EIGHTZEROTWO-CYCLES

Getting things done

2011-03-12T16:20:00.000-05:00

I have the front triangle brazed up on the frame for Dirk. I still have some clean up and such to do but I need to get the rear triangle started. I have been doing some figuring on a jig for doing the rear. I need a simpler, more efficient way. I have to get the machine shop to make me some pieces still but I'm getting closer to getting it done.

Here is a sneak peek at what's up:

Rear triangle fixture

Another frame that I am working on gets a wishbone rear end. I like this look a lot. This particular one has a seat tube that has a socket cast into it that accepts the wishbone top extension. I worked a little bit on getting the tube mitered to the back of the seat tube.

After I finish up this rear triangle fixture, I will get the chainstays brazed in. After that I can figure out where the wishbone needs to be and braze that to the top tube extension. Then I can work down from there to finish up the seatstays.

Stay tuned!

And the winner is....

2010-12-29T11:32:00.000-05:00

Dirk A. of East Barre, VT is the winner of the 2010 Pedal for Paws frame and fork. I want to thank everyone that came out in the foul weather to help me and NCAL raise some money for the animals. It is a great event and a great cause. There are some nice changes in store for 2011 that I think will be liked by all. I will be there again with hopes on raffling off another frame. I also hope that Dirk will be around to show off his new ride and enjoy another ride to raise money for NCAL.

I will be getting the information that I need to get this frame started and will be posting the progress here. Keep in touch and check back for updates.

Thank you, Wil

plenty going on - no blogging

2010-10-27T08:20:00.002-04:00

A couple months have passed and I have not made any attempt to show or explain what has been going on around here. I have some jigs that I am updating. I have some things being machined for me and I have ordered a bunch of 8020 extrusions for some projects that I am working on. I have the prototype bike that I am designing about ready for assembly. I have some PR things in the fire and really too much to keep up with.

Its all good though. I decided that this is the best way to take care of it. It is fall, winter is upon us and it's time to use this to my advantage so that I can be ready when it is time for the bikes to roll. Stay tuned, I promise that I will share more!

update

2010-08-20T07:48:00.002-04:00

Well here it is the Friday before the Pedal for Paws and I have a camera full of pictures of the frame that I am building to show and not a one of them on the computer. The whole build process changed as things progressed and it turns out that I will be showing the frame at the event in a current build status. I will set up a little area that will be similar to what it is like right now in the shop for this frame. I will still have the rear triangle to do but the front is together and I am at the lug clean up stage of the build.

At this point, the pictures will have to be posted after the show but that doesn't change much. The frame still needs to be completed so the posts will go on.

I am also going to restructure the way things are happening around here so there will be updates as things progress. I really want to focus on setting up a solid process for building. Keep your eye out.

Roadie

2010-07-31T22:39:00.002-04:00

I got the parts set in this week for the Pedal for Paws display bike. Everything checks out and I drew up my full size drawing of the frame. I also started doing some cleanup and fitting on the lugs set. I had a pretty tweaked up lower head lug and it took me a while to get it into shape for the down tube. Next up will be getting the bike's spine ready for brazing. The first joint I do is the seat tube to the BB shell. I will set off first thing in the morning to get this rolling.

I also have problems with my camera, so I will be using a different one that requires more work to upload to the blog. I will get some pictures on and start a Flickr group for this build.

NCAL's Pedal for Paws

2010-07-21T20:42:00.003-04:00

On August 22, 2010, there is a fundraising ride in Stowe, VT. It is comprised of a Century, Metric Century, and a Fun Ride (25 miles). The proceeds of the event are to benefit the animals at the North Country Animal League. I have ridden it (the metric) two of the three years that it has happened. It is a very nice ride and it is for a very good cause.

This year I decided to contact the organizers and give them a proposal. I would build a custom steel frame and fork for a lucky individual that will win a raffle to raise money for the shelter.

I am really excited about this project. I will be building a frame and fork that will be displayed to represent what some lucky winner will receive. Lucky for me, I will be building the display for myself. I will build it up over the winter and have it to enjoy for next year's season. Feel free to Click for some details of the event and the frame. The build will begin soon and be documented right here on the blog for you to follow along.

