With my own two hands.

[smslavin]

awesome. this is something i've been wanting to do for awhile and finally have the garage space to make it happen. few questions.

did you have welding experience prior to this?
what is your welder setup?
did you use the paterek manual or find other resources?

[zlatham]

Way bad ass, tick that one off the bucket list for sure!

[robnow]

That's awesome, nice shirk!

[shirk]

shirk, if you like brazing and plan to do more frames, you may want to check this out: Meco Midget Torch which should be paired with the Ultra Light Weight Hose set found here.

super light weight, gives you huge dexterity which would help if you're not using a big jig with its ability to swing the frame around while brazing.

My rig.

I am running oxy/propane with an oxygen concentrator. There is an amazing resource thread posted by Doug Fattic over on VSalon laying the knowledge on using the concentrator. I got mine from a medical supply at a huge discount due to some scratch in the cover.

Torch is a Uniweld 71, it's a clone of the Victor J-28. Tips are multi fuel TEN type that are designed for the propane.

T grade hose from TinMan Tech. I figured I'd get a set of the ultra lightweight at a later date. Grand total of my brazing rig is about $350.

The 71 is pretty small and light, not as small as the Midget but miles better than what most people get from the local weld shop or Craigslist.

[Hugh Conway]

eesh, shouldn't you have a super duper angle gauge that measures to .1 degree like the pros instead of some commie made bevel gauge?

hope you enjoy it!

[smslavin]

My rig.

I am running oxy/propane with an oxygen concentrator. There is an amazing resource thread posted by Doug Fattic over on VSalon laying the knowledge on using the concentrator. I got mine from a medical supply at a huge discount due to some scratch in the cover.

Torch is a Uniweld 71, it's a clone of the Victor J-28. Tips are multi fuel TEN type that are designed for the propane.

T grade hose from TinMan Tech. I figured I'd get a set of the ultra lightweight at a later date. Grand total of my brazing rig is about $350.

The 71 is pretty small and light, not as small as the Midget but miles better than what most people get from the local weld shop or Craigslist.

Thanks. Just started reading that thread. Little bit of overload but tons of great info. Propane seems to be the way to go for a number of reasons.

[Anospa]

Forty summed it up, this is fucking RAD!!

[detrusor]

Wow, I have always wanted to do this. You sir,are my new hero. Both for this and the closest thing to a positive post I've seen from Hugh...

[mntlion]

very cool work,

I got a chance to do this 2 falls ago. was a great course, and nice to have all the right jigs, and instruction.

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...die?highlight=

[shirk]

very cool work,

I got a chance to do this 2 falls ago. was a great course, and nice to have all the right jigs, and instruction.

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...die?highlight=

I had forgot that you did Paul's course.

Last winter I went out to one of his open houses, made my first tower of brass blobs there.

Did you guys use a dynafile to initially shape your fillets? Or all by file? I don't think I am going to spend a tone of time making the fillets pretty. Rough em in and then rattle can it.

[shirk]

awesome. this is something i've been wanting to do for awhile and finally have the garage space to make it happen. few questions.

did you have welding experience prior to this?
what is your welder setup?
did you use the paterek manual or find other resources?

I missed this last night.

Yes I did get a copy of the Paterek manual. It's helpful, but it really depends on your shop skills on how much you really need it vs reading all the available info online. I didn't read it cover to cover, I've read bits and pieces and referred to it to see his process vs what I had in my head or read online.

Resources:

As much as Empty Beer can bagged on some of the little technical sub forums have great info. It's mostly home builders and a few pros, the pros used to post more a few years back, but if you search it's all in there.
http://forums.mtbr.com/frame-building/

VSalon is mostly Pros posting, it's pretty road bike centric, but the technique's are the same.
http://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum/f10/

Suzie has changed her site, I am not sure if it's all still in there but she has some great info for newbs.
http://www.littlefishbicycles.com/20...roduction.html

It's all out there floating on the net, just gotta search for it.

[mntlion]

I had forgot that you did Paul's course.

Last winter I went out to one of his open houses, made my first tower of brass blobs there.

Did you guys use a dynafile to initially shape your fillets? Or all by file? I don't think I am going to spend a tone of time making the fillets pretty. Rough em in and then rattle can it.

