Originally Posted by
The Golden Boy
Wow, that is amazing.
The lug work is so intricate- I see cutout lugs, but I still see the "framework" of the lug. These lugs just look decorative- as if they're ONLY for aesthetic.
I don't mean to imply that the beautiful lugs aren't strong or don't function as lugs- they're just so beautiful, you forget that they're lugs.
Yes, it looks like a purely aesthetic endeavor, but it is approached from a weight savings desire foremost.
I'm not a structural engineer, and even if I was, I don't think I could eye-ball estimate the reduced strength of those lugs relieved of so much metal.
I do know that John Murphy is very passionate about reducing weight, but retaining strength and handling. My guess is that he has done sufficient testing to understand where the boundaries are.
He even goes to the trouble of milling out the inner surface of the BB shell (area between the threads) in a eccentric fashion that thins the wall on the bottom, but leaves the area where tubes join thicker.
And his craftsmanship is top-notch.
(my Columbine acquisition was second-hand, and has rather ordinary lug-work, but is still a work-of-art.)