Hottubes- building a frame from scratch (Super pic heavy)

[Unchained]

I begin a five day program tomorrow in which I build a frame of my design from scratch. I thought it would be interesting to keep a thread for the frame build. I will be taking lots of pictures and should be able to update this thread every day. (I thought about putting this in the builds section, but I think it fits better here-sorry if it is a little out of place). I am really excited, as I have never done this before. :mrgreen:

The design will be for a diamond frame heavily influenced by the track bikes of the turn of the century. :wink:

 

[UncleKudzu]

Re: Hottubes- building a frame from scratch

sounds cool! is this like a workshop with an instructor or something that you're doing on your own?

 

[deorman]

Re: Hottubes- building a frame from scratch

Shall we assume 19th-20th?

 

[Unchained]

Re: Hottubes- building a frame from scratch

sounds cool! is this like a workshop with an instructor or something that you're doing on your own?

it should be very fun. It's a workshop with an instructor. It's called "Hottubes".

 

[Unchained]

Well, I had internet access at the hotel I was staying at (more practical than a four hour commute :shock but the laptop didn't have my camera's software. :roll: So I couldn't update the thread on a daily basis. Tomorrow is my last day, on which my frame will be 100% complete, with paint and all painted decals... It's not really a rat, (as the paint coming will attest to :wink. I decided to build an early styled diamond frame road bike that would fit me specifically (only about 5'5" tall) during the class (which was much more a chance for me to learn about this process than to acquire the frame). Here are the pictures I was able to take of the whole process until now:

(I've never seen a bike in this state :lol

(All the measurements- the cut sheet; amazing how much adjusting can be done and how slight some portions are, as well as the thought behind this)

(My first silver brazing sample done on a junk lug and piece of tubing)

(Start to finish progression of the frame and fork)

 

[Unchained]

I will be doing all of the filing and finish work tonight. I can barely wait to have it done... it will be built up over the winter.

 

[sensor]

man how old are you?!!?!? like 16? you rock!!!
the only thing id say do different is do a balloon not a lightweight!
really good work and glad to see the next generation will have everything handled quite well :mrgreen:

 

[KZ1000]

Chris that looks like an awesome class, hope you can talk your dad into setting you up at home and then you can have classes for all us to attend, You are definately going a long way with your knowledge, Rick

 

[Danimal]

Chris,

Wow, that is fantastic! I wish I had that kind of skill now, let along at 17. Keep up the good work!

Where are you taking this class?

 

[KOTA]

You gonna be FAMOUS one day! :wink:

 

[WhiteShadow]

where, how long, how much, websites, etc etc... we want info sir

 

[Boardtrack fan]

That is awesome! I wish I had your skills at that age. Keep it up and you will be a top custom builder before you know it.

 

[Unchained]

Wow, thanks guys! I'm fifteen and one of the very excellent aspects of this class is that everything I have done here I will essentially be able to do in the shop at home. It's a one week program (5 days, shorter or longer as necessary) offered by Tobias Stanton, owner of "Hottubes", builder of custom/handbuilt bicycle frames. His shop is located in Shirley, MA. the website is http://www.hottubes.com. He does stunning paint work and builds very high quality custom frames. I originally wanted to do a ballooner, but then I don't really have a diamond frame that fits me all that well, so I went with that instead. I already have several ballooners and am becoming much more interested in the early diamond frames. I have about half of the finish work done in about two hours tonight, but I'm starting to get pretty tired and will resume in the morning.

Edit: The frame (without fork) only ways 3.8 lbs! I couldn't even believe it when we put it on the scale. It will be the lightest frame I own.

 

[UncleKudzu]

wow, i'm thoroughly impressed! thanks for sharing the photos with us.

so, is what you're doing there brazing? the stick flows into the lugs, i guess?

 

[Unchained]

wow, i'm thoroughly impressed! thanks for sharing the photos with us.

so, is what you're doing there brazing? the stick flows into the lugs, i guess?

Thank you very much. Yes- because I chose to do a lugged diamond frame, I learned to braze, though for other frame designs where TIG welding would be needed, he teaches that, too. The lugs are fit to the tubes with between 2 and 5 thousandths of an inch of clearance, and the silver braze is so thin when up to temperature (about 1300 degrees F) it flows very nicely between the lug and the tubing of the frame. Like water. The strength of this process comes from drawing the silver through (I was told that technically this is called penetration)- the silver melts and, if done correctly, is drawn between the lug and tubing from one side through to the other side of the joint (so that there is a very fine, complete and total layer of silver between the lugs and tubing covering every point between them). The dropouts were done with brass in a similar fashion.

 

[Riverbend Bicycles]

Excellent job. I admire your ambition and the skills you've learned. These skills will be with you the rest of your life and are priceless. I hope to someday take a similar class, because there's nothing like riding a bike that you've built yourself. Keep up the good work.

 

[bigj]

This is fantastic! Thanx for sharing with us.

 

[Unchained]

Well, it's done! I am very, very satisfied with the end result and I can't wait to build this one up (it will be in the builds section very soon).

 

[deorman]

Fantastic! 8)

 

[Unchained]

I'll have some better pictures of the frame itself tomorrow morning, the paint work really is exceptional.