Frame Building Workshop / Co-operative

I am toying with the idea of setting up a workshop where I can indulge the fantasy that I am capable of building a bicycle from scratch.

Partly because of the costs involved, and partly because we are at root a social animal, I would like to do this in tandem with a few like-minded individuals.

I would like to establish a small workshop with benches, a jig, a surface plate, brazing equipment and maybe a blasting cabinet. I think tools should be personally owned, not co-operatively.

Not too bothered about location, as long as it's not out in the burbs. I am currently looking at a site in Poplar, which would be perfect (apart from being in Poplar). Happy to look at alternative locations.

I reckon if four people got together, this could be achieved for about 200£ per month each.

Get in touch if you are interested.

This is a good idea, do you have any equipment already?

I know it doesn't take a huge amount of fancy tools to build a frame, but jigs and fixtures do help.

At the moment just a bench, vice, torch, files & stuff.

Surface plates are fairly easy to get hold of, once you have somewhere to put them.

Depending on the level of interest, I would either get a basic jig made by a local engineer or, given sufficient interest, but a swanky one with bells, whistles & stuff.

The reason for suggesting a collaborative venture is to enable us to get 'tooled up' fairly quickly.

£200 a month for how long?

There's a new Makerspace in Herne Hill that's getting off the ground. You might want to look into that because they (will) have some of that gear, I'm sure.

Typical bloody forumenger, builds one frame and wants to take over the (custom building) World!

Only kidding; best of luck with your venture, I'd be up for this if I wasn't 60 miles South. You will post pictures of workshop and any frames you're not ashamed of?

try jimjamosullivan he is starting out frame building and might be interested

not hillbilly but another jim o sullivan

I am almost set up myself, takes a long time (9 months) and im very nearly happy. Building frames with simple tools is not easy and I wouldnt bother without a jig. Its all very involved and takes a lot of commitment to put together a reasonable workspace.

@Jingle_Jangle Is that Poplar place a live/work type of place?

I need a new place to live in London so I could stay in the workshop to keep an eye on the tools...

Vince, you don't want to live in Poplar.

I'm currently setting up at the moment. Built my first frame and have got a bike academy jig and oxy/acetylene setup. The workshop I'm based in also has a spray booth which is amazing but would be really interested in working with others. I'm going to be putting up pictures of the build on here but for now you can check out my instagram . If whoever interested wants to meet up for a beer and a chat I'd be up for that.

Do you have an estimate of setup costs?

Subscribed. Any more word on that place in Herne Hill?

I just moved here and I am looking for work, but once I have settled in and start making money again, I could be up for some collective metal-hot-gluing.
I have most tools needed to build frames inc a extruded alu profile jig with cones for 1", 1 1/8" and 44mm HTs.

I could be up for some hobby builder meet up. Maybe with a little pro-builder show n tell action also ;-)

I have done fuck all about this for 3 years, while work / family / life has gone on remorselessly.

Me and Mrs Jangle have, however, taken a short lease on a 'yard' down by the river, mainly to store our shit at.

Part of the plan is for me to get a shipping container and convert it into a workshop, so this could actually happen some time (relatively) soon.

I know initially you were looking to split costs with people but for smaller jobs, would you be interested in renting "time" in the workshop (once set up)?
I'd be interested in a space where I can give brazing on some simple cable guides and things a go initially.

As and when this happens, you can visit for a mess about / practice with pleasure.

My original plan was to share the set up costs involved in sourcing a jig / surface plate / fixtures, which are well spenny. For various reasons I don't think that was such a good idea anyway.

This is something a lot of builders could benefit from for sure.

Drop me a DM about paint when you get to that stage.
Maybe we could help set up a booth on your site?

Ha,

Co-incidentaly, I just e-mailed you on the Cole Coatings site.

I am building another frame in January, so fancy attending one of your frame painting courses.

This is awesome, I like the sound of it.

You should have a reply by now.

If you need a hand with the conversion.

Yep, had a reply.

I expect to be seeing you early in the New Year.

Cheers.

Will notify here as and when this starts to happen.

Frame painting course? Tell me more...

All the details are on the site but basically, you spend four days at our workshop with a frame that starts raw and leaves prepped/primed/painted/polished etc... https://colecoatingsworkshop.com/courses/

Rob Quirk and Caren Hartley have both painted frames with us which you can see on the site.

Hope that's useful.