S & S Couplers
 

Is there a place where one can buy S & S couplers? My search seems to point only to framebuilders who will install them for you or build into a new custom frame. I'd like to do it myself. Thanks. Al.

S&S doesn't sell to amateur frame builders. http://www.sandsmachine.com/#buy them

Probalby a liability issue. Also may be to protect their reputation for quality.

They will sell them to framebuilders for "evaluation" on personal bikes. Have no idea what the criteria is. Just having insurance isn't enough for them if you are selling them to other people.

There are other ways to Make a separable Frame , Like good fitting telescoping Tubes and Pinch Bolts..

Tom Richeys Break away Down tube coupler reminded me of agricultural Irrigation piping couplers ,
and the food grade Hose connectors I used on the crushing and filtering machines and Hoses, in my
Overnight jobs at Harvest time, in the Napa valley..

the other separation of his stuff is using the seatpost as a Join span
and clamping the Top tube on in one place, the rear end and lower seat tube on in another

To sell my self... check out this thread's http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...5800-Frame-830 most recent post. I just finished filed/sanded the couplers on my frame build. Andy.

Although the S&S couplers are wonderful, and we do put them on many builds, they also come with a pretty wonderful price.

We had a project a few years ago where the goal was to build a separable touring bike that would fit in a 25 by 25 inch case and when it was done we were able to pack the bike in a 20 by 20 case... this includes the racks as the rear one breaks down and packs flat. We used telescoping tubes and pinch bolts up front and the rear connection integrates with the seat post... the bike breaks into 4 pieces.

This bike fits in the custom made case with it.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...portable10.JPG

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...nportable9.JPG

This technique was used by some very famous frame builders like Rene Herse long before S&S couplers appeared on the scene and you do have to be an approved frame builder to use them.

Using S&S couplers would have increased the price of this bike dramatically.

I went to a bicycle show in Portland, and started asking framebuilders if they would braze in a set of S&S couplers into my top and down tubes. I found more than one, but made an arrangement with one. He bought all of the S&S things that I needed, and wanted at cost, and he braised them in, and then mitered the tubes according to my drawing. It worked out very well:

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/cli...7624505281671/

Tom

That is a sensible approach. Might find a few builders who would sell you the parts. I asked S&S whether they would sell to me as an amateur who would not resell. They said yes, but they would want to see a lot more about builds and my shop, etc... At the time I was on vacation a few thousand miles from the shop, and now I forget why i was interested.

It's not really kosher to ask a framebuilder to sell you the parts, and I'm not going to allow further discussion of that route. I can't imagine a rank beginner having success installing them, and if you aren't a rank beginner then convincing S&S to sell you a set isn't that difficult. This shouldn't be your first experience with stainless. Many framebuilders don't charge all that much to put them on, the fittings themselves are pretty expensive.

I think you are right to censor inappropriate conduct. I'll ask S&S, and see how they feel about it. If it is just liability, they may not have a problem with it. I'll ask about the installed option. I assume you just mean these parts, not other stuff since a lot of FBs sell parts.

Update: Mail sent. I will let people know if they approve/disapprove of either of these approached, or have an official no comment.

It isn't beyond the realm of possibility that someone might like their coupled LHT, but want to upgrade a custom frame and ask the builder to recycle the couplers. The way they might want to recycle any other parts. I think that would be a relatively simple operation in my shop. But maybe it would be unethical?

S&S will not sell to framebuilders they know are reselling the bare parts.

Just making sure that it was clear in my earlier post that the framebuilder didn't sell me the couplers. I took my top and down tube to him and he brazed them in, then I finished the frame.

Tom

thanks for clarifying, that's the way to do it