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Zen and Teaching the Art of Frame Building: Coconino style (originally posted on mtbr
I spent a couple of days this week in Flagstaff visiting my friends, Mr & Mrs Garro. While there I wanted to see how Steve layed down his fillets and try it myself while he watched. I had this chance but Steve kept asking "Are you going to make something? Stem? Fork? front triangle?" I had to think about what I could do that would be usable and decided on the front end of a bike I have been thinking about: a long and low "roadster" with fat 700C slicks and a internal gear hub.
Luckily I had my basic "fit" on my laptop. Spent an hour drawing the bike on the computer and made a quick hard copy sketch with dimensions to take to the shop. Steve was occupied with the finish work on a frame. He pointed at the drawing table, mill and frame jig and said "Ask questions if you have any." This "teaching" method came clear later. First with his stories of the UBI frame classes and then as I listened to Alan Watts podcasts about how to become a student of a Zen Master.
- Full size paper frame drawing: 15 minutes.
- Ask Steve about what tubes to use for the type of bike: He points to the tube shelves with suggestions. I ask questions and largely answer them myself as I see what will and will not physically work.
- Steve quickly mentions the basics of transferring from drawing to steel. Make tubes. Make basic miters on mill.
- Cleaned up tubes. Made the ST sleeve. Thought about the overall design and what details are needed (bottle boss holes, vent holes, "fancy" bits).
- Fit tubes into the Henry James jig. Adjust miters by hand. Steve explains how the jig works. I make all the adjustments and fitting of frame parts.
- File. Fit. File. Fit. Took my time. Asked a few questions.
- Front end in jig. I tack the joints.
- Steve removes the BLO** from the jig and mounts on alignment table. Using just two fingers it is aligned to within a few thousands, and it was close to begin with :thumbs_up:
- Steve does the head tube fillets. I do the TT/ST fillet with Steve coaching. I do OK.
- The rest of the joints will be completed after I build the rear end.
**Bicycle Like Object. Steve's term for work in progress
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Did it all in about 6 hours without rushing. I learned a tremendous amount about fabrication. Much of it from observation, more from doing. If I had not had some basic skills and experience, what Steve does would not have made as much sense nor would I have been able to see what he does differently.
Thanks, Steve!
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The swing dropouts are for this frame.
I will follow up as work progresses.
