Originally Posted by Doug Fattic

It is possible to make a decent frame in a day if the builder doesn't fuss and uses a standard design. This was an average time the classic era European builders took to make one frame. When I visited Harry Quinn in Liverpool when I was apprenticing I asked him how long it took him to make a frame and he said he was working on the 2nd one that day. Good American builders typically take 16 to 20 hours not including paint - which they usually farm out. The ones that do the very nicest job take around 100 hours. Last year I asked those that made the nicest frames at the Philly show and that was their answer. This extra work often goes unappreciated. The most common questions asked a builder is 1. How soon can I get it? and 2. How much does it cost? If any decision based on one or both of those answers are not going to get one of the finest frames made.