Ok I got started this weekend on the intial prep of the Lugs for my frame, by the way I am building a custom geometry road racing frame. I typically ride race frame geometry and have been very happy with it even on centuries.
Even though I am of the average size road frame geometry user I figured I will try a little custom sizing for myself. I am working with a combination of the "Paterek method" and using the free BikeCAD program for my figures and measurements.
As I was already expecting... you don't just jump right into grinding and welding the tubs together. From the short time I worked with my dad in a machine shop I already new that preperation of tooling, work area and material is the most time consuming part of metal fabrication.
So first I had to fabricate a safe way of holding the lugs while I grind and file them... I would have just bought a "mandrel" but they are around $300 from a machine shop/ frame building tool company. So I figured a little homemade mendrel will work if I am careful (see 1st photo below) made from some brass pipe, a center bolt for compression and some grease to keep it from sticking... I know it looks a little like something a caveman would build but surprisingly it works really well.
Next I had to come up with a decent way to hold the thin wall tubes for mittering... after looking online i realized I could just make it out of some hardwood blocks and the drill press (seephot#2) I haven't started to use it yet but it will work just fine... of course after making it I noticed in the Paterek manual he mentioned just using a Park repair stand clamp for safe tube holding. Duh... I can't believe I didn't think of that!
The last thing I finished up on Friday night was the drafting of the frame design and measurements. I kept this simple and just taped some drafting paper to the table and drew it out according to the Paterek manual and a website I found called ivycycles.com that has a nice little tutorial on drafting a bike frame. (see the last few photo's)
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