Straight Edges

[classtimesailer]

My first frame will be made without a frame jig or an alignment table. What should I look for in a used straight edge? Would more than one length be helpful? It seems like I need 36 inches to go across the BB to the HT. Should I look for one that is ruled? How about stainless vs hardened steel vs aluminum (vs just a stainless ruler)? What would you use if you had no jig and no table? I've got plenty of time to wait for the "right" one to come along.
Jeff

[Jonathan]

There is a eBay seller named mikemetric or metricmike. He has a great selection of high quality measurement pieces in all sorts of lengths at really good prices.

[steve garro]

A piece of string ran from the outside of one dropout, around the HT and over to the other dropout.
Tool cost = $.04
- Garro.

[edoz]

If you want a straight edge, you've got a few options. The big drywall squares you can get at the hardware store work well, or you can even use flat bar stock. A 4ft piece of 1/4" x 2 or 3" aluminum would be fine. It's straight enough to reference a beginner's frame. I built 35 frames like that before I got an alignment channel.

[Will Outlaw]

Don't discount Garro's $.04 string or the sky, which is still free.

Sight from the outside of the seat tube to the inside of the head tube against the sky, adjust, tack, check and build away. If your miters are in phase it'll sort of want to be straightish anyway. :-)

The string and a true rear wheel take care of the rear triangle. A couple chunks of angle, some clamps and threaded rod help hold things in place if need be.

I built #2 that way and it came out really nice. And I learned a ton by not using anything more complicated than string and sky. It really helped me get a feel for how the frame was going together.

[steve garro]

Don't discount Garro's $.04 string.

The only string thoery I subscribe to.
+1 on the true rear wheel, too.
- Garro.

[Andrew R Stewart]

While strings are fine and for many steps work well enough it is nice to have a rigid device at times. That with a c clamp and your hands are freed up and a continual reference is had. Check out your local DYI and the steel or Alu channels that are usually in 3' lengths. Andy.