Workshop goings on

Pretty sure it's lugged, though it's at work ATM so can't check

If it's lugged then it should be a case of getting the right lugs and head tube and swapping it all out. Let me know

I got to grips with the tube notcher this week and did a few test cuts and joins. It's a very solid little jig when vice mounted and produces decent cuts off a hand drill. I could probably mount it in the milling machine if i want to be exact with it, maybe next time i'll give it a go. I'd read a lot about the Coba hole saws and how good they supposedly are for this sort of thing, and they didn't disappoint. The cuts just needed a couple of minutes of filing to chase them in flush and the were good to go. I've brazed a fair few bits and bobs so far like braze-ons and bottle mounts and the occasional fillet type repair, but not too many full lugs so i had a go at a couple. It went well overall, but i need to learn to be tidier with the rod for sure.

My Ceeway order turned up so now i have everything i need for the frame, i just need to get the fixture finished and get a few more practice joints in and i'm away.

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I got around to sorting a shelf and above the lathe as well as mounting the DRO monitors. It’s nice to have the extra space and the led strip is a godsend.

I also managed to break one of my record vices completely in half trying to remove a stubborn freewheel. I’d read about the issues when welding cast iron but after sanding the paint back it turned out good. It spluttered and spat like a bitch and the workshop stank for a good few hours but I got there in the end.

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I’ve also been playing around with tig welding using stainless rod (1mm & 1.6mm) on mild steel. It behaves really nicely and seems to flow better that mild filler rod. It looks beautiful too.

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I've gone straight to stainless filler too although so far I'm mostly just burning holes in stuff

It’s difficult not to blow through bike tubing, it’s so bloody thin. It’s all a learning curve though. I’m enjoying the stainless though. What tig do you have?

The R-Tech 160A Digital DC machine and I picked up a CK9 torch
Waiting on 1.6mm tungsten as they only had 1.0mm when I ordered and I want to experiment

We’ve definitely been reading the same threads then, I have the non digital version, with the CK torch and pedal. I’m really liking it so far. Once I got to grips with the upslope/downslope preflow/postflow settings I’ve found it very capable. My workshop neighbour has just got the 200 AC/DC so I’m interested in seeing the performance difference.

Give me a shout if you’re struggling for a 1.6, I’ll stick you one in the post.

I only really went for the digital because I figured it might help my learning being able to read all the exact settings off the machine for some repeatability and knowing what worked or not and the analogue dials seem a bit vague in terms of pulse frequency etc
Where abouts are you located? I'd love a garage or small shop to potter about in

Yeah I’m hindsight that would probably have been better for me. It’s easy enough to change the settings fairly accurately, I just have to stick to the numbers basically.

I’m in Cardiff. I have a small shop called Punk Bikes. The workshop is part of the setup and I use it for work and personal projects etc.

A quick steerer tube job for a 20” folder that had developed a crack in the threads and eventually snapped. It’s the first one of these I’ve done but I’ve seen others do it. Getting the cuts nice and square to each other took longer than actually welding it up. Stainless 1.6 rod on 45 amps did the job, with a wall thickness of around 1.5mm I think. One magnetic welding square on each side to keep it all straight.

I had to spot it at 4 points and rotate it as I don’t have a turning setup. It’s something I’ve been thinking about making recently. Maybe something based around a variable speed motor.

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bump :)

Bit of a dredge I guess. That workshop is long gone :(

It's a shame but the situation of the shop changed pretty radically so it had to go. We went from 3 full time members of staff, back down to just me and my original business partner who works part time. It wasn't long after I last posted tbh. They old setup allowed me time to do what i needed on the bike shop side of things and dedicate time towards the workshop stuff. Unfortunately now the vast majority of my time is spent on day to day shop things, with little to no time for anything else really. It wasn't a great time for me personally then either, if I'm honest with myself. My marriage was on the rocks and i was spending virtually all my time at work hiding away. It wasn't sustainable.

My work life balance is now much better, and things are looking much brighter. The workshop is now back in the shop. I still have all the tools and machines i did before . There is still a pile of tubes and a half finished frame jig. It all now serves as a very useful if not slightly overkill bike shop setup, for whatever comes through the door. Having a lathe and milling machine are not classic bike shop requirements, but you'd be surprised how often they come in handy. My latest obsession is taking perfectly straight but rough looking derailleur hangers, and giving them a nice finish on the mill. And the lathe is worth it's weight in gold. There really are some jobs that can only be done properly with a lathe.

It's a shame i guess, because I was definitely on a path to doing some bike building, but life got in the way and it all came to a halt. Or maybe it was just reality, i don't know. But for now my relationships and business take precedence. The back workshop is pretty stacked and it works very well. I'll post some pictures soon.

I'm glad to hear that things are going well now. If not in the direction you first thought.
There will be plenty of time in the future that you may be able to pick up the bike building again.