New Subreddit for Traditional Framebuilding: r/FramebuildingCraft

General Discussion
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I’ve recently started a new subreddit called r/FramebuildingCraft, and I wanted to share a bit about why it exists, who it’s for, and what it aims to offer.

The idea came from seeing how easy it is for new builders—especially those interested in the craft and tradition of framebuilding—to feel overwhelmed or discouraged. Much of the online conversation has drifted toward high-end tooling, advanced welding setups, and content that assumes access to a fully equipped workshop. That’s fine for some, but it leaves others feeling shut out before they’ve even picked up a file.

r/FramebuildingCraft is for those who want to start simple. Who want to learn the fundamentals of joining tubes with hand tools. Who want to understand not just how to build a frame, but how to build up skill over time—even if they’re starting in a garage with a hacksaw and a vice.

It’s not a space for gatekeeping. It’s a space for slowing down. For putting the craft first. For honest talk about mitres, alignment, heat control, and getting things wrong before you get them right.

You don’t need a TIG welder. You don’t need a CNC jig. You don’t even need to know exactly what you’re doing yet. You just need the interest—and a willingness to learn.

The subreddit is still small, but growing. If you’ve been lurking in other places and feeling like you didn’t quite belong, or if you’re just starting out and looking for something grounded and focused, I’d love for you to stop by.

This isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about preserving and passing on the kind of framebuilding that can’t be rushed—and giving it the space it deserves.

I’m also writing a book based on the same ethos. It’s structured like a kind of apprenticeship on paper—something that makes the craft more accessible, but without skipping the fundamentals. The first chapter will be released soon, and the rest will follow as I continue to shape it with input from real-world questions and experiences.

— Paul

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I thought that’s what this forum was for, for all framebuilders, large and small, for education and share resources. But I do wish you the best in your endeavor with moderating. You should also look to promote your page on Velocipe Salon and that google group, too.

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Thanks for the thoughtful reply—and yes, I agree that this forum has been a great space for sharing ideas across the whole spectrum of framebuilding. I’ve learned a lot here and still check in, even if I don’t post as often.

The subreddit isn’t meant to replace anything—it’s just a smaller, more focused space for people (especially beginners) who want to learn the craft in a more traditional, hands-on way. I’ve found that a lot of the online discussion around framebuilding today focuses heavily on jigs, TIG welding, and production methods, which can unintentionally put off people who are trying to get started with simpler tools or a slower, more skills-based approach.

So the idea with r/FramebuildingCraft is to create something a bit quieter and more structured—more about building confidence through fundamentals, without feeling overwhelmed by tech-heavy expectations.

I appreciate the encouragement and the suggestion to share it on Velocipede Salon and the Google group—I might do that too, as I know those spaces have their own unique voices.

Thanks again,
— Paul

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I love the idea, but why not add to the community here with a thread, possibly sub forum? I’m sure even the best of the best can learn from what you have to offer, and the moderation here is great and encouraging to amateurs like myself!

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Thanks—I really appreciate that. And honestly, I’d be happy to share more here too.

The subreddit partly came about after having a brilliant student on one of my courses—he was 73, completely engaged with the process, and really connected with the philosophy behind traditional framebuilding. But it got me thinking: Why aren’t more younger people able to access this? The cost, the time, and maybe the perception that you need loads of expensive tools—all of that makes it harder for beginners to find a way in.

So r/FramebuildingCraft is my attempt to create a quieter space where beginners (especially younger ones) can start with basic tools, learn hand skills, and take the slow road if they want to. I don’t think it’s better or worse than modern methods—but I do think we’ll lose something valuable if that slower, more tactile path disappears entirely. And I feel like I’ve got a bit of a duty to try and help stop that from happening.

That said, I’d be very happy to start a thread (a sub forum would be amazing) here too—maybe something like “Hand Skills and Traditional Techniques”—and share updates from the book I’m writing or topics we’re exploring in the subreddit. I really value the tone of this forum, and I’m not trying to compete—just make space where it’s needed.

Thanks again for the kind words and encouragement—it means a lot.

— Paul

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Any joining process needs to have a level of accuracy to build a frame. You can pin together a classical lugged frame in a cnc’d fixture or tig a frame together on an old door slab.

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I think what sometimes gets missed is that starting with lugs gives beginners a way to build a well-made, accurate frame using a more forgiving method.

You can’t just pick up a TIG torch and weld a frame with no experience—it’s too easy to burn through or misalign things. But with silver and lugs, you can be guided through the process, learn heat control, alignment, mitring, and finishing, and still end up with a solid, rideable frame.

It’s not “better” than TIG in a precision fixture—but it’s more accessible for someone learning on their own, without high-end equipment. You come away with a well-rounded understanding of the craft, not just the weld.

And once your skills develop, lugged construction done to a high standard can be just as good—both in function and finish.

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I wonder if younger people are less interested in lugs because the bikes they want to ride are hard to make with lugged construction. Lugs frankly limit the types of bikes you can make unless you’re willing to make your own lugs.

It seems like at the university level, there’s lots of examples of engineering students making full suspension bikes. Maybe because mountain biking is more popular than road cycling, or maybe they just want the added challenge. :man_shrugging:

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That’s a fair observation—and you’re right, lugs do have limitations when it comes to certain styles of bikes. You’re not going to easily build a full-suspension mountain bike with them unless you’re making custom lugs or hybridizing fabrication methods.

