In a message dated 5/2/2007 7:10:58 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, toddcirelli@aol.com writes:
Is there a preferred make or model of frame jig- What factors should be considered by the first timer or layman?
Todd Cirelli Mechanicsburg, PA
Todd,
As I did I recommend spending the money taking a class like the one Doug Fattic offers. Doug has almost all of the available jigs in his shop and you'd be able to answer this question yourself. It would also be cheaper in the long run.
The big advantage of taking a class is that you'll learn a process that begins with proper fit and design. It's my opinion that the actual construction of a frame takes little more than practice once you know what your doing, but it's the fit and design that makes a bike safe and that will ride well.
To answer your question directly..... I use a bringheli jig. it's a lower end jig that fits my needs but is harder to set up than some other jigs. If I were made of money I'd buy an Anvil Jig without question. If one had been available I'd might have bought a jig like Doug Fattic talks about frequently that he brought from England. It would help you design and build a frame, a useful feature I think. Frankly, with the process I use now that I mostly learned from Doug Fattic's class, I could build a very straight frame using Suzie Jackson's tooling (littlefish bicycles) coupled with an alignment fixture. You'll find that most of the frame building is done out of a jig and the jig matters little in how straight things will turn out.
I'm sure other will chime in but that is how this rookie weekender sees it.
Jonathan Greene Oviedo FL
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