. Then you have to put it in the jig for a second dry fit; no problem. The problem came when I took it apart, fluxed it up and put it back in the jig.
Because the flux and the jig add drag and makes it difficult to feel what's going on inside the bottom bracket shell. While trying to spin the seat tube and get it's miter to "fall" perfectly on the down tube, I missed by a couple of degrees. I was devastated. But my teachers said not to worry about it. Instead of the joint being 4 times as strong as it needs to be, now it is only 3.8 times as strong as it needs to be. The only people who will know about it is them, my painter, my mechanic and now whoever reads this. It pissed me off pretty good. I squandered a FUCKING PERFECT miter!
The mistake caused the seat tube not to insert as far as it could, and the down tube to protrude into the bottom bracket shell a little to far. You can see it in the photos. When I chase the threads in the bottom bracket shell, the chase tool will cut off the part of the down tube that protrudes.
Oh well it's my very first frame. I can't get so worked up about a tiny error that won't effect the bike and only a hand full of people will ever see. Time to concentrate on the remaining tasks. There is plenty of work still to be done. I have to let go and soldier on. It reminds me of a tradition The Native Americans have. They purposely weave a mistake into their tapestries because only God or nature is perfect: certainly not man!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Bike school day 5
I had a few problems with the drawing and had to do three of them to get it right. I fell a couple of hours behind the syllabus but more than made up for it yesterday. I brazed the rear dropouts to the chainstays, completed the upper head tube joint and mitered the downtube on both sides.
I was actually outrunning the syllabus yesterday so Ron tried to keep me busy. He had me miter the downtube where it joins the bottom bracket. It is one of the easiest miters because it is done at a perfect 90 degrees. Soon after I finished that miter Ron approached me and apologized for getting me a little out of sequence. He should have had me miter the more complicated side of the downtube first; the end where it meets the toptube. It's a little more complicated because it is done at a severe angle. (59 degrees on my frame) He told me not to worry because I had the talent to recover. Nice!
The 59 degree side of the downtube is done first so if you don't get it perfect you can keep filing till you do using up as much tube as you need knowing you have plenty extra. Then you do the simple 90 degree miter on the other end which is easy to get exactly right.
I was actually outrunning the syllabus yesterday so Ron tried to keep me busy. He had me miter the downtube where it joins the bottom bracket. It is one of the easiest miters because it is done at a perfect 90 degrees. Soon after I finished that miter Ron approached me and apologized for getting me a little out of sequence. He should have had me miter the more complicated side of the downtube first; the end where it meets the toptube. It's a little more complicated because it is done at a severe angle. (59 degrees on my frame) He told me not to worry because I had the talent to recover. Nice!
The 59 degree side of the downtube is done first so if you don't get it perfect you can keep filing till you do using up as much tube as you need knowing you have plenty extra. Then you do the simple 90 degree miter on the other end which is easy to get exactly right.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Bike school day 4.
Today I brazed the front drop outs. They came out awesome. I am very happy. During my first braze of a water bottle boss on Monday I was so nervous I was shaking like a leaf. I had no confidence. In three days I have developed some good heat control and don't worry about blowing through a tube anymore. I have to thank Tony for that. I can't believe this is his first attempt at teaching. If I didn't know, I'd assume he's taught hundreds. He is a natural. His last name is Pereira. Here is a link to his sight. Check it out he makes some beautiful bikes.
http://www.pereiracycles.com/
Tomorrow I will finish the fork by brazing the crown and steerer tube. Then we will begin constructing the front triangle. This is when the frame begins to take shape.
I am exhausted. I am being challenged like I can't remember. I am having the educational experience of a lifetime. Sorry NCSA; your a close second.
I had illusions of wandering Portland after class each day. Impossible. After getting dinner and putting up photos and a blog, I'm spent. As much as I'd like to keep going till completion without a break, I'm looking forward to the weekend off. We need it and Tony definitely needs it. There is only one of me but he has to deal with eight of us. He gives so much of himself. I will never forget him.
Good night.
http://www.pereiracycles.com/
Tomorrow I will finish the fork by brazing the crown and steerer tube. Then we will begin constructing the front triangle. This is when the frame begins to take shape.
I am exhausted. I am being challenged like I can't remember. I am having the educational experience of a lifetime. Sorry NCSA; your a close second.
I had illusions of wandering Portland after class each day. Impossible. After getting dinner and putting up photos and a blog, I'm spent. As much as I'd like to keep going till completion without a break, I'm looking forward to the weekend off. We need it and Tony definitely needs it. There is only one of me but he has to deal with eight of us. He gives so much of himself. I will never forget him.
Good night.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Bike school Dat 3
Today was grueling. We didn't do much metal work, it was about drawing our frames. What made it demanding was that this is the first thing we did that wasn't throw away practice stuff. Although I had to throw away two nearly completed drawings.
The firs drawing I made was made with a parallel out of square. I know better but was so excited to get drawing that I neglected to check it. My 73 degree seat tube was actually 75 degrees. because the entire drawing is based off that tube it was a complete loss. The second drawing, I mistook the half degree marks on the protractor as full degree marks. My 73 degree seat tube turned out to actually be 71.5 degrees. It too was almost completed and a total loss. I nailed the third. The mental stress of knowing I had to get this right and soon really wore on me.
Once the drawings were done we had a half hour to do what we wanted before the end of class. I was smart enough to spend the morning freestyle work time to get a third practice drop out set up. The notching and slotting were perfect on this one unlike the previous two. Consequently the joint was the best of the three. Damn near acceptable for a finished frame. I haven't had the time to cut any of them open to check for flow inside the joint; the true measure of success.
