I am a frame builder AMA

Sifbronze, do I need a different flux to the one I use for silver?

I just use boric acid off ebay for brass. Dirt cheap and works fine. Your silver flux will cook before you get up to temp so you will need something different either way.

Just something cheap like this or do you look for ones that advertise as flux (borax?)?
Do you mix with de-ionised water or denatured alcohol (like this?) to make a paste?

Just the standard stuff and council juice to paste it up. I've been using it for years, as have most of the old boys of frame building. Got onto it after Winston Vaz did a lol when he heard how much I spent on the cycle design stuff.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Boric-Acid-99-9-Pure-Kills-Ants-Fleas-Cockroaches-Silverfish-FREE-Postage/122072318886?hash=item1c6c13c3a6:m:m5XgIxBB7KiqSCXCQQEvaow

That's the type of advice my miserly heart loves to hear!

Does boric acid flux paste dissolve in warm water after use?

As long as you dont cook it, it comes straight off in water, warm or cold.

Cheers.

Haha, I just spent ages reading about mixing it with alcohol and using it as a barrier flux and came to ask about that and noticed I should have just read on.

With the flux I use for silver (Johnson Matthey Easyflo) I read somewhere to add a drop or two of washing up liquid so that if it dries out you can add a bit of water and re-paste it. The thing I read said that without the washing up liquid it’d dry rock hard and not dissolve again.

Thoughts? Would you do the same with the boric acid or unnecessary?

I actually keep some Easyflo mixed in a jam jar, the lid probably stops it drying out enough that the washing up liquid isn’t needed.

It always dries rock hard. Add water, smush violently with brush, apply to frame. Done.

Ace.

I've ordered and taken delivery of some braze-on cable stops to have fitted to my Koga Miyata but I'm not sure which set to go with, I've ordered a set with barrel adjusters and a set without. These are for headtube position to do away with the downtube shifter position...

Pros? Cons? General advice?

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If you don't have one capable of running a barrel adjuster you'll need in line adjusters at least on the front mech, and they are totally shit and totally ugly.

Barrel adjusters it is so! Thanks.

I saw this on flickr, and wondered what was going on?

Repurposing old fork to be frontloaded 650b? Possible with hi-tensile fork?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gugie/28871973726/in/album-72157672459382526/

@coldharbour Can you shed some light on the above?

Hard to say without seeing full geo, but yes I think you are probably right. Looks like he has gone '#fullscoble'

I'm aiming to take an old sport tourer and repurpose it to be a 650b scoblemobile.

The fork is hi-tensile with 40 in trail that I want to be 50-55.

Another question; If i want to braze on barrel adjusters myself, how do I align them correctly? I think I need to buy that book....

Speak to Winston. If it is doable he is your man. Or are you planning on doing it yourself?

I would like to have a 44mm head tube put onto this so i can fit tapered forks. Can it be done?

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Yes. But it'll be expensive, you'll need to respray it afterwards, and IMO it'd look a bit odd.

I was inspired by this guys Rossin head tube swap. I would also leave the paint messed up and clear the front. But as you say skinny tubes and a 44mm head tube would likely look a bit off. How expensive is expensive?

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I'd say £200 at the very least but probably more. Geoff Roberts likes a challenge and does the best repairs and alterations that I've seen. Drop him an email mate

@michaelgscott I spoke to Sam at Stayer Cycles about this once.
I never got around to discussing money but he seemed up for giving it a go.

Anyone got a single one of these they’d flog me?

Thanks for the advise, I'll look into the suggestions.