Now that we’ve got some slotted chainstays, I’m fitting them up in the jig with the dropouts in place to make sure everything fits nice and snug.

Since the stays are at an angle to the centerline of the frame, they come away from the dropouts at an angle. Normally you can achieve this by either bending the dropout tab so it points in or slot the stay at an angle.

On this frame, you probably can’t tell but I’ve actually done a bit of both. I wouldn’t have been happy slotting the stays at such a big angle and there’s not a very big tab on the Paragon dropout to be able to bend it much. so I’ve done a little of each.

You can see the tab is bigger than the diameter of the tube, so it sticks up a bit above the tube. Some people leave it like that or maybe file it to a nice arrowhead/point. I think on this frame I’ll shape it down so the curve of the dropout blends into the stay. I think I might also scallop the end of the stay on this one.

Currently playing in iTunes: Hornets! Hornets! by The Hold Steady

From back in the day when it was ok to use the term ‘roost’ without being ironic.

Currently playing in iTunes: Louie Louie by Motörhead

Sometimes I slot my stays by hand and sometimes I use the lathe. I’ve got a pretty good setup for the lathe that’s quick and repeatable so I do more that way although doing them by hand (hacksaw and file) isn’t much slower.

I find a get a more accurate cut on the lathe and since I don’t change the settings between stays, it’s easier to get a nice matching pair.

Currently playing in iTunes: Idaho by Bodeans

Seattube/toptube cluster. This is immediately after brazing and still has a load of flux residue on it. The flux is applied before brazing as a paste and hardens to a crusty crystalised coating during the brazing process. I use water soluble flux so a couple of hours of soaking in the dunk tank and it washes clean off.

Once it’s finished the soak, we do a little filing and sanding to create a nice smooth even fillet. This is a pretty good braze so it’ll need hardly any finishing.

Currently playing in iTunes: The Beach Is Free by Billy Bragg

One of the problems with running disk brakes is that it’s really difficult to get a neat solution to installing a rear rack. If the mounts are positioned in the right place, they almost always place the rack in a position to foul the caliper. There are a few solutions to this and probably the nicest is to use one of the Old Man Mountain racks.

Alternatively, you can sometimes move the rack mounts so they miss the caliper but this usually puts the rack (or pannier) a bit too far forward (and high) risking the riders heels clipping panniers.

Another solution to this is to move the disk mount instead of the rack mount. I can now offer this solution using these nice dropouts that put the disk mount between the seat and chainstays. Another neat feature is that these drops have replaceable hangers. This means you can ditch the hanger if you’re running singlespeed or replace the hanger if it gets busted.

And of course these dropouts come with eyelets for guards as well as rack.

Currently playing in iTunes: Ain’t That Enough by Teenage Fanclub

This made me laugh. You can buy these top caps and support Shaggy in his entry into Iditarod by clicking on the pic above.

Currently playing in iTunes: We Rule the School by Belle & Sebastian

Here’s a pic of Toms 29er Singlespeed in the jig. Front triangle only. This is going to have some nice swoopy s-bend stays and Paragon sliding dropouts.

What colour Tom??

Currently playing in iTunes: The Goat (Instrumental) by The High Llamas

Things are hotting up for the 1st European Handmade Bicycle Expo. I guess partly inspired by the North American Handmade Bike Show, Indra from 2SoulsCycles has worked pretty hard to put on a show in Europe.

Running over the weekend of 8-10 May, some of Europes finest builders will exhibit their wares in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Southern Germany.

Also there, will be some suppliers of bicycle and framebuilding parts, including tubing manufacturers, Reynolds and Columbus, transmission folks Schlumpf and all round hipsters, FIXIE Inc.

I won’t be displaying due to other commitments but I’m thinking about attending as a visitor if I can manage the time.

Here’s what some of the press are saying about it:

• www.bike-eu.com

• www.roadcyclinguk.com

• www.dirty-pages.net (German)

• www.bike-magazin.de (German)

Currently playing in iTunes: Hateful by The Clash

Another long time between posts…..

Things have been pretty busy. Good festive period but got dragged down by a horrible flu thing that seemed to last for ever. Spent Christmas in Braemar with the family. Very nice. Jack managed to find some snow to do some sledging.

Been pretty busy in the workshop. Felt like I was catching up on things until I realised I hadn’t factored in the fact that we’re having another baby in the middle of February! Ooops. Hopefully I’ll manage to keep on top of things and frame builds won’t slip too much but if you’re waiting for a frame from me and I’ve told you it’s still at the painters, then I’m probably lying and I’m too busy mopping up excretions to finish it….

Some nice singletrack (kind of) descending down to Braemar.

Currently playing in iTunes: Up With People by Lambchop

For the framebuilders out there following my blog, I should let you know that I have a ton of ISCG05 mounts to sell.

I was doing these by hand but got pretty bored so had a bunch waterjet cut for me. They’re designed for the Paragon Machine Works bottom brackets so have an internal ID of 38.1mm but could easily be expanded to handle a bigger OD shell.

You can buy them by clicking the ‘store’ like at the top of this page.

Currently playing in iTunes: No Fighting by Money Mark