But I think it’s important to remember: the point of starting with lugs isn’t because they can do everything—it’s because they teach the core skills that carry into everything else. Alignment, mitre prep, heat control, feel for fit—those aren’t just about tradition, they’re about developing judgment that applies no matter how modern your build becomes.

I also think we need to be really careful about what kind of barriers we accidentally put in place for people starting out. You don’t need an engineering degree to build a bike. You need curiosity, care, and time. That’s why I’m passionate about traditional methods: not because they’re the only way—but because they’re a more accessible way to begin. Especially for someone with basic tools and a willingness to learn by doing.

In the rush toward modernity and complexity, sometimes we lose sight of the quiet, slower paths into this craft. I think both deserve space.

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Yup that’s why I’m going straight for 3D printed lugs. I have the design skills but limited equipment and am new to the craft.

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Completely agree. I think 3D printed lugs are one of the most exciting developments in framebuilding right now—not because they replace handwork, but because they can extend what’s possible for the bespoke builder.

The mistake would be to see them as a shortcut around skill. Really, they reinforce the need for good fit-up, alignment, heat control, and brazing fundamentals. If you can’t silver braze a traditional lug cleanly, you’re going to struggle with a 3D printed one too.

But the idea that you could design lugs around specific geometries, rider fit, and even aesthetic intent—that’s a real opportunity. Especially for builders without access to milling machines or high-end fixtures.

This could very well be what brings lugged building back into the spotlight. But only if we respect the fundamentals that make it viable.

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Hi. Why to divide community and move part of community to other (marketing) places? My first frame was build here with opinions from community and with free advice from community here. Forum here is first place with valuable and current informations and with active community. If is it the same for you why…?

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Thanks for raising this, it’s a fair question, and I really appreciate the chance to explain.

To be honest, I haven’t learned a huge amount directly from the Custom Frame Forum yet, simply because it’s relatively new and I’m still finding my way into it. But I do value it. I think it’s one of the few places where thoughtful, detailed conversations about framebuilding still happen, and that kind of community is rare and worth preserving.

The reason I started a separate space wasn’t to divide the community or promote anything, it was to create a small, focused home for people interested in traditional, hand-built methods. Especially for beginners who don’t have access to mentors or shops, and who want to learn filing, mitring, brazing, geometry, all the things that don’t always get the spotlight anymore.

I’m also trying to keep something alive. In a generation, a lot of this knowledge could be gone if we don’t pass it on. And I think that’s worth fighting for.

Yes, I’m writing a book. Yes, I still need to keep the lights on. But this isn’t about marketing, it’s about sharing what I’ve learned, helping others avoid the mistakes I made, and giving back to a craft that’s shaped my life.

I hope we can all support each other across platforms. There’s room for more than one good conversation when we’re all here for the same reason: the love of building.

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Looking forward to learning more!
Paul, I sent you a PM.

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I think you could have done all that under this same roof…

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I’m already a member of 5 framebuilding forums and I see no problem with adding another one, other than all the other ones I know of are pretty dead or dying. Probably because this one (CFF) isthe best and liveliest, and so people gravitate here. And I say that as one of the moderators of one of the other (dying) places!

You know about the “network effect”? People go where the people already are. To yank them away from the network they like already, you have to provide something better, and even then, word has to get out and get the migration going. No one’s going to move over until everyone moves over (exaggerating slightly).

Any new one is going to have a hard job to overcome that. I probably won’t join, not that I dislike Reddit exactly, but I don’t love it, and I have no need or time for a 6th FB forum in my life.

Good luck though!

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Joined!

It’s always good to give back.
We all stand on the shoulders of those who walked these paths before us.

And at the risk of derailing this, or seemingly poking some who think the past is irrelevant, I offer the following quote.

The late Bizen potter Kaneshige Michiaki (1934-1995) said of tradition:

Tradition is sometimes confused with transmission. Copying Momoyama pieces is transmission. Producing contemporary pieces incorporating Momoyama period techniques is tradition. Tradition consists of retaining transmitted forms and techniques in one’s mind when producing a contemporary piece. Tradition is always changing. A mere copy of an old piece has not changed; it is nearly the same as its prototype of four hundred years ago. Tradition consists of creating something new with what one has inherited.

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Really appreciate you taking the time to reply, Mark — and I completely get it. The network effect is real, and CFF has been a lifeline for so many of us who’ve felt lost in the noise elsewhere.

I’m not trying to replace or compete with CFF — more just trying to hold a small, structured space that’s beginner-friendly, rooted in craft, and active. Something that captures a bit of what used to be common on the old forums, but with lower friction for newer folks discovering framebuilding now.

One of the things I’ve noticed is that Reddit has a really wide reach — r/framebuilding has over 7,000 members, many of whom might never stumble across traditional forums like CFF. If we can catch some of those people early and give them a way in, I think that helps the whole ecosystem.

Thanks again for your work (and moderation!) in keeping the history alive. If you ever peek in on the subreddit and feel like dropping a few posts or wisdom bombs, you’d be more than welcome.

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Paul,
I did sign up for the Reddit forum but have a question. Maybe I don’t understand how it works but can anyone start a discussion/thread? I asked a question but it didn’t seem to go anywhere.
Thanks!

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Reddit seems to be a bit aggressive in its automatic moderation! Probably with new users starting a post.

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