Thought I'd throw it out here. I'm up in Bellingham and welding up frames for those who are interested.
www.shuksancycles.com

Thanks for posting here...I confess I didn't know of you prior to this post.

Are you going to be exhibiting at the Seattle Bike Expo or the North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show in Portland?

Or do we need to talk you into hosting an open house / frame-building chat in Bellingham exclusively for NW members of the BikeForums?

No worries about not hearing about me. Trying to stay small and fun while the likes of Davidson and Rodriguez are doing this as a primary means of making a living. I teach at a local school and have been doing the bike thing since I was 14. Managed to move out from PA three years back. We're up on the South Pass Rd now so maybe we could serve as an intermediate coffee stop/food break for some weekend rides this winter/spring.

Production is small (dozen or so) and I don't have ambisions of doing 40+ frames a year. I'm enjoying the focus on craftsmanship, tradition, local craft, and individualization.

Thanks for the additional info -- if I plan a ride in the area I'll be in touch in advance. Would love to see what you're up to.

Hey,
I just checked out your site. I am truly impressed. I find it is rare that any builder will express certain aspects of the biz the way you have. I really like the fact that you are geared towards sustainability with the use of powder coating instead of normal paint. You are correct that not only is that stuff terrible for the environment but it is also REALLY bad for the person applying it. I used to paint and it just about killed me.
One of these days I'll stop being a cheapskate and give you a call! I want something like an early 70's Raleigh International or a Hetchins with fancy nervex lugs.
Anyways......great site!

Oh ya! And welcome to BikeFo!

Hey,
I just checked out your site. I am truly impressed. I find it is rare that any builder will express certain aspects of the biz the way you have. I really like the fact that you are geared towards sustainability with the use of powder coating instead of normal paint. You are correct that not only is that stuff terrible for the environment but it is also REALLY bad for the person applying it. I used to paint and it just about killed me.
One of these days I'll stop being a cheapskate and give you a call! I want something like an early 70's Raleigh International or a Hetchins with fancy nervex lugs.
Anyways......great site!

Thanks kpug505,

Talking to the guys at Spectrum was enough to sell me on their services. They described the wet paint process and it was enough to make me consider impact. If customers have a conscience that makes them shop with local craftspeople then they will understand the saccrifices that come with powder and will be willing to accept the trade offs. Chroming was equally as bad and no one is willing to do that any more as we have stainless as an option. Why go with liquid paint when companies like Spectrum can produce an equally beautiful finish.

Glad to hear you survived the paint and hope to hear from you in the future. For fun check out Richard Sach's website in the store. He's got some very cool lugs in there.