A brief description: Pacenti Artisan lugs, BB shell and fork crown, Nova tube set, Henry James dropouts, and a hand full of braze-ons. Stay tuned.

absentee excuses

2010-06-10T22:09:00.002-04:00

Blah Blah Blah. Our move took a lot out of me and my time. It took a while to get everything ready, then move, then settle. I am there now and of course with nice weather, I have been playing a lot. I like living closer to the shop. I ride nearly every day. it is about 11 miles one way so I am getting about 100 miles in every week just from my commute.

I signed up again this year for the Vermont 50. It is the 50 mile mountain bike race that I did for the first time last year. It is in September. I have 4 months to get my butt into shape for this. I have a goal of completing the race. I guess it will take about 9 hours. I have my work cut out for me on this one.

On to frame work. I happened to get the top tube fit, brazed, and initially cleanup in the frame. I will do some more lug clean up on the seat lug and the upper head lug. Then I will face and ream the head tube and ream the seat tube. I will also do a final face and chase on the bb shell. That will leave me at the rear triangle. If you remember, it is a wishbone rear end with track drop outs. I will get some pictures posted of where I am now and then get back on track with the updates there after. See ya soon!

blog update

2010-05-12T15:00:00.001-04:00

I am going to attempt to rekindle something that I once did. check it out here.

delays and changes

2010-04-15T15:36:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I have to upgrade my torch setup and I have some tools that I am working on getting made that will help me with the rear triangle on #001. It is also necessary for a frame that I am designing to build coming up. I have some things that I need to work out with the carbon frame as well. And on top of all that, we are moving. Getting closer to civilization and the shop. Less travel time on the highway will make me happy. I will also be able to commute by bike a lot more and take the public bus when the weather is too bad. All good things ahead. A little patience is what I need to get situated. Thanks, Wil

Looking good

2010-04-07T21:18:00.004-04:00

I took some time to clean up the re-braze of the seat tube and the new braze of the down tube into the BB shell. There is a lot that can be done here and the amount of time you spend on clean up is an individual decision. I am happy with this junction. I may use my Dremel to clean things up some more before is gets sent to powder. Catch up with the details over at Flickr.

After the soak

2010-04-06T21:53:00.004-04:00

I am ready to clean up the joint I just brazed. After I sand and file it all nice, I will tap and face the shell. Then I will shoot some primer on it to see how it turned out.

I will then move on to fitting the top tube. I think that this is one of the trickiest parts of the front triangle. It requires plenty of precision and no less patience to make it right. stay tuned for those details.

Spring has Sprung!

2010-04-05T08:26:00.002-04:00

The weather here in Northern Vermont has been unseasonable. Yet this time it was to a cyclist advantage. We had temps in the 80's on Saturday. We got out for some riding and it feels great to be in the warm. It is going to tone down here a little bit but it is still nice to have the shorts on and feel Spring coming.

I did manage to get the down tube brazed into the BB shell and I cold set it on the alignment table. I need to chase and face the shell and do some clean up. I will then move on to the top tube. This is the trickiest part of the front triangle. Slow and steady will get it done. I will update photos tonight of my progress so far.

Re-braze

2010-03-21T20:55:00.003-04:00

The seat tube to BB shell joint was not adequate for my desires so I stripped the primer of it, cleaned it up, put some fresh flux on it and added more silver. Wow, how perfect it turned out. I am very pleased at the shorelines and how just the right amount of silver was pulled through the joint. Next up is the down tube.

Ready!

2010-03-14T18:55:00.003-04:00

A slight delay from working on this frame. I am back on track and will show real progress over the next week. I have prepared the down tube to BB shell joint for brazing. I lined the tubes up over my drawing with the down tube in the socket. It is then scribed to the miter and then cut by hand. This miter doesn't need to be perfect because the taps will clean up any extra little bit.

Every thing is lining up like it should. I hope to have this front triangle together soon.

Next, I will clean the primer off the BB joint and add more silver to the seat tube joint. I wasn't quite happy with it. You can see alot with primer on it. I will then tack the down tube into the shell above the drawing and then finish brazing it in the vise.

new happenings!

2010-03-07T21:06:00.003-05:00

Hello there. NAHBS has come and gone. I missed it (again) but got to see a bunch of it through the grace of all the coverage that you can find on the internet. It has been announced that the 2011 show will be held in Austin, TX. My plan is too make it. Not only do I want to go to the show but I hope that I am in the position to show my work there.

I have updated my Flickr to reflect some of the new things going on around here. I have to keep in mind that I do this as a sort of journal for myself to look back on as I grow and change.

I am working on some headbadge designs and you can see them here.

