Ted,
Regarding Masi seat stay caps. The basic answer to your question is " the caps used in Italy are the same as the ones used in Carlsbad", HOWEVER, how they are attached and how they are filed, makes a difference in how they look once finished.
The "normal" way of doing a seat stay cap operation went like this. The rear triangle, the seat stay and chainstay, along with the rear dropout was first brazed together as a sub assembly. Then the rear dropouts to stay junctions were filed. Then, having already set the angle between the stays for the frame size in question, the length was cut on the seat stay to the correct size. Then a small jig was used that was a block of steel that had a hole the diameter of a seat stay ( there were two,14mm and 16mm) into which a narrow slot was cut from the top of the block into the hole, allowing clamping. The end of the block was shaped with the curve that yeilded the proper lengtn and width cut to be made for the pre curved stamped cap piece to fit into. The unit was put into the block with the end flush with the block, and the dropout held "swuare to the world" in the horizintal position. The cap was squareed with the dropout in this way. Cut with a hack saw (the block was heat treated to use as a guide) the arc on the tube and file flush with the surface of the block. Then run a 6" H.R. bastard file up the middle so the curve of the cap and the radius of your cut mate up. Later the caps are brazed on and then that junction must be filed. There are lots of ways to do it. The Italian caps seem to be filed to a sharper point even though round on the end, and the Carlsbad ones are much rounder at the top and very consistant. The sit on the frame square.
There is another obscure method that Mario used when he built his own bikes or did customs ar Masi. It involved brazing the uncut seat stays to the seat lug while the frame was in the fixture, and then cutting the stays off and putting the cap on, sometimes with silver braze so as not to remelt the stay junction. These stays are canted forward of square and are recognizable by an experienced eye. Most Verona built Masi GC's show this trait as do Mario built customs from the states.
Gotta go now. Toodles!
Brian Baylis Vintage Cycle Studios El Cajon, CA (619)449-5977
Lastly, I saw some discussion a while back about seat stay caps. Were different caps installed in the Italian made Masi's and the Carlsbad made Masi's?
Palo Alto, CA