The image I posted is a Llewellyn seat cluster that is based on a Ron Cooper design... many frame builders have adopted this seat cluster design but it requires great skill to do properly.

Ron Cooper is considered to be one of the greatest frame builders of all time and says it takes him two days to build a frame using free hand brazing (he uses no jigs) and you will not find a file mark on any of his work. This stems from his having 60 years of experience in building world class frames.

He also says he did not consider himself to be skilled enough to set out on his own until he had been building frames for 20 years.

A frame like a Hetchins could require hundreds and hundreds of hours of work and some frame builders only produce 30 frames a year because of the work involved.

My Cooper has rather simple lug work and is not extravagant in it's lug details but is the work of a master... not only in how it looks but how well it performs.

I have seen the work of many master builders and whether it is lugged, tig welded, or fillet brazed the amount of work and experience required to build such frames is stunning.