Once this braze was complete I was able to spend a little time on the Bridgeport getting my downtube in check. The mitering was getting easier to calculate although we had to really thing about it hard a few times. Splitting degrees to make it right took some extra time but it taught us a thing or two about proper methods. The Bridgeport is in action below:

Once I had the downtube set up and happy with it’s place in the bottom bracket I was able to focus on the fork. I got the steerer brazed in and learned that you really can pour on the heat with the fork crown. The long tangs on the fork required a lot of filing. More than I had expected by far. It took a couple hours until I was satisfied with the look and angle of the file work. Below you can see the challenging fork crown. Persistence paid off and I was able to get it cleaned up and ready for the next step. Fork legs!

My new bottom bracket arrived and I was able to start filing and filing and filing.

For lunch Doug took us to Berrien Springs for a haystack. Being an SDA Doug is a vegetarian so this was right up his alley.

After lunch we took a drive over to Muhammed Ali’s house and took a touristy look at it. We also took a slightly different route back to Niles and saw a lot of damage from the storm on Monday. Lots of trees were down and crews were cleaning up the mess.
My lug work was nearing completion so I was able to get all of my tubes into the fixture with all of the miters cut. It’s starting to come together.

Tomorrow we’re getting into the fork. Ready!

After the brazing of the bottom bracket was done we got back to working on our top tubes, head tubes, and seat tubes. Cutting miters into the top tube was starting to make sense. Doug had us checking and rechecking the tubing and making us use brain power to figure out the process. We got to use the Bridgeport vertical mill. It is a big, hulking, old looking beast of a machine. It’s function is simple = Cut tubing to the proper degree. The first time around is intimidating. The Bridgeport looks like it could survive a nuclear blast however Doug showed us how it can be broken. I loaded up my tube and got it cut properly and put it in the fixture with a lug. This seemed to be a milestone in the process however it truly was a baby-step. We have a long way to go. Here is a pic of the top tube in place with both miters cut.

The never ending filing continued. At several times during class there were moments when Doug was helping another student so we had time to do some lug work. Using a crafty tool called a lug vice we were able to get our lugs looking good.

It’s hard to believe we’re on Day 3 already. The time is flying by. The jet lag is fading and I’m getting used to routine of being a pupil.

One thing that was getting me was the timezone change and the heat. The weather was warm and humid. Also being 3 hours off was a challenge!
After lunch we started working on our lugs. This involves lots of filing. Then when I thought I was done I had to file more, and more, and more. The amount of filing involved exceeded my expectations dramatically. There is no way around it. If you want a cheap looking frame it’s easy, don’t work your lugs! Clearly you can see bad lugs on a bike, but good lug work often goes unnoticed. Look a little closer next time and you’ll see what I mean.
First problem! Once my fixture was set up for size and angles we discovered that I wouldn’t be able to use the oversized tubing and bottom bracket lugs I had ordered. I’m building a cyclocross frame so it needs to be built with more robust tubing than a road bike. My size also helps push the frame to the stronger side! Doug had to order me a new bottom bracket lug and do a swap for two different tubes and a couple lugs. Since I had to wait until Thursday for my bottom bracket it gave me plenty of time to file and file and file on my other lugs. Proper filing technique is a skill. I was going ok but struggling to eliminate small file marks in a few tight spaces. Doug showed me a technique of filing with the sharp edge of a swiss pattern file that removes the marks instantly. It’s like magic!

Filing these two lugs to fit my headtube was a seemingly never ending chore. Using some nice tools helped speed the process along and I was able to get a nice fit. Tomorrow we’re getting into the oxy-acetylene and brazing with silver. I can’t wait!

Framebuilding is not something that can be learned by trial and error unless you have money to burn. It was a wise decision to come to Michigan for Doug’s class. He has so much experience in solving problems and doing things properly that I had to act like a sponge and take it all in.
First things first. Doug gave us a very interesting lecture on framebuilders in the US during the 70’s. He has many interesting stories about his travels in the 70’s to England where he was able to learn the art. Many other wellknown framebuilders in the USA today learned from various shops in England around the same time Doug learned. However he wanted to teach the art so he took the opportunity and turned it into a thorough class and learning experience.
After the history lesson we jumped right into transferring our current size dimensions to Doug’s Fit Cycle. My sizing was off a bit so Doug offered up a few tips and showed me how I should be on the bike. A couple centimeters here and there and I was feeling good! Sizing today posed some challenges for my classmate Henry but he overcame the hurdles and came up with a good deal. My other classmate Teo started his deal and we got him pretty close to what we thought would be good. Tomorrow we’ll have Doug double check Teo’s fit. We also started getting Henry’s frame design onto the frame fixture. That is a contraption made of sweet laser cut stainless steel. It has degree marks and many moveable parts so you can dial in the exact build you want. Once we went over this I started to get a better understanding of the ins and outs of angles. There are still some questions to be answered that we’ll get to tomorrow. The box of tubing below is my frame and I can’t wait to get going!

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Put the eggplant halves in a cooking dish with the sliced side down. Add water to a depth of 1/2 inch. Bake 20 minutes; set aside. Lower oven temperature to 400°F.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until the outside is done, 7 to 10 minutes. Turn off heat and slide the pan to a cool spot.
3. Heat oil in a dutch oven to medium heat. Add all onions and cook about 5 minutes. Add red peppers and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in all tomatoes with juice, oregano, and fresh thyme. Simmer until the mixture has thickened – 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Scoop out eggplant flesh from skin. Chop into small to medium pieces. Stir cooked rice, chicken broth, and eggplant into mixture. Add chicken then simmer. Cover the dutch oven pan and put it in the oven. Bake for 30. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve into large flat bowls and sprinkle with cheese.
Enjoy!