I like the drop bolt.

You're right; I'll have to think about improving the brakes. They suck.

I've never brazed, so as a first time, maybe I should consider doing what John S Allen did: brazed on cantilever bosses, but he put them above the rims, and he attached Mafac centerpulls to them. It's a very nice idea. They brake well, and they don't protrude from the frame.