hand to metal

it's been a few days. i've been busy.
construction of the jigs has begun. i received full-size plots from my uncle this week. the plots i made by printing the BG101 Frame Plot chart to PDF, then opening the PDF in Illustrator and playing with it there. they're at least pretty close to accurate; probably within a mm.
cut 2x4s and plywood for Talbot's fork jig. bought 5/16" threaded rod, washers, wing nuts. now i'm missing the drill press i was using in classes. and i need a way to cut a hole for the fork crown--Talbot used the hole to braze in; i'm planning to pin and free braze, but i think i'll still need the hole to keep the crown from mucking with alignment.
cut 4 x 12" plywood for bending mandrel. bought EMT tubing for bending assistance, 3/8" pipe nipple and 1/4-20 threaded rod, nuts to hold the blade down while bending. this is all based on a drawing from H. James--email me if you want a scan. i made pdf scans of Talbot's plans for jigs as well.
i need sand to fill the blades with to prevent kinks. also i might switch to the S. Garro method of making two identical plywood pieces, then bevel sanding both so they'll form a valley when they're mated. he explains it better on frameforum.

also working on pine tubing blocks. bought 1" and 1.125" spade bits for boring. planning to enlarge holes with big files.

putting together an Enco order--files, rifflers, scriber, etc.

also working on cleaning up the various frame parts. discovering i need more and different files--smaller ones for the tight spaces. 80 grit emery is OK for larger curved sections, but i'll need needle files and rifflers for sure. i glued some emery to an old emery board, but haven't tried it yet.

sanded the main tubes with 400 grit to remove rust. coated with WD-40 to prevent it. gotta get something to remove it later--acetone?

i had wanted double-bent chainstays. Bringheli was out, so i got single-bent. putting the BB shell and stays together it looked like i'd end up with way too little tire clearance, so i'm returning them for straights i think. USPS screwed up so i have a day to think about it.

and i'm reconsidering the smaller front wheel idea.