changes

i modified this blog's description, reflecting a slight shift in my goals.

i've added a link to an incredible Excel spreadsheet by Martin Manning for designing nearly every aspect of a frameset. as i told Martin, it's going to take a while to put the whole thing through its paces, but i can already tell it's going to make my bike better and easier to build.

new comment on "it's sam hall's turn to be right" (scroll down) that sheds some light on the question of tubing strength. a much appreciated contribution.

thinking now about the nitty-gritty of this project...where to set up a workshop to do the assembly work. my parents might be able to spare a little space in their basement, but then i have to get an O/A setup. the Corcoran has the equipment, but i don't know about getting access to it.
it looks like i'll be in class basically through the end of july, but then i have a month off in August when i could potentially crank this thing out, or at least get some brazing practice, make test joints, work on jigs, etc. that would mean buying up the parts in the next 3.5 months.

fork crown: probably R. Sachs, H. James?...might look at some integral designs though
tubing: after reading more of Talbot, i'm thinking 631 might just do the trick...although i remember that their U.S. distributor (Fairing i think) doesn't have a lot of it in stock. any recommendations about where to get some oversized 631?
lugs/BB shell: HJ? Pacenti? Ceeway?
dropouts: almost certainly HJ horizontal with eyelets
brazing rod: Fred Parr, HJ

i've also been thinking about paint.
i'm considering just a single color, probably like a royal blue, with just a couple little identifying details. Talbot cut a T into his seat lug that looked awesome but time-consuming. i just don't care enough to do some serious decals. maybe a kick-ass headbadge is the answer.
the thing is, i kinda want it to look hand-built. pretty and all, but very different from anything you could buy in a store.
i like the idea of a framebuilder signing the frame, as if the builder is always riding with the frame. his reputation is on the line, because his name is right on it.
i read on the Rivendell site about how they make their lugs distinctive so that even when the paint is stripped off and the bike is 100 years old, it'll still be identifiable as a Rivendell.

i'm going to distill the Talbot book into a flowchart/to-do list, both for my own use and to publish for other newbies.