Interested in frame building?

Hello,

As some of you may remember, I had a Willy Wonker-esque golden ticket opportunity to go and visit lots of frame builders in the USA.

I just finished uploading all the pictures & stuff to my blog, so please feel free to take a look at how they make bikes over the pond:

http://www.ninelittletubes.wordpress.com

I'm gradually moving into a workshop at 98 Webber St, SE1 with Ryan of Oak Cycles, although it'll be a while before I'm set up properly there. If you're passing and feel curious, have a knock on the blue doors at the side on Belvedere Buildings. Someone will hopefully be around.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=98+webber+st+london+se1&hl=en&ll=51.500702,-0.100443&spn=0,0.009602&sll=51.500563,-0.100298&sspn=0.006295,0.006295&layer=c&cbp=13,114.29,,0,21.27&cbll=51.500585,-0.100378&z=17&panoid=8_PiaywHa3rpjhbOPgQCmA

Cheers,
Matt

Bookmarked! Gonna have a nice read of this later, looks really interesting.

Just finished reading it (at work tho, so not as thoroughly as i'd have liked).

Really good, well done. Reading the Ant Bikes(?) section has made me start daydreaming of taking a frame building course holiday.

Just finished reading it (at work tho, so not as thoroughly as i'd have liked).

Really good, well done. Reading the Ant Bikes(?) section has made me start daydreaming of taking a frame building course holiday.

Gonna read this as soon as I'm at a computer

am very much looking forward to settling down to read this this evening

Excellent blog. Loved looking at all the photos. Good to see that frame building skills are not dying out, in the USA, at least.

Matt will be speaking about his trip at the Hackney Bicycle Film Society this coming Monday (12th September).

The next show of the Hackney Bicycle Film Society will be next Monday the 12th. Our show will commence with a talk by Matt Wilkinson, a bicycle frame builder, who has recently toured the US to meet frame builders there http://ninelittletubes.wordpress.com/. Matt will talk about his trip and frame building.

Details:

Unless otherwise stated all events occur at Calthorpe Arms, 252 Grays Inn Road London WC1x 8JR and start Prompt at 7:30 facebook.com/hackney.bicyclefilmsociety http://www.facebook.com/hackney.bicyclefilmsociety

Hello,

The WCMT have now uploaded my report on frame building in the USA, so please feel free to take a look:

http://www.wcmt.org.uk/reports/891_1.pdf

It may be a little basic for some of you that are more familiar with fame building, but one of my aims was to nurture interest in the craft in the UK. Well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Cheers,

Matt

http://www.ninelittletubes.wordpress.com

Cheers. Sounds interesting. Will bookmark to read later (when not on phone.)

This is really interesting and nicely put together!

This is easy to read - read about 20% of it so far.

Very interested in starting up.

hei so what have you learned from your frame building tour ? you met great builders

amazing

cheers for that, really interesting, would love to do something similar

very interesting, great job matt.

i am desperate to start framebuiding but living in a tiny flat with no outside space makes it difficult.

is it time for the LFGSS framebuilding collective?

Lovely piece of work - hope to catch you at the presentation to the London VCC branch - if it hasn't already happened!

very interesting, great job matt.

i am desperate to start framebuiding but living in a tiny flat with no outside space makes it difficult.

is it time for the LFGSS framebuilding collective?

I've built a couple in my garden, but am similarly keen to attempt something with better tools / more space. I do a guitar building evening class at London Met uni and they have obviously have a load of workshop facilities there but I don't think they're used for evening classes. It could be an insurance issue, or they could be just too expensive to run with small classes, but I've thought about contacting them with this kind of suggestion before.

I don't build frames but I'm very keen for framebuilding to return as a localised skill. There is a lot of interest in such things and I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have some people meet in a pub somewhere to discuss possibilities. The main problem is always premises.

Perhaps check with people who have posted in this thread?

http://www.lfgss.com/thread66448.html

Bike recycling, framebuilding, community interest companies/co-operatives all go hand in hand. It's hard to start such a company and make it sustainable, but it can accommodate people at all levels of involvement, whether voluntary hobbyists or people who end up pursuing it as their main job.

I've built a couple in my garden, but am similarly keen to attempt something with better tools / more space. I do a guitar building evening class at London Met uni and they have obviously have a load of workshop facilities there but I don't think they're used for evening classes. It could be an insurance issue, or they could be just too expensive to run with small classes, but I've thought about contacting them with this kind of suggestion before.

I too am extremely interested in learning to frame build, as it's something I've wanted to do since I was 15! Having no access to workspace and equipment has kinda put a stop to it uptil now.
BUT, I should have access to a garage from the end of this week that can be used (and is what I intend it for) if anyone is interested and/or has equipment?

I'm gradually moving into a workshop at 98 Webber St, SE1 with Ryan of Oak Cycles

Think i saw you thur when I was dropping my forks off. Hope the frame building etc goes well!

Just downloaded the PDF. Wow 45 pages, will read it when I have more time.
Thanks for that.
Henry

Thanks for pointing out there's a PDF i would never had found it browsing , looks a really good insight.