Paul,
In a shameless promotion of our business, I’d like to point out our Snap Ring Dropout:
They are not traditional, but if you have a rider that prefers 12 mm skewers, this is a good option. It is the lightest commercially available 12 mm dropout. With tapered stays, it makes a sharp looking rear triangle. There are multiple hanger options to accommodate most drive trains, and are easily replaceable. Also available in stainless steel for a shiny accent.
Thanks, Mark.
Hey I’m Jon, I weld titanium frames in Seattle for Davidson and a new bike brand called Mischief. Always been into frame building. Worked at S&M in CA for a few years.
I have built a few BMX frames for myself and friends. I’m here looking to glean as much as I can from you experts and also contribute what I’m able to.
Welcome Jon!
I also used to weld Ti frames for Davidson — 30 years ago! I’m the one that dragged him kicking and screaming into Ti, he was very reluctant at first.
Does Bill still come in to work or has he fully retired?
Are you full-time at Big D, or do you have a “day job”?
I’m in the neighborhood, maybe I’ll stop in for a visit some time if that’s allowed.
Cheers
Mark
Oh ya Mark, Bill is in the shop 6 days a week! I’m sure he would love a visit. I do have a day job, I do the bike stuff before/after work or on weekends usually. I would be interested to meet you and hear more of the history of that brand.
Hey Guys!
Im Max, 25 Years old and a beginner in Frambuilding from Germany. I started building Steel Track Frames but i really want to build some Aluminium Frames next year.
I mainly ride Fixedgear or Singlespeed Vintage Track Bikes but also a Carbonfiber TT Bike with a Disc for long distances.
Im really happy that i stumbled about this forum since theres little information about bike framebuilding in german
Mark is an amazing resource for the history of Seattle framebuilding
Hi Max,
There are several aluminium welders here (including myself).
There is a thread in the Education section which might be a good introduction, and a place to place aluminium-specific questions.
Always happy to help.
Dan Chambers
Hello everyone. My name is David Werner, and I have a lifelong passion for cycling and all things metal. I am happy to be on just about anything with wheels and pedals, but am most attracted to mountain biking.
I have been blacksmithing for 26 years and have worked in and out of metal fabrication, custom bladesmithing, historical armor reproductions, casting, jewelry, and manual machining shops all around the St.Louis and county area.
I have wanted to make a bicycle for the longest time, but only just recently started putting together a real effort to create a plan and learn how to go about building more than just a “Frankenbike” from spare parts and tube.
That’s my story! Thanks for having me and for being generous with the knowledge you have posted here.
Welcome David! Your blacksmithing experience will serve you well, and your bike will turn out awesome. Keep us posted.
Hi all, I’m Marc. San Francisco-based. Lifelong cyclist - more mountain than road. Was a very active member of MTBR starting in the late '90s and then Ridemonkey thru the '00s, so if you recognize the handle… its the same “ohio.”
Decided to take Danielle Schön’s framebuilding foundations course back in the Fall of '22, while in the midst of what ended up being 2 years of wrist surgeries and going on 3 years of being off of bikes. I’d had an IF Crown Jewel ('01 with a 1" steerer) and still have a DiSalvo 10th Anniversary frame, both of which I loved, but neither had precisely the fit, aesthetic and details a really REALLY wanted. So I built this guy as a classic-ish frame, but with
-slightly slack, low, forward and long geometry (71.5HA, 74SA, 75mm BB drop, 415mm CS
Edit: weight as shown with cage and pedals is 16.8lbs.
Bike looks great! Fancy paint is for the bike shows. As long as you got good coverage and adherence then I say run it as long as it lasts.
Beautiful build! Ill keep an eye out for it in SF!
Probably not anytime soon, unless I take another class like Danielle’s… I have a hardtail sketched out in BikeCAD with some geometry tweaks I’d like to try, but I don’t have the shop to build it.
Plus with my neck and wrist still recovering, a hard tail might be the worst idea… 
I got a notification that I’ve been a member of this forum for a year but I’ve never properly introduced myself.
My name is Johnmark. I’m a mechanical engineer currently living in Cleveland Ohio. I started mountain biking but eventually branched out into road biking and touring. The idea of building a frame was bouncing around in my head for a long time. A year ago decided to take the plunge. I bought a book about lugged frame building and started absorbing all the info I could online. My first post here was asking for advice on silver brazing. This forum is the most active and informative frame building community I’ve found and it’s been an invaluable resource for me as a ‘self taught’ (nobody is really self taught…) hobby frame builder. On a side note, frame building is a very niche activity both as a profession and hobby, which fosters a community where pros and hobbyists intermingle. I think that’s really cool and is something I’ve never experienced, or even heard of in a community before. It’s like Micheal phelps giving me advice on how to tread water.
Anyway, here are some photos of my journey as a ‘maker’ and a cyclist.
My first real bike as an adult. Sold to me by a coworker for very cheap. The second pic was it’s final form before I retired it.
The bike I toured across the US on. I learned a lot about bike geo and fitment with this one. It was originally a cheap schwinn hybrid. This bike also had my first “custom” part made using a kind stranger’s drill press mid tour after my hose clamp rack mount’s started getting loose.
Some more early custom bike parts.
I sewed these bags myself. The frame bag wasn’t turgid enough, hence the duct tape in the second pic to stop it from bulging out against my legs. I haven’t sewn in a long time. Maybe someday I will re-visit that.
My first frame build. Built about a year ago. It’s far from perfect. There’s things I would change, but I’m still very proud to have done this. At the time of this post it is my most ridden bike. I ride it several times a week at least. I call it the Guppy.
A custom top load stem.
Second frame build. A pretty big step up in difficulty from my first frame. This bike met and surpassed all my expectations. It’s long, heavy, and an absolute seld downhill and up steep climbs. I call it the Hog.
Third frame coming soon! This one is a gravel bike. I might stick with the animal names and call it the Goose.
I don’t know what my future as a hobby framebuilder will look like. After this gravel bike I will have three bikes, which is all the bikes I need and have the space for. I may start iterating on my existing frames or start making components. I’m also at the point where I think I would be willing to make a frame for a friend. Either way, I really enjoy this craft and I’m glad to be a student of framebuilding