I also have made an attempt at working on some TIG welding for a design that I have in mind for a future build. For what it is worth, you can read about it here.

And last but certainly not least, I have some more details on the SSCX that is coming up next. I have put a lot of thought in how I want this to turn out and I think it is going to be great. Go here to see the latest details.

I have to get some more tooling setup here to more forward but I will keep pecking away at what I can. All the little processes add up to the big process. When that happens, you have a frame!

some good cleanup

2010-02-21T20:22:00.003-05:00

I got to finish up the lower head lug joint. I have one more area that I want to clean up a little more but other than that I am really pleased with it. Right here will bring you up to date to where I am. I will be working on getting the miter and prep done to the joint of the down tube to the bottom bracket shell next. I will be tacking this joint on the alignment table with the framing sitting in V blocks. After it is tacked, I will put it in the stand or vise for final brazing.

A farewell to a great friend!

2010-02-19T14:14:00.002-05:00

This is Spaz. He has been in my life for 16 years. He had recently been showing signs of getting old. Unfortunately the day came where I had to lay him to rest. My wife called me home from work because he had lost control of his back legs. We went to the vet and they said that it is a cat's version of a stroke. I knew in my heart that this little guy should not suffer any longer. I will miss him dearly and remember him for being so loyal to me for all those years. I love you Spaz.

The "Hockey Stick"

2010-02-14T19:52:00.003-05:00

I built another jig that held the head tube / down tube joint so that I could braze it. It was designed very similarly to the first jig I made that was used for the seat tube / BB shell joint. The tubes were positioned into there 72 degree angle and the tube blocks were mounted to the plate (MDF). I stiffened the back with aluminum angle as the other jig. I cut out a section near the lug so that I could access both side of the joint as well as the top and bottom. Below is a picture of the braze right after I turned off the torch. I can't tell how well I got it. I will know more after I soak it. I think I have some globbing on some of the shorelines and I see a problem with the bottom of the lug lifting from the down tube. This problem is solved with a c-clamp but it was tight when I started. Unfortunately, I think this joint has to come apart.

New Happenings (and a shout out)

2010-02-10T08:20:00.004-05:00

I have noticed on my Feedjit Map that there are plenty of hits on my blog. I was hoping to see if anyone will read this and send me a comment. This blog is designed to be a "journal" of my business as well as an avenue for people to see my work and as a reference for future designs.

I have ordered the tubes for the SSCX. This bike is going to be nice! It is sort of a prototype bike for several designs that I have in mind. It will incorporate several design elements that I want to test. It will be a favorite of mine and I plan on using it a lot. Once I get more components in, I will post some details of this frame.

Thanks for reading, Wil

Next assembly to prep

2010-02-02T06:34:00.002-05:00

I have the head tube/ down tube joint ready to braze up. I thought that I would get a few more setup before I light the torch.

The next one to prep is this joint. This is a wishbone rear. I think this is my favorite look for the seat stays. The top tube is straight gauge 4130 that will be brazed to the wishbone and mitered at the top to meet the back of the seat tube. The seat tube lug has a socket to receive this joint. The seat stays are 14mm that taper to 12.5mm at the end. They will get cut down considerably and brazed to the lower legs of the wishbone. I will have to take my time and really think through a good way to jig this up for brazing. I assume it will be done very similar to that of a fork.

progress

2010-01-31T21:53:00.008-05:00

I managed to get a little more work done on the frame tonight. This is a picture of the table in action.

It is a fine setup and all I need to do is finish making the drawers for it. I will have plenty of storage in it for tools.

I started prepping my next joint on the frame. It is the head tube / down tube joint. You can see the photos here. Continue to the right and it will bring you to where I am now.

First post of the new year

2010-01-31T10:55:00.002-05:00

On a positive note, 2010 is "the year" of Eight Zero Two Cycles! I haven't posted in a while but that is far from meaning that nothing has been getting done. I have, like I said before, a lot of pokers in the fire. Many of them are starting to take form through good planning.

I also finished my alignment table, sans drawers, and drilled the hole in the granite that I needed to mount my BB post. It turned out nicely. Tomorrow I will get some pictures posted of the setup.

I have spec'd everything that I need for frame #002. It is the SSCX that you will be able to follow here. I know that frame #001 is not completed yet! It will be, I promise. It has a meaning associated with it that cannot go without completion. I can't say that frame #001 will be done before the SSCX but it will always be #001 because I started it first. Its just how I function. Sometimes things don't make since but it just happens that way.

