Framebuilders - Total newbie introduction

Hey Gang,

Was cruising through the forums and saw 'Framebuilders'. I asked myself "How could I have missed that?" and then upon entering realized it's brand new... cool!

I just received (today) the 'bike frame building kit' I ordered off of eBay. It's my Christmas present... my wife was surprised she was already done shopping for me. ;)

I've already got a few irons in the fire (1st baby due Jan 2nd) so I don't anticipate starting on it for a few months yet.

The 'kit' is basically all the parts to put together a road bike frame. I'll post the pafts list.

This is my first frame build.

I already know a few things about what I'll get out of this.

It will be heavier than a cheap store bought bike.
It will be more expensive than buying a complete bike. (new or used)
It will likely not be as pretty as a purchased bike.
It will hopefully fit me nicely. (I'll get fitted properly at a LBS before starting any cutting)
It will be *my* bike. :)
It will take a lot of work.

I already understand that I can't compete with cheap east-asian labor on my first frame. Those hands have built a lot more frames than I ever will, and have access to better tools.

I'm in it for the process, and don't need a 'bling' bike at the end of it to be happy, just something hopefully comfortable to ride and functional. I already understand the builder/purchaser difference. My other hobby is radio control airplanes, and you can now buy complete airplanes that are cheaper (and likely better_ made from a store than you can make yourself. I still went and bought a bunch of balsa, cut all my own parts and built an airplane from plans last winter.

I know that my first frame will be a long and sometimes frustrating process, but I want to learn and hope I have the patience to see it through.

-Greg

Greg,
What do you have, and what do you intend to spend in the way of tooling?

So the complete parts list:


Tube set - "ORIA TT0.9" - made in Italy.

Top Tube - 25.4 mm x 0.9 mm x 580 mm
Seat Tube - 28.6 mm x 0.9 mm x 600 mm
Down Tube - 28.6 mm x 0.9 mm x 600 mm
Head Tube - 31.7 mm x 1.0 mm x 180 mm
pair of Chain Stays - 22.2 mm x ROR x 415 mm
pair of Seat Stays - 14 mm x 548 mm - single taper
Steerer Tube - 25.4 mm x 265 mm - threaded
Fork Blades - 27.6/20 mm x 383 mm
pressed steel lugs

Top Head Tube Lug - approx 72°
Seat Tube Lug - 73°
Lower Head Tube Lug - approx 58°

Bottom Bracket Shell - Everest - investment cast - English threading (1.375 x 24 L & R)
Drop Outs CAMPAGNOLO forged front and rear dropouts (rear dropouts are horizontal with adjuster screws)
Fork Crown - investment cast - fully sloping (engraved Miele)
Seat stay caps - investment cast (engraved Miele)
Brake bridge with seat stay reinforcements
Chain stay bridge
Pair of down tube Shifter Bosses
4 Water Bottle Bosses
Three top tube Cable Guides
Chain stay cable stop
Plastic under bottom bracket cable guide
set of Oria TT0.9 tubing decals


And pics:

Lugs and stays and posts, oh my!



...and the dropouts closer up:

Greg,
What do you have, and what do you intend to spend in the way of tooling?

What've I got, nothing much beyond basic household tools. :)

I've got access to oxy-acetylene equipment for brazing and silver soldering and a good friend who is handy with most any type of welding, though he tells me that if you're patient you can get the welder for a decent price and bottle rental isn't outrageous.

From what I read, the first step will be measuring everything up, then making myself a good, straight jig. I've subscribed to the framebuilder's mailing list and have been lurking there the last week. Sounds like ideally some way of machining the mitres (hole saws with drill presses and jigs to hold the tubes the right angle) would save a lot of time. Though if I'm just doing the one frame for now, how nasty is doing it by hand with hacksaw and file?

Acquiring/borrowing tools as I go is probably how it will be done. I've got an unused garage to hold the project if it's in the warmer months, and a basement workshop if I want to work on it in the winter, though loud noise and noxious fumes are a nono inside the house. ;)

-Greg

I'm a garage builder haveing built a handful of brazed lugged frames. I've also been down the RC aircraft road and I can say that building a frame is no more work than scratch building a nice plane.

To miter the tubes, use a program called "tubemiter.exe" It will get you very close to the proper fishmouth shape. Next, hold the tubes together and carefully file the high spots to get a fit within 1mm or so.

Oxy-acetylene is what you want for lugs. If your clearances are nice and tight, use 56% silver to braze, otherwise, use brass.

First off though, you should pony up the money and get the Paterek manual. Best book available.

Good luck.

Ed

First off though, you should pony up the money and get the Paterek manual.

It appears to be available from the publisher (http://www.henryjames.com/patman.html). Looking at the table of contents on the publisher's site, it looks quite interesting.