How Many Hours to Build a Frame?

[jfmckenna]

Just curious experienced frame builders. How many hours does it take for you to build a frame? Let's say a steel road frame for example, lugs or no lugs from the time you select the tubes to the time the paint is done drying.

[Nessism]

According to a discussion from the framebuilders list, an experienced builder with a full bevy of dedicated machinery can get the metal work down to as little as 8 hours for a custom TIG’ed frame. More traditional building methods, such as using lugs and brazed dropouts, push the time to about double that. Add some detail work and the time becomes…? Figure on about 2+ hours for a basic paint job.

[Peterpan1]

http://anvilbikes.com/?news_ID=14&catID=3

[PuttPutt]

Just curious experienced frame builders. How many hours does it take for you to build a frame? Let's say a steel road frame for example, lugs or no lugs from the time you select the tubes to the time the paint is done drying.I have one 100+ hour lugged frame, yet to see a torch. Fortunately, it's not a customer's or i'd loose my shirt.

[zonatandem]

Depends on experience of the builder. Depends on the complexity of the design.
Had a custom tandem built with mixed diameter tubing and handmade lugs. The lugs alone took 40 hours.

[jfmckenna]

Interesting. Thanks...