Originally Posted by
carfart
Well, it's just a matter of melting some metal--bronze or silver, into the space between tubing and lugs, isn't it? That's something people have been doing for a long time before the latest modern methods which are often expensive. In general, you can set up a forge, a kiln, or a hearth without spending much, if any, money if you know how to do such a thing. Knowing how is the tricky bit. I'm not after such a pure approach, but most of the things that I've taken my hand to have had an expensive approach and cheap approach. The cheap approach has always worked, and it's always involved a more rewarding level of skill.
While the above is correct at it's base if the writer would actually try brazing in a kiln, hearth, oven, forge then try with an OA set up he'll likely realize why OA (or these days OP) is the way that most every one does it. The real reason to go with methods other then what most find easiest is that the availability of one material or another is the driver. This is why Doug F uses propane/oxy in the Ukraine, acetylene was not available at a good cost or locally. Propane is.
So if the writer finds himself in a local which doesn't have a supply of the more commonly used gasses then more power to him in seeking some other heating methods. But, again, I suggest that he try to use the various methods before coming to any conclusions.
That last sentence is also why taking a course is very good advice. If one is going to continue to make frames (hobby or otherwise) then in a few frames the $3K will be a drop in the investment bucket. I've been doing this building thing for over 30 years and i have spent well over $10K (possibly double that) in tooling alone, much of it used. But I have only spent a little $ on tools I haven't used a bunch. This is because i have learned what i need and like to do.
This discussion reminds me of those who are thinking about investing in the stock market. There are very few who do so with the research, skill, philosophy of pros. Most armatures who do invest don't see the returns that a pro can get for you. Many armatures think they can time the market. Many find that the mistakes they make cost more then what they would have paid a pro to manage their money. Frame building is much the same. It's easy to get the materials, it's easy to design a frame dimensionally, it's easy to hack saw and file, it is less easy to join the tubes/components but not yet rocket science, it's harder to do all well without problems or mistakes that will either require starting over or show on the finished frame. And it will cost more than a new frame built by a pro, likely not look as nice, not be as straight, not be as well finished/painted, not fit your parts perfectly. The only real reason to build your own is to be able to say that you did. This might be worth a lot, or not, depending on what you hope to have your fellow riders think of your skills... Andy.