New lugset... possibly, maybe, who knows...

[DFW]

Hi folks,

I spent a bit of time over the last year designing some lugsets...

Some are nice, some need a bit more work. I recently cut my favourite design for a show bike.

I just wanted to get some feedback from fellow builders, to see what you think of them. There are a few tweeks that I would like to make but I am actually quite happy with them. I might do a crown to match too.

I have been toying with the idea of having them cast, but financially I cannot afford to keep them all to myself. So I guess what I am trying to find out is whether or not there might be a little bit of space in the lug market for these puppies. I don't want to step on anybodies toes or rub people up the wrong way, I just want to do something different.

Let me know what you think guys, but please be nice

Cheers,

Tom.


Hermes Lugset.jpg

ps. I have more pictures of the complete bike if people are interested.

[WadePatton]

more options good atwo.

glad somebody is interested in doing such, but i can't complain about the few lugsets that i've used.

the design itself, i'm lukewarm on that one. wonder what others think.

[e-RICHIE]

my rule of thumb is that after about 200 sets sold, you have just broken even
with design and tool costs and the rest is a revenue stream to beat the band atmo.

[anthonymaietta]

They look clean. Nice fillet brazing on those samples.

[Chauncey Matthews]

If you left the keyhole slots out of the castings, you'd have some pretty nice lugs with a lot of room for carving. Seems that people are always asking for that, and since one source has recently dried up...

[pruckelshaus]

If you left the keyhole slots out of the castings, you'd have some pretty nice lugs with a lot of room for carving. Seems that people are always asking for that, and since one source has recently dried up...

This.

[Dazza]

Some quick things to think about
The tube sockets are long, so you will get lots of distortion in the casting process, so tube fits will be not nice. (this will be significant if casting in SU304)
changing angles will be a difficult, especially the BB shell
Long points under the main tubes is not good regards stress risers, especially under the DT/HT
Gear bosses on the bottom head lug, they can always be removed if not desired
and as others mentioned, leave out the slots and you have a much more appealing lug for chopping up. (5 axis LASER dreams!)
with my maths, tooling costs, interest on the $ spent (in the USA currently you have no real interest % of note to consider), not counting time in design and dealing with the process of production, allowing for how long it takes to sell certain numbers of lug sets, pending markup
300 to 400 sets to break even in 3-4 years,
the longer to sell the units, the more you have to sell to recoup the costs.
And time selling the units
and dealing with agents.
Then if you remove the slots then these lugs are longer socket version of some thing that is out there already.
Lots to think about



Cheers Dazza

[Jonathan]

you might be able to buy pcd for the same headache?

[DFW]

Thank you everyone for your responses and insight, especially Dazza.
You have made some very good points, there is still lots to think about. I will certainly bear in mind what you have said for any future designs and developments. So thanks again for your input.
I think I will put these back on the shelf for now and work on some of the other designs. Hopefully I will bring along something new to NAHBS in Feb.

Thanks again everybody, have a great weekend!

[Scheisserad61]

They look like they are trying TOO hard.

More complication is not always better.

[dbohemian]

They look like they are trying TOO hard.

More complication is not always better.

I understand that this design may not be for everyone and I also understand how much it would take to bring a new set to the market....But.... I applaud people who step out of the box and design something unusual. Guys like Dazza, Richard and others. If not for the original poster and others we might as well keep building the same ol 1970's or 1950's retro knock-offs for the rest of eternity. I for one think it is a nice interpretation and think it will look better on a bike than just lugs like that. Visual impact is different when you can't view the whole thing at once.