Andrew R Stewart 

So today was the big booboo. Lots of swear words and inward frustration.

I was brazing the chain stays on #2 and one dropped off the shell mid flow braze step. I had tacked in the jig, added flux and started to flow braze the complete joint when loading the heat from within the shell under one stay that it melted and fell off. This doesn't happen with a socketed shell... So I stopped and let the battlefield cool off. The dropped stay had good bronze wetting with little burn or lumps so it needed minor touch up for re attachment. the shell had a little filler build up here and there, a bit of focused filing and the shell was smooth again. The frame went back into the jig and stay with flux added then re tacked the stay and reflowed it. Then onto the fillet build ups.

At this point all looks pretty good for a screw up. The wheel sits very close to perfect and no flow or fillet issues after the reattachment. Sunday will be the filing as I listen to the football games. So we'll see. Andy.

duanedr 

I think there is a quote that goes something like: 'It's not whether we get knocked down or not, but whether we get back up'... or some other silly nonsense that's suppose to make us feel better about our screw ups.

Glad to hear that I'm not the only one having little problems like this.

Love following you progress.

Andrew R Stewart 

There's a bunch more shots on the Flicker site now. But to tease you all and challenge you, what is this shot of? Answer on the Flicker site linked in previous posts. Andy

Andrew R Stewart 

In the last couple of weeks I've done a bunch more work on the frames. The second one is basically done and the first only has some machining, final alignments and the tedious all over sanding. Of course I've documented much to Flicker. Included are two new tools, one I made and one that Alex Meade made for me. Here's a teaser of the current state. Andy.

Andrew R Stewart 

This will be the last update for a long time. Both frames are done. See previously linked Flicker if you wish for the side by side photos of the two frames. They will now wait until a date to paint them can be made. I will follow up then with shots of the build ups. But don't hold your breaths. Andy.

long john

I checked out your flicker site. Nice work impressive.

Andrew R Stewart 

Finally got the frames painted (actually last summer) and built up. I think they are really nice looking, good color combo and classic scheme. I've posted to my Flicker album the finished shots.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/organi...57658194060433

I've attached a taste of the complete bikes.

I've ridden mine and like it's feel. With the 26x1.5 tires (Panaracer Paselas) the bike rolls very smoothly, with the 1.25s the handling crispens up. So far with the light loads I've tried the steering is solid with NO shimmy, no feel like shimmy might even be on the horizon. This issue is one that I wanted address, being my 4th touring frame I've made for myself, as others have shimmied easily. The smaller wheel size and bigger steerer and main frame collectively seem to be the fix.

Now I just have to wait for next summer and the hoped for cross country tour. Andy.

Chuck Naill

I thoroughly enjoyed your progress photos and seeing the two finished products. The way you mounted the rear view mirror and the quality of the mirror itself also caught my attention. Where did you get the mirror and could it be mounted on any brake assembly.

Andrew R Stewart 

Chuck- I no longer know where to source the mirrors. I got a bunch from Edmond Scientific way long ago, before they went all high tech/high end. At one time they were more like a surplus outlet. About a year ago I called then with the original mirror packaging and tried. they had to take the info and call back after going into a many year old and discontinued inventory kept on a computer they don't even turn on weekly. No luck.


The mirror is a second surface convex one about 50mm in diameter with a focal length of about 100mm. I had gotten a few different focal lengths and chose the one that worked best then ordered a bunch more. At that time the mirrors were only a few dollars each...


The mirror housing and mounting post are of my own work, machined out of AL on my little Atlas 6" lathe. The stalk is a stainless steel rod bought from a hobby store.


The basic concept is borrowed from one of my mentors, Dick Burns. He was a great friend, rider and managed the prototyping dept at Bosh and Lomb for years. His original design came about in the mid 1970s. If you were lucky he gave you one, there were a dozen or so on the clubs various riders' bikes back then. When brifters came to market how the post was secured to the lever needed to change as the shapes and internal lever constraints were different.


So I came up with my post design. I've tried to attached the rough blueprint from which I work from but it exceeds the size limit this forum has. I would be willing to send it to you via personal email though. As to mounting one of these on other levers (I run either first gen Ergo or Tektro aero levers) on Shimano or SRAM levers I don't know. I have given some thought to Shimano but haven't come up with any thing yet. Since my wife prefers a helmet mirror, I don't use Shimano levers I and I can't get more mirror blanks I feel little reason to continue my tinkering.


If you take this further (and I welcome you to use any of my designs, albeit with some form of credit) please let me know. You are not the first to ask about these mirrors. I would be happy to produce more if I could. Andy

Chuck Naill

Thank you Andrew. I am not a machinist, but thank you for the offer. Again, love the two touring bikes and the progress photos.