Having just come across another one of these ...'build your own frame'........in 5 days! classes......I wonder what the list, or individuals think of the Idea [I won't disclose the name of the class out of respect] Now I know there are some good classes out there, like Doug Fattics, but I would imagine the length of the course would be somewhat longer than 5 days?
I don't know.......maybe its because I've been a framebuilder since 71......and I was taught slowly, methodically and became 'in tune' with working with metal.......I just can't see how anyone can produce a decent [safe] frame in 5 days.
If I were to teach someone the skills in framebuilding [actually something I may seriously consider in the future] I wouldn't try and rush them into producing a frame within such a short timescale. I just can't imagine when I first started at Bob jackson's in June 71 that at the end of the first week I would have made my first frame!.........I remember we had Matt Assenmacher come over from the states to learn, and Danny Foster [the master builder and my mentor] 'rushed' Matt through the basics, but from memory he was with us for at least 6 months! [and went on to be a very accomplished framebuilder]
I seem to remember it was several months before I was allowed to use a brazing torch, before then I was filing lugs, cutting tubes........going for the fish and chips on a Friday!...filing more lugs and so on.......until finally, with Danny supervising me, I brazed up a pair of Campag dropouts into the chainstays......
I think some of these courses merely skirt around the basics.........I mean, in 5 days your going to learn how to;- cut and file lugs....... cut and mitre tubes [to the correct length!] learn about the geometry, angles, clearances etc, and what is and isn't the best set up for a particular frame........ learn how to braze, be it capillary or perhaps even more tricky, fillet brazing....... learn how to keep the frame in alignment!...... Then there's the cleaning up, filing and finishing.......as well as cutting & reaming etc. Any one of those tasks would take more than 5 days to become proficient........oh, I don't know maybe I'm just having a whinge......but it does touch a 'nerve'
sorry for the rant.........
Kevin Sayles
Bridgwater Somerset UK