First braze on frame #001

2009-12-27T18:13:00.006-05:00

I finally was able to get things moving along on the frame. I got the alignment table (cabinet) home and the granite top on it. I still have to drill the hole to mount the BB post. I also still need to make drawers for the cabinet but I will get there soon. I took some pictures of the process. At the end of this post is a link to see them. Next up is the hockey stick. This is the head tube / down tube joint. I will get these parts cleaned up and miter the joint. In the mean time I will also work on getting the post mounted on the granite so that I can check these joints for true. I will also start considering brazing the rear dropouts to the chain stays.

This is the link to see the pictures. I have you right in the middle so just click to the right on the slides to move forward. Thank you for looking.

pratice braze #3 complete!

2009-12-20T19:42:00.011-05:00

These are the post braze picture of the sleeve lug I made after soaking off the flux. I was able to see the silver flow completely through the joint. I was so excited that I added too much silver and when it was pulled through it pooled at the bottom. The first two photos make it look as if it's not that bad. The shorelines are a little heavy.

Then this next picture shows a huge glob on the back side of the joint. It's like a fillet. It is going to take some elbow grease to get this removed.

Here are some shots with just a little clean up. If you can control your silver, it doesn't take much at all to clean it up nicely.

Here is the "blob" of silver. I will start the clean up with my Dremel. Power tools are a must when it comes to certain tasks and the right tool for the job makes everything go smooth. A lesson learned in furniture making. If I don't seem to be getting too far along, I may try to re-flux and put some heat to the "blob" and remove it with a wire brush. Something I feel is also a good technique to possess.

Next up will be some cleanup of this silver. I will work on making it near perfect as if it were to be used on a frame. I will then do two more practice brazes and if they both turn out nice, I will go ahead and braze up my seat tube / bb shell joint on frame #001. I will also work on getting the lugs for said bike cleaned up a bit. I never got to that a couple of weeks ago.

It is Christmas week and it is sure to be full of activities but I will try and continue to move forward on this project. Thanks for looking!

Fear not the file...

2009-12-19T06:44:00.006-05:00

...but the hand that wields it! I started to sharpen some design and technique skills by cutting a lug from 4130 and shaping it. I would like to create some bike frames that use handmade lugs created by fillet brazing sections of tubing together. So I drew a design on the tube and roughed it out with a cutting wheel (those things burn up fast in .058).

This is what it looks like cut right from the tube:

And after a little bit of time and a lot of filing, you end up with this:

The nice thing about custom work is that you can make up and even change your mind as you go. I liked the long point but I decided to take it down and go for something a little different.

And the following pictures is what it looks like pre-braze. My daughter is having her birthday party today (she is turning 8!!!). I will work on getting this brazed on Sunday. I will clean it up and hopefully I like how it turns out. If not, I can always just start over, right?

This is a scaled down version (due to the size of the tubes) of what would be a seat tube with lug. There would be another lug section fillet brazed to the front of this above the point for the top tube and the area on the back would allow for the binder and fastback style seat stays. I almost believe that all of this will be easier in full sized tubes that will actually be used for a frame. We'll see!

Fear not the torch...

2009-12-18T07:55:00.005-05:00

...but the hand that wields it! The torch is a tool and it is an extension of your capabilities. It does exactly what you ask of it. Below is a practice braze with 56% silver on 4130 steel. They both have a .058" wall thickness therefore a 5/8" tube slips into a 3/4" tube with a perfect gap for brazing. This is after it is all cleaned up.

And the shadow line that is at the center of the picture where the two tubes join is the only area where I did not pull silver all the way through the joint. It is hard to see through the flux and I didn't see this area until after I soaked it. I am very please how this joint came out. No wasted silver! I will now move on to some more practice joints that require a multitude of skills.

Stay tuned!

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-07T05:54:00.002-05:00

We are starting to finally get some winter weather around here. I haven't been moving along quite as much as I wanted to lately but I have made some progress. I have my bike building area setup in the basement. My alignment table should be wrapped up by this weekend. I will then be able to get my stone on it and mount the BB post. We have holiday pictures to do tonight, so it will be Tuesday or after before I pick back up. I hope to either get some more lug clean up done or fire up the torch and get some brazing done. We'll see how it goes. Thanks, Wil

BB Shell cutout

2009-11-29T13:11:00.004-05:00

The bottom of the shell is a good place to use for not only making a stamp for a serial number, but also a place to add a little art to the frame. Since this bike is dedicated to my mother, I decided to make a cutout of a teddy bear. My mom was crazy about them and I thought this would be right at home on the bike. It took about two hours, start to finish. It was amazing how connected I felt to my mom while carving this. It was as if she was holding my hands to help me.

