(This post is another in a series of posts on frame building)
After we put all the mitered tubes in the jig, we slipped on all the lugs that would connect the various tubes. I used Henry James lugs and bottom bracket, which all worked fine after some mild filing and a tiny bit of bending... all but one.
The head tube to down tube lug was too shallow! It was so far off we had to order a custom, blank lug, which I had to file into shape to make it match the other lugs.
This post is about that process.
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One of the reasons you buy a built-by-hand bike from a master is for the detailed, custom lug work. A professional is able to make intricate designs that are both sharp and thin, whereas a factory lug might be thick, and rife with imperfections. |
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This is the template for a lug that Herbie of Helm cycles was working on. |
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Here are the blank lugs. The design is taped on top and used as a cutting guide. |
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Here's my lug, put in the jig to make certain it fits. |
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My lug is put on the lug-vise and prepared to be cut. |
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This is a jeweler saw, the device you use to cut the shape into a lug. I broke about a thousand of those little blades making my lug. |
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Little jeweler files are used to get into the nooks and crannies. |
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Here's a lug made by Herbie. |
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My lug, with a few cuts |
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This is the rough shape after cutting with the jeweler saw. Now I have to finish the job with files. |
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The final lug, here, took about 10 hours to make, most of which was done after class. If a simple lug like this takes 10 hours to make, imagine how much time Herbie spends on his crazy arabesque lugs. |
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