The day ended with a restaurant recommendation from Tony. I had a fantastic piece of Halibut. Now a couple of beers and then bed. We start on our forks tomorrow. The first real three dimensional step in D'Anna serial number 001.
The firs drawing I made was made with a parallel out of square. I know better but was so excited to get drawing that I neglected to check it. My 73 degree seat tube was actually 75 degrees. because the entire drawing is based off that tube it was a complete loss. The second drawing, I mistook the half degree marks on the protractor as full degree marks. My 73 degree seat tube turned out to actually be 71.5 degrees. It too was almost completed and a total loss. I nailed the third. The mental stress of knowing I had to get this right and soon really wore on me.
Once the drawings were done we had a half hour to do what we wanted before the end of class. I was smart enough to spend the morning freestyle work time to get a third practice drop out set up. The notching and slotting were perfect on this one unlike the previous two. Consequently the joint was the best of the three. Damn near acceptable for a finished frame. I haven't had the time to cut any of them open to check for flow inside the joint; the true measure of success.
The day ended with a restaurant recommendation from Tony. I had a fantastic piece of Halibut. Now a couple of beers and then bed. We start on our forks tomorrow. The first real three dimensional step in D'Anna serial number 001.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Bike School day two.
We began today with a lecture on dropout installation. After the lecture we returned to our work benches and began preparation on the lower head tube joint. There is probably about an hour of hand filing of the lug. We've been told that the cheap Chinese lugs are finished poorly and require a lot more filing than the finely crafted California born Henry James lugs. I can't wait to get my hands on those. I had this joint brazed well before lunch.
After lunch I prepared and brazed my first mock dropout. This is a very difficult joint. First, the materials are very different in thickness. The name of the game is heat control. You want to heat the materials to the same temperature. The fact that the brass has a higher melting temperature than silver only complicates things. You put the torch on the thick dropout material exclusively at first. When it gets up to the proper temperature the tube is just about the same temperature through conduction. At this point you tack it.
After it's tacked you continue heating the dropout and begin to add brass; lots of it. After you fill the top of the gap you heat just below the filled area on the tube and draw the filler down into the tube creating a gap again. Fill it and draw it down and repeat. You do this on both sides until you've used up about 18 inches of brass. If you don't draw the brass in properly it will spill over the top and end up on the outside of the tube. You can see this on mine. The first one I did was bad. The second one (in the photo) wasn't so bad. It's not the ind of the world; it can be filed later. The less filing the better.
Gotta go watch the all star game now! More tomorrow.
After lunch I prepared and brazed my first mock dropout. This is a very difficult joint. First, the materials are very different in thickness. The name of the game is heat control. You want to heat the materials to the same temperature. The fact that the brass has a higher melting temperature than silver only complicates things. You put the torch on the thick dropout material exclusively at first. When it gets up to the proper temperature the tube is just about the same temperature through conduction. At this point you tack it.
After it's tacked you continue heating the dropout and begin to add brass; lots of it. After you fill the top of the gap you heat just below the filled area on the tube and draw the filler down into the tube creating a gap again. Fill it and draw it down and repeat. You do this on both sides until you've used up about 18 inches of brass. If you don't draw the brass in properly it will spill over the top and end up on the outside of the tube. You can see this on mine. The first one I did was bad. The second one (in the photo) wasn't so bad. It's not the ind of the world; it can be filed later. The less filing the better.
Gotta go watch the all star game now! More tomorrow.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Daily description of Bike School
There are eight men in the class. Most of them are from the west coast. I think half of them commute daily from home. I am the only East Coaster. I must say I am proud of the name tag on my drawing table with New York, NY prominently displayed.
There are two instructors. One is the owner of the school, Ron, who usually teaches. However Tony who used to assist is leading his first class wit Ron assisting. I have to say, Tony's excitement and enthusiasm about teaching his first class can only benefit the students. He's great. He has been building frames professionally for seven years and has a shop at home in Portland. With Ron ever present, It's perfect.
Tony had us brazing a practice water bottle boss before lunch, and a practice upper head tube lug by the end of the day. I didn't take a picture of that because we immediately cut them open to examine out silver penetration. I did pretty well. There was a slight void in one side of my joint but not bad for the first one. We will do a practice lower head tube joint tomorrow morning. I'll try to get some pictures of that process.
I am having a blast. It has become clear to me that I absolutely have the skills to pull this off. I believe I will be one of the better students having worked with my hands for the last 25 years. Most of these guys don't work with their hands at their job. My hands will be hamburger by the end of this.
More tomorrow.
There are two instructors. One is the owner of the school, Ron, who usually teaches. However Tony who used to assist is leading his first class wit Ron assisting. I have to say, Tony's excitement and enthusiasm about teaching his first class can only benefit the students. He's great. He has been building frames professionally for seven years and has a shop at home in Portland. With Ron ever present, It's perfect.
Tony had us brazing a practice water bottle boss before lunch, and a practice upper head tube lug by the end of the day. I didn't take a picture of that because we immediately cut them open to examine out silver penetration. I did pretty well. There was a slight void in one side of my joint but not bad for the first one. We will do a practice lower head tube joint tomorrow morning. I'll try to get some pictures of that process.
I am having a blast. It has become clear to me that I absolutely have the skills to pull this off. I believe I will be one of the better students having worked with my hands for the last 25 years. Most of these guys don't work with their hands at their job. My hands will be hamburger by the end of this.
More tomorrow.
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