If you are interested in seeing the sequence, you can see it in the Flickr set "#001". Click here!

New Jig!

2009-11-19T21:16:00.011-05:00

I did some layout for a jig to hold the seat tube/BB shell joint while brazing.

I used a piece of MDF as the platform and stiffened it up with some aluminum angle.

I drilled a hole near the bottom and brought a 1/2" bolt up through with a 2" washer underneath.

I put another washer down on the topside and then place the shell on that with another washer topping it off with a nut.

The tube is then put into the BB shell at its proper location. Then the nut is tighten to lock it down.

I will add a toggle clamp that will hold the tube into the tube block.

There is access through the back side to heat and braze the side that would be blocked from the jig. If this turns out to be a good setup, I will remake this jig out of aluminum to be used more permanently. I will let you know how it works out!

Weekend work

2009-11-15T19:40:00.004-05:00

I managed to get a few things done this weekend.

Worked on another drawing.

Made some tube blocks for mitering tubes. I made them in 1", 1 1/8", 1 1/4", 1 3/8", and the one with the two holes is for 5/8" and 3/4". These are a must have!

I will see if I can get in gear and start fitting up some parts for brazing.

Sizing things up

2009-11-11T12:06:00.002-05:00

This is a quick shot of some dry fitting. I had to clearance the ports in the BB shell a bit (not uncommon) to get the right fit for the tubes.

Time to get crakin'

2009-11-08T19:38:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow night I will spend some time prepping for some brazing. I will work on mitering the seat tube at the bottom bracket shell. Also, the miter for the down tube/head tube joint. These will be the first two joints that I braze. This week I will make a crude jig to hold the BB shell/seat tube for brazing. I haven't decided if it will be made to complete the whole joint or if it will be just for tacking the joint and then finish it up in a stand or vise. I am also going to work on getting my chainstays fitted to the dropouts and get them cleaned up a bit. I will post some pictures as I go along.

Big Plans

2009-10-10T09:44:00.005-04:00

Things are moving (some what slowly) forward around here. There are thoughts flying left, right, and every other direction about so many things. The final result is yet to be determined. Either things are going to explode (in a good way) or I am (for just trying to sort it all out). I have big plans in the works for frames, marketing, advertising, eventing (not a word) and expansion. The last one is especially somewhat silly, I know, since you kinda have to have some sort of mass before there is even a possibility to make it grow. We will see. Who knows what to expect? I do know that I will not feel bad for chasing a dream. Thank you for the few that are in my circle that continue to support and believe in me. Without constant encouragement, I find it hard to achieve anything.

Thank you so much,

Wil

full size drawing of Frame #001

2009-10-03T17:19:00.002-04:00

I now have a working drawing made up of the frame that I have started. This allows for a reference to be sure that the tubes are at their proper angles to each other. I will get my surface plate setup real soon so that I can also check that everything is straight on center.

BB Post

2009-10-01T21:33:00.003-04:00

Joe Bringheli made this post for me. The quality is unbelievable. I can now get my alignment table setup. I should have it setup in a week. Once that is done, I will have the means to check that everything is correct off of center. I need to make up a few more jigs for brazing. They will be used until I am able to get a frame jig. After seeing this tool from Joe, there is a good chance that I will be getting it from him too.

Progress Report II

2009-09-28T11:19:00.002-04:00

Frame #001 is getting close to have some brazing done. I have spent some time to ream the ports in the lugs. I still have several hours in front of me to clean them up with files and emery cloth. I also want to make the shorelines and little crisper. I should have the BB post in a couple of days so I can get the alignment table setup. I will post some pictures as I get some of this further along.

