What’s Shakin’

So things are plugging along here — the visual update to this site isn’t going as fast as I’d like, so I’ve got this placeholder template in position to handle the nice minimalist layout until I have finished frame and a bunch of photos.

On the manufacturing side of the equation, here’s where I am at:

• The 29′er frame is coming along nicely.  Pretty much just have to do the top tube and stays, and I’ll have a finished frame to be sent off to paint.
• Got started on the lugged commuter frame this weekend.  The blueprint is done, the BB lug is shaped, the seat tube is mitered and brazed into the BB lug.  The steerer tube is brazed into the fork crown and the fork blades are raked and slotted for the dropouts.
• The pursuit frame is a collection of tubes.  I did manage to get the stainless faceplates brazed to the rear dropouts.
• The singlespeed cyclocross frame is a giant collection of tubes, nothing more.

Next session with Paul will be after NAHBS, as he’s showing there.  But my intentions for that session are as follows:

• Double-check the alignment on the 29′er frame so far, and cold-set if necessary.  Then put the top tube in place, and start mitering the chainstays.
• Get the commuter frame head tube/down tube mitered and lugged together.
• Finish commuter fork.
• Get the pursuit frame blueprinted.

I’ve got some other stuff that needs to be done away from Paul’s facilities, too:

• Nail down a source for my CNC’ed downtube badges and order up a batch.
• Finalize design for the head tube badge and get that in front of a jeweler for manufacturing.
• Finish the sexy-ass template for this website.
• Start buying tools for my own setup away from Paul’s shop, come September or so.
• Do some more research on available work spaces in NE Minneapolis.

I’m not moving as fast on the second list as I’d like, but I’m not sweating it yet.  See, I’ve got training for racing season going on (~9 hours per week), and an — in a few months — a wedding to attend (my own!), so things are a bit crazy around here.

In the time since my last post here, I’ve made huge leaps on pulling together the site template, I’ve found a painter who is local — only 7 blocks from my house — who will be doing my frames, and started acquiring the tools and other assorted infrastructure I need to start doing this for customers other than myself.

Speaking of which, I still owe Jim Oliver a frame — my “take” on a Bridgestone XO-1 — how’s that for a cool project?  I’ve lusted after an XO-1 of my own for a long time now.  So much so, that I may make myself a copy of Jim’s frame when I’m done.  It’ll be the Pallas Athena XO-T (XO-Tribute), and yes, it’ll be that awesome orange with white panels.  And I need to talk to my boy, Clint, about his plans for a lugged steel road frame with the upright bars.

Oh, and since the 29′er is going to be the first one done, I should probably take stock of what I still need for parts so I can get the thing assembled.  Pretty important step.

Update of Sorts…

So I’m trucking right along on the framebuilding.  The 29′er is coming close to completion — top tube, stays, and the minor fixtures.  There’s a lugged commuter frame underway, too.  And to top it off, I have tubesets for a cyclocross frame (True Temper Platinum OX/Verus HT mix) in-hand, and a pursuit frame (same mix, plus Columbus Max chainstays) on the way.

I’ve given up on the CAD thing.  Today, I want to finish the sketch of the head tube badge and get that off the jeweler who is going to make the master copy and the mold so we can run off more.  And now I have to decide between white brass and sterling silver for the head badges.

Met with a painter last night, who specializes in bicycles.  I like the guy, I like his work and his work ethic.  I hope to deliver the 29′er frame to him a couple of days after I get it home.  (Need some time to shoot photos and so on before it goes to paint.)

Today, I’m also hoping to get the new website template done — or at least completely rendered out in HTML.  I can hash in the WordPress bits later this week.

As an aside note to myself, I need to talk to Edge Composites and Oval Concepts about bare, unpainted carbon forks.  I’m sure both of them will have booths at Frostbike in two weeks.  I’ll touch base with them then.