Improving Throughput

So I want to be able to speed up the framebuilding process somewhat — without sacrificing quality, of course — and I’m trying to identify the best way to do so. Once my honeymoon is complete, I’ll be renting space and equipment from Paul Wyganowski. However, with the drive to Princeton being what it is, I will probably have to limit myself to 2 days per week on-site.

That would normally put a pretty serious crimp on the framebuilding. However, I have a nice big empty space in the basement, which I am going to take advantage of.

My plan, once back from the honeymoon, is to set up my drafting table down there, along with some seating, and start pulling together the basic infrastructure I need to start doing the immediate prep-work on the lugs and tubes — mitering, basically. Any other work — brazing, cold-setting, alignment — will happen at Paul’s place. So that means a workbench, a vise, tubing blocks, a few power tools, and some files.

That’s phase one of the infrastructure building. Phase two will be buying the medium-sized infrastructure stuff — disc brake fixtures and fork fixture from Anvil, for example — that I will keep (or take with me) to Paul’s. Phase three, the big ‘un, will happen not long after we buy a house (or I make other arrangements for space), and I’ll add my own granite slab, frame fixture, mill and lathe to the mix.