Started with power tools then hand file as needed. We can be as picky about them as we wanted to be.
I got my frame powder coated by a maggot in calgary. turned out nice, and now built up as a 29, touring bike.

[Gunder]

WOW one of the coolest things I have ever seen on TGR. PROPS!

[smslavin]

I missed this last night.

Yes I did get a copy of the Paterek manual. It's helpful, but it really depends on your shop skills on how much you really need it vs reading all the available info online. I didn't read it cover to cover, I've read bits and pieces and referred to it to see his process vs what I had in my head or read online.

Resources:

As much as Empty Beer can bagged on some of the little technical sub forums have great info. It's mostly home builders and a few pros, the pros used to post more a few years back, but if you search it's all in there.
http://forums.mtbr.com/frame-building/

VSalon is mostly Pros posting, it's pretty road bike centric, but the technique's are the same.
http://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum/f10/

Suzie has changed her site, I am not sure if it's all still in there but she has some great info for newbs.
http://www.littlefishbicycles.com/20...roduction.html

It's all out there floating on the net, just gotta search for it.

No worries. I've been reading the MTBR forums quite a bit the past few days. I'll dig around VSalon some more after I finish the acetylene vs propane thread. Getting some help from the 4x4 fab guys I know too. Hoping to start this in the next month or so.

Thanks for the info.

[shirk]

Built up for it's first ride yesterday.

The sizing and geo feel spot on. Rides great.

It's been a couple seasons since I rode a ht so I need to remember how to do technical climbing. My power delivery and weight shift timing were way off. Descending was good on it. Need to mess with my fork setting, I think I had it pretty stiff when it was on my fs.

[ZomblibulaX]

Looks great! That's gotta be a good feeling.

[kidwoo]

So awesome......


Glad it held together


You're going to start building fat bikes and fixies now right?

[grinch]

Nice work man. It's got to be extra fun to ride your own design

[Crystal_Mt_Dreamin]

Now you need to get a big ol' oven and I'll loan you my old Sears DIY powder coater

[shirk]

You're going to start building fat bikes and fixies now right?

Yep only fatties and fixies from here on out.

[toast2266]

Build a 27.5 fat bike. It'll be worth millions.

[SB]

I always found it quite satisfactory to paddle one of the many kayaks i have had a hand in building.

Congrats

Sent from my Huawei-U8665 using TGR Forums

[creaky fossil]

My rig.

I am running oxy/propane with an oxygen concentrator. There is an amazing resource thread posted by Doug Fattic over on VSalon laying the knowledge on using the concentrator. I got mine from a medical supply at a huge discount due to some scratch in the cover.

Torch is a Uniweld 71, it's a clone of the Victor J-28. Tips are multi fuel TEN type that are designed for the propane.

T grade hose from TinMan Tech. I figured I'd get a set of the ultra lightweight at a later date. Grand total of my brazing rig is about $350.

The 71 is pretty small and light, not as small as the Midget but miles better than what most people get from the local weld shop or Craigslist.

I've never seen or used propane/oxy, has to be less sooty than acetylene/oxy!

[forty]

Yep only fatties and fixies from here on out.

first in line for a fatty with swappable summer/winter dropouts...


so, thoughts on the process?
any curious observations?
do's/don'ts for next time?
comments on handling yet?

im prob still 5 years off my attempts at this, but it makes me smile to know its not just a schoolboy fantasy and can be done!

[shirk]

so, thoughts on the process?
any curious observations?
do's/don'ts for next time?
comments on handling yet?

Process? Don't over think it, just do it with the most basic hand files and tube blocks.

Do's / don't? Do get ALL your tubes including the rear triangle all tightly mitred before starting to braze the front tri. When you have a front tri all good to go it's tempting to rush the rear end. I know I cut corners on good mitres for the rear tri because I could see the end in sight and want to hit a goal of getting it built for a ride.

Handling? I need to trim down the top of the head tube to lower my bar position down some. I knew it was still long, but didn't want to face too much off the ht. It will involved me pulling the headset out, so if I do that I might end up hitting it with a rattle ran of black paint.