Originally Posted by Doug Fattic

Brandon you are discovering that different builders make frames in different ways and their equipment reflects their philosophies of how the tubes should go together. Sometimes whatever kind of fixturing they bought determines their procedures – that may or may not be a really good way to do things. This is why it is wise to learn from a master and then modify that training to meet your personality or monetary restrictions. Without some kind of solid background a person can waste a ton of time and money sorting things out. It is also not helpful to have multiple teachers at 1st because their advice can be contradictory. Just like if you are new to cycling and ask if you should buy Shimano or Campagnolo? Opinions will vary and arguments will result and you can end up confused because you don’t have a background to understand the differences.

I like many builders don’t braze a whole joint in a fixture. Rather I spot braze the tubes or frame or whatever to hold them together in the fixture and then braze it free standing after making sure it is in alignment. Sometimes builders will also pin (as in drive a nail) parts together. There are several reasons for this. When something is in a fixture the whole heavy mess can’t be placed in the most effective position and/or moved easily while brazing, the jig can rob some of the heat and prevent some torch/flame movement. And besides brazing in the fixture doesn’t assure alignment anyway and you can’ t see inside a bb shell to tell of the silver/brass has come down all the way around.

One of the ironies of tooling is that the more experienced a builder, the less he/she requires expensive fixtures. Beginners can benefit from the accuracy that can be bought. Another factor in the tooling equation is how much time someone wants to spend on set up. The simpler the tooling the more time it takes and vice versa. This is a personal thing and can depend on how much discretionary money is available.