Seeking advice from experienced tradesmen

[Terrapin Ben]

Howdy folks! I usually hang out on the MTB forum but thought i would stop by to see what this whole frame building business is all about and to ask your advice on my future. It may sound silly, seeking guidance from an internet mesage board, but i value everyones collective experience and knowledge. I have found great success and help form seeking advice on other forums on the website.

First, a bit about myself. I am 21 years old and very confused with what to do with my life. born and raised in the midwest, i found myself attending a jesuit college in ohio, majoring in business after i grauated high school. I became very disillusioned with the whole college scene and had a very hard time finding a reason to apply myself to my academia. Since then, the thought of quitting school has crossed my mind more than once. Fortunately my parents have steered me away from that path for the time being. I understand the necesity of a degree for my financial independence and well being. I don't think it is impossible to earn a respectible living without a degree, but i think my chances of doing so with a degree would be greatly increased and much easier. I have since transfered out of the midwest to montana, a place i am very happy to be at and very well suited for my individual needs. I have switched my major from business to philosophy to geology and now i am a resource conservation major, whatver that means.

I have always had a deep passion for bicycling, and the ideology behind it rests well with me. I have come to the conclusion that if you end up doing something you are passionate about for a profession, you will never work a day in your life. However true that maybe does not really matter to me, but i could never see myself wearing a tie and crunching numbers all day. Though i am currently enjoying my field of study, i do not know if i could spend my life as an earth space teacher in high school, or as a park ranger either. I have started dreaming of what my ideal life would be, what would make me happy. I do not place much worth on material goods, more on relationships and experiences, but see the worth in having enough money so that i may be albe to support a family or buy my own house if i choose to do so in the future. Thusly i have created my own pipe dream of happiness and personal fullfilment, as well as financial independce.

I am now looking into the details and specifics of building bicycles, moreover, building framesets by hand. I have looked into a two year tech schoool in the area to learn welding skills, and I have requested information from the United Bicycle Institute in Ashland, OR. Any direction can you point me in to further my pursuit of information or any advice you are willing to lend would be greatly appreciated. I am also considering picking up a minor in business if i somehow find myself following this path in the future.

Thank you so much for reading this. And thanks in advance for your input. I appreciate your time and efforts. Happy trails!

EDIT: any books, articles, publications, organizations or anything else that you think might help me focus myself and find my path would be greatly appreciated as well.

[potus]

I would recommend building a bicycle frame before you decide to make it a career.

as far as a two year technical school for welding, I could teach you to tig weld a bicycle in two hours, after that it's all practice. so probably overkill.

if you have the means, UBI is probably your best bet to get a feel for framebuilding.

good luck.

ps. get that college degree. you can always work as a welder with a degree, but without a degree you may be S.O.L. for a lot of other opportunities.

[linux_author]

Oh yeah, the other way is to Marry a well to do woman.

DW

- amen! and the secret to a good marriage is:

"Whatever Madame wants."

:-)

[Terrapin Ben]

Thanks a lot for the quick responses! i understand the importance of a college degree and have little inclination to quit any time in the near future. I am a fair way along in my college career and would have a hard time throwing it all away by not finishing my degree. So far i have been advised that attending a two year tech school would be overkill for simply welding frames. I have a few friends that weld, and would not have a hard time to get them to tech me a few things. I have also been advised to marry up. The current girlfriend is a premed in the honors school at my college, so check. I was hoping you could advise some books or manuals or websites that would help me better understand the processes, science, and geometry behind frame building. i already know the answer to this, but should i pick up a business minor if i ever want to run my own business? any other classes that would be helpful to my understanding of frame building? any organizations or apprenticeships i can join/be accepted to to better understand what goes on in the business of frame building? again, thank you for the quick responses. theyre very much appreciated. happy trails!

[potus]

I was hoping you could advise some books or manuals or websites that would help me better understand the processes, science, and geometry behind frame building.

http://www.timpaterek.com/tpmanual.htm

nothing else comes close

[Terrapin Ben]

much thanks again. that manual looks intense! just the thing i was looking for to give me an idea about what frame building entails... all other input is still very welcomed!

[Peterpan1]

And if money is tight go to the Atomic zombie site, or buy borrow the book. While this isn't making glitzy show bikes, it's the same techniques to make fun bikes or projects and you can use dumpster parts. Another option is to find something like chromoly racks that you can make without a large investment in torches or welding gear, yet get interesting experience is welding, brazing, pipe fitting, and bending.

[Thylacine]

I'm still trying to get over the fact that you went from business to philosophy to geology to resource conservation and now you want to build bikes.

Dinner table conversation at your folks place must be real interesting!

"So far I have been advised that attending a two year tech school would be overkill for simply welding frames.'

Son, you won't get far with that attitude! Framebuilding is a black art to which you have to study for decades to become worthy, or just go to UBI for a week, whichever you prefer. ;)

I actually sort of agree with Don for a change. Get a real job and do it as a hobby, or get some amoral corporate job, milk it for as much money as you can for 10-15 years, then move to Tuscany and set up shop in a barn.

You'll have to learn Italian and be connected to the internet, but it's a small price to pay.

Fortuna buona!

ps: You're in Montana, right? If you're not far from Bozeman, ring up Carl Strong and Dave Kirk and spend an afternnon picking their brains. I tell ya, for a guy who's spent a grand total of 10 days in the US, I don't do too badly.

[skeeter]

I could teach you to tig weld a bicycle in two hours,
Another super welder, metal melting genious:rolleyes:
Even the all mighty hi-powered google couldn't produce that.