Progress Report

2009-09-17T10:20:00.002-04:00

Frame #001 is now going to be a tribute bike to my mom. There was some discussion between her and I about the color that she would like to see it. I regret that she won't be able to. I have thought of a couple touches to make as a constant reminder to myself of how much she means to me and the way she influenced my thoughts to always believe in myself.

for my beloved mother

2009-09-13T14:32:00.002-04:00

My mom passed away on the night of September 11th. She will be missed greatly and thought of often. This is something that we knew would happen. She had accepted it even before the rest of the family did. You can never truly prepare yourself for things like this. You can never really know what to say when the phone call finally comes. My mom was absolutely selfless. She would do anything to help the people in her life and that is just what she did. I will keep her legacy alive by continually striving to be like her. May she always be in peace!

lugs for single speed 'cross bike

2009-09-08T20:58:00.002-04:00

These are Pacenti artisan lugs and fork crown. I am going to use these with a Dedacciai tubeset to make the all weather single speed that I talked about. I hope to be able to run up to a 35mm tire, but I am unsure with this fork crown. Hopefully I can get up to at least a 32mm. Therefore, I may not be using this crown for the fork. I will cross that bridge when I get to it. I also plan on using a pair of Paragon sliding dropouts (pictured below). Because it will have canti brakes, I will just cut off the disc mount.

updated features

2009-09-03T16:08:00.001-04:00

I have made some changes on the blog. In the right hand column you will find contact information for me. I also made a link to my Flickr page that will become a great resource and catalog of the frames that will be made and their details. Stay tuned to see it all develop.

Thank you, Wil

frames in queue

2009-08-18T11:00:00.004-04:00

there are some frames that I will be making this fall/winter. The purpose of the builds will be to see how certain styles play out together and also to be used as promotion for business. After frame #001:

1.) Single Speed Cyclocross (all weather bike)
2.) team eight zero two CX prototype frame (plans for a 2010 'cross team)
3.) OS lugged road frame (for me to ride)
4.) touring frame with breakaway (travel bike)

frame #001

2009-08-15T12:57:00.004-04:00

I have acquired the parts I need for the frame. The original wishbone will be saved for another build because the seat lug I am using takes a 16mm connector. The dropouts are stainless so I can polish the faces. I like this much better to save from the ungodly look of paint getting destroyed by the rear axle.

parts ordered

2009-08-02T16:03:00.005-04:00

I have parts on order for my first build. I already have a rear wishbone that I will be using. The tubes are on their way from Nova Cycles and the rest is coming over from Ceeway! This bike will be a single speed track-style frame. It will have stainless steel track dropouts, the above mentioned rear wishbone, and no braze-ons. I will eventually build a fork for the bike, but will most likely use a carbon fork to start. I will run a front brake only on this bike and will probably run straight bars instead of drop bars. This will be an urban runner. Below is a picture of the investment cast wishbone. It is from Andy Newlands at Strawberry Bicycles. It is a very quality piece and I love the look of it.

I hope to use this same wishbone on a cross frame. Although, I have to do some more layout to see if it is feasible. The width at the bottom of the cast where the seat stays join is only 36mm. I would have to raise it up quite a bit from the tire to be able to run a 35mm CX tire. Technically, it won't matter because a cross bike uses cantilever brakes. So it won't be a problem that the brake mount on the wishbone will be higher. I just need to see if it is going to look fine with the extra clearance above the tire.

I will post some more pictures when the other components come in.

alignment table designed

2009-06-19T06:57:00.006-04:00

So I believe I have a feasible design for the cabinet that makes up my alignment table. It is probably more than I need. There are not too many tool and accessories that go with this system, but it will allow me to keep other framebuilding tools and jigs to be stored away neatly. Above are a couple of drawings of said cabinet. I think that I am just going to build it paint grade and brush some color on it. After all, it's just supposed to be utilitarian.

part 2 of 2009

2009-06-16T12:13:00.002-04:00

We are now into the second half of this year. Originally I had hoped to iron out all the logistics for the business and be well into some projects by now. That isn't the way it has been but I won't let that discourage me. It just means that I have to do both in the remaining months. I don't mind! Lately, I have become quite adapt to the ability of segmenting my time for different things. I will be building the cabinet for my alignment table and will have some tubes coming shortly.

what coming up?

2009-06-10T09:47:00.002-04:00

I have a nice piece of granite that I got a great deal on from a local top guy I know. It is about 25" X 50". I am going to get Joe Bringheli to make me a bottom bracket post for it and then I will have a very nice alignment table. Being that I am a cabinetmaker, I see no problem finding someone to build a cabinet to put under that top with a layout that will suit my needs.

My first bike will be one that I will never sell! I wouldn't be able to justify it in any way. It is going to be a lugged single speed with track dropouts and a wishbone seatstay rear. It will be silver brazed and I hope to also make a fork for it as well. I will keep you posted as things more forward.

