Nice!
What stem is that?
How do you route the shifter cables?

Thanks, Dick

Here's an update:
About 3 months ago I bought an older Jet 10x24 lathe. This is late 70's model and came out of a race car shop so, it doesn't have a ton of miles on it and is in pretty good shape - if a bit dirty. I have been building up my frame building tool selection with Park BB thread/facing tools, fork crown cutter, headtube reamer/facer. I didn't have a headset press. I remember White INdustries making one a long while back and it was a super nice tool with bearings and such. After a bit of searching online I couldn't find one and thought...why not make one?!

I got some 2" aluminum rod, Mcmaster-Carr helped with bearings and I went to work making chips on the lathe. What used to take a block of wood and hammer now takes light twisting motion.

To the machinists and engineers out there, please be kind. I'm sure my finish isn't up to snuff and there are a few design changes I want to make but for a prototype, it works pretty well. The real one will be made from stainless and this will get donated to the local bike tool library.


high res pics here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/54319503@N05/

Thanks! The stem is chrome-plated steel, made for the frame. Here is a pic of the cable routing. Somewhat hidden is a loop of housing for the front derailleur.

Stem: Even more impressive that you made it.

Shifters & cable routing: Very innovative (I think; never seen that before).

Regards, Dick

Whoah! Is that brake cable going through the seat tube and post?

Being that's its both riding and wrenching seasons my torch work is nearly non existent. But here's a repair I just finished. The frame is a favorite of a local smart guy (as in the world science scene). It had broken (fell off a car at speed) at the RH SS top mount and was "repaired" by some one else a few years ago, this can be seen by the brass across the top eye. The owner wanted to preserve the "Raleigh" stamping in the top eye as well as not spend too much.

I decided to not replace the entire stay and only add reinforcement. At first I though about triangular shaped gusset under the SS and ST crotch. But something made me chose to get away from the sight of the repair and do this major bracing instead.

This frame had many alignment issues too. Main frame twist. Front/rear triangle off. Fork twist with bowed steerer being the highlights. I went through the usual aligning steps, bending and prodding. I left the bowed tubes as is and worked around them, choosing their end points as the data points as best I could. No new issues cropped up during this. (Not always the case...)

Next up was the bracing fab., pretty straight forward. Decided where to place vents based on this frame not being dunked in a soak tank or sand blasted. (The owner will do the paint touch up w/ rattle can). Fitted it all up, tacked in a few spots and brazed away. It's been a few months since my last torch time so I was glad to find my hands still remembered what to do. got good penetration if not the nicest fillets. A few file strokes and some shoe shinning with production cloth and here's the results. Andy.

Nice work Andrew. Its an ingenius way to re-direct the forces from the seat stays and I think it improves the look as well.

Her frame is finally complete, and mine will go into the oven tomorrow.

A photo thread will follow soon.

My frame is finally curing in the oven. Later tonight we'll remove the release cloth, and start sanding it tomorrow.