802 Cycles it is

2009-06-07T20:41:00.002-04:00

Well, I received my certificate in the mail from the state. They have registered Eight Zero Two Cycles as my tradename. As of June 1, 2009. Seems like a long time coming, but well worth the wait. Time to pull together all my lose ends and get things moving forward. There will now be a lot more post here on the work that I am doing. Stay tuned....

moving forward

2009-04-24T17:59:00.000-04:00

on April 28th I will be sending my application in to the state to see if I can get Eight Zero Two Cycles registered. If they do not approve it, I will have a secondary choice on there in hopes that one will fly. It is Pomegranate Cycles. I thought this one up well after the original but it has grown on me so much that I have been beating myself up on trying to decide. Every time I thought that it was possible to get either name, I hesitated because I couldn't pick one over the other. So, I have decided to put 802 Cycles as my primary and Pom Cycles as my secondary. This was reach based only from the order in which they became possibilities for me. Pomegranate is such a cool name. The fruit is great. It has so many benefits as well as many symbolic meanings. Just like cycling! It is harder for me to think of a reason not to use it than all of the reasons why I would want to.

Therefore, fate of the name will be decided and hopefully solved before May 1st.

STAY TUNED!

an epiphany of sorts

2009-02-01T13:03:00.004-05:00

A little life lesson to carry with me on my journey in frame building:

My daughter had a pot luck lunch for the parents at school to celebrate the classes first success at writing a story. They were all individually made up and written by each of the students.

(warning: you have to turn it up to here the story, but beware of the clapping at the end.)

As I listened to my daughter's story, I started to realize that there is a lesson to be learned in the innocent thoughts of a seven year old. She told of a jewelry store that she owns and make beautiful pieces that she would hope that everyone would want to buy. She then continues to say that know one does because they are too expensive. What causes prices to go beyond standard comprehension? Why do things that are seemingly the same cost so much different from different sources? After the story was over, I said to myself that I can solve that problem for her. She would just have to find a different way to offer her jewelry to her customers at a less expensive price if they were going to be able to buy them.

Thus, my epiphany! I want to be able to sell my frames to people. I want them to be able to afford them. How? There has to be a way. Everyone that builds frames has the potential to source things from the same companies. This makes it surprising to me that so many different builders can demand such different and elevated prices. Don't get me wrong. If you can do it, it just one more reason that we have such a great country. The real question is why would you want to spend more. No one drives around looking for the most expensive gas to put in there cars. Everyone is always looking for a better deal. There is no real reason that if you love what you do, that you would need to make people pay exorbitant amount for those people to have it. I am a furniture maker and cabinetmaker by trade. I only build custom, one at a time, designed for the purpose intended. I will take that mentality with me into building custom bikes and not at the expense of any of those people that may wish to have something a little bit more than ordinary.

bikes not pipes

2009-01-02T13:41:00.002-05:00

man, I did some plumbing tear out in our house a little while ago. I had such the time with capping just TWO pipes. I am pretty sure that I just wasn't getting it hot enough. But, I hope that I have better starting luck with building frames than I did with this project. This is the better looking of the two. Bottom line: I am not interested in plumbing at all!

getting closer - 2009 is just the beginning

2008-12-20T09:43:00.004-05:00

Have you ever been ready to start something so bad that your mind never rests. That is where I am now. Of all the information that I have gathered, it seems as if I can't get enough of it. I have a good list of tools that I will start purchasing. This may in fact be slow going at the start. In fact, I have to tell myself that so as to not get discouraged along the way.

RUNNING WITH SCISSORS

2008-11-13T10:37:00.006-05:00

Assuming that I am going to be able to obtain eight zero two cycles for the name of my bikes, this will be my blog that will demostrate the development of this passion of building frames into a business. I have to send in my request to reserve the name with the state and if approved, I am set to go. If not, it is pretty much back to the drawing board. I have become quite attached to this name. I have laid out a preliminary design for a head badge. Quite honestly, I like it so much that if I can register the name with the state, it will be the design I use.
I plan on taking a class on welding at the local tech center to refresh on some skills that I have not used in about 12 years. This will surely be beneficial to me. I have been doing tons of research and there is so many things that I have to get in order to make this happen. A business plan if you will. I will not go into that here, but rest assured it is a task in itself.

You know that scary exciting feeling of the unknown? When you don't know why but you have to do IT. This is IT. Just like running with scissors!