Foresta Frames

[Bingomck]

This is an awesome thread. Your bikes are beautiful. Love the steel forks with the modern builds. Keep it up!

[Craig Ryan]

Thanks Anthony, chancerider, and Bingomck, I keep plugging away. I try to take photos of all of my work, but don't always get it done. I know I'm serving a very narrow niche, but it's fine with me. Although my frames appear simple to the naked eye, they are where I want them. The white single speed I've shown some photos of up above is a good representation of my work. It started out with Sachs stock lugs which took heavy modification. I then mated them with Columbus Spirit For Lugs tubes and a brushed Sachs crown. All of my fixed/free frames come with a provision for a rear brake.



You can see more of it on my Picasa pages here: https://picasaweb.google.com/1000872...7311/Choonimal



If you'd like a look at a Serotta Colorado Concept frame I recently did a respray on, look here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/1000872...ConceptRespray
It was special, the owner and I worked to keep it true to it's heritage and it came out beautiful.



At the moment I've got a late '70's Conago out for chrome which will get a Saronniesque candy very soon, three Rivendells which are getting the full treatment with pearl and candy paint plus odds and ends fittings, and frame builds starting to extend out into the winter. Starting a UOS frame which will have the new Sachs crown/blades soon. I modify the SaxMax lugs quite a bit to keep them in line with my design ideas.



At the moment my pace is perfect, I enjoy painting, so having paint work mixed in with building is a blessing.

[HLS2k6]

Earlier today, the owner of the lbs I work at wondered aloud who might be the next, great American framebuilder--someone he's never heard of today who everyone will be talking about in 10 years. I told him "go google Foresta."

[zetroc]

Hi Craig,

I've noticed that you're doing a lot of painting for other brands like Rivendell, and that you seem to be doing a fair amount of repaints and restorations. Do you advertise yourself for these services or have people just come calling? Your paint jobs look fantastic.

[gomango]

Earlier today, the owner of the lbs I work at wondered aloud who might be the next, great American framebuilder--someone he's never heard of today who everyone will be talking about in 10 years. I told him "go google Foresta."

This may well be true.

I've seen his framesets at NAHBS and there is a little extra there, an intangible pizzaz.

I'm a little on the picky side as I have two Kvales as go tos.

I certainly know what I like and I like what I see in this thread.

Also Craig, greetings from another teacher!

Hang in there brother.

[Craig Ryan]

HLS2k6, gomango, thank you both very much. Those are pretty nice words. Steve, it seems I have been painting quite a bit lately. Most of these are coming from the area locally and word of mouth. I enjoy painting as much as, or more than building, and have always painted my own work. I've never pushed it, and only mention it on my website on the side. I don't really know where this road is leading. At the moment I'm waiting on a decal so I can finish up a job. I've got a frame I needed to start a week ago.
Craig

[Simonhi]

Ive just spent the last few hours reading the whole thread and your blog from start to present day.

What an inspiring story, this is fantastic information to any would-be frame builder starting out.

I think if I ever found the means to build a frame or two I would want to go this way, you have certainly developed your craft way before you ever considered selling your work, I think this is really important.

No questions from me really, just keep doing what you do, it great to read and get a sight into your work.

Many thanks.

[Craig Ryan]

Simonhi, that's amazing, thank you! As a lot of things go, you start doing something and when you look up years later you realize you're in a different spot. Nothing can replace the time it takes to work problems out yourself. I hope you can find an endeavor to get the same level of personal satisfaction as I have. In the end it's the road getting there, and it doesn't matter what you do. Richard wrote this quote, and I took it to heart long ago. It works for me, but also keep in mind the reason it works for me is I have an established career to look after my financial resources. I could never have sustained myself or family if not.

Pardon if the wording isn't exactly correct
"it might work well to not have a plan or force an issue. while it's commendable to want to endure and have a career or even a mini career, the very nature of the process makes teaching the antithesis of a secure path. throw yourself out there, develop whatever filters you need to fen off detractors, and let the moons line up the way they will regardless. success is not caring where you end up."

or...
this is one I discovered long ago while sitting at school one day paging through a students copy of Dante's Inferno. It was translated to English by John Ciardi, and he wrote the following in his forward to the book.
"When the violin repeats what the piano has just played, it cannot make the same sounds and it can only approximate the same chords. It can, however, make recognizably the same "music," the same air. But it can do so only when it is as faithful to the self-logic of the violin as it is to the self-logic of the piano."
John Ciardi
Rutgers University
1982

All of this is about the ability to follow your inspiration and dream, not get rich. This is what I was working on yesterday. Started out as one of Richards SaxMax seat lugs. It needs to get ugly along the way to becoming pretty.

[Craig Ryan]

I've been thinking about the past year, my work, where it's going, and what I enjoy the most about my building. And that is the reason why there haven't been regularly scheduled updates here on my SO; I've been unsure which direction to say I was pointed in. But then again, I'm pretty easy to reach, and visible about every week on FNL. As I look back on the past months I realize I've had a few milestones pass. Good, bad, or indifferent, change happens. When I started building I set my sights on short goals, I remember a big one was a nicer jig. Well, I sat down with my accountant a few weeks ago and he said I needed to spend more money. I realized quickly as I pondered this, a new jig is not what I immediately thought of. It would be nice, but instead my mind went to improvements on the painting side of my work. So I spent some money on my air, my paint booth, paint storage, and guns.

If you know me, you know I've always painted my own frames, and have done so from #1. Actually, it goes back further than that to the days when my next door neighbor was a retired painter. Building and painting go hand in hand, and the builders I have the most respect for are the ones that do both, like Rody Walter. I also think being a builder gives lots of credibility to a painter. So far I've been wearing both hats pretty well, but when I examine the past year I realize painting has risen to the point where it is dominating my building. It would be a sad thing to have to say I am no longer a builder, but it may come to that. These are the thoughts which have been going through my head for the past several months. I've been biding my time, looking to see which way the wind blows, and trying not to make a decision. Over the next year I imagine I'll have to make a decision, my shop is to limiting in space to do both in a larger way than I am right now. This past weekend I exhibited at the Hilly 100 weekend in southern Indiana. The response was overwhelming. Now, Susan and I are taking a small vacation back home in Wisconsin, and as I drove, and relaxed in the nice fall air, I realized I'd better get some thoughts down or people would begin to wonder what I've been up to. Next week I'll be back at school, and in the shop anxious for the next piece to come along.

In case you missed out, here are a few of the pieces I've done in the last months, or at least the ones I could find photos for easily right now... Sometimes I think it was a bit easier when we just had film to keep track of.





































Look for me regularly as usual in FNL.
Craig

[DCT]

Thanks for updating us Craig. I look forward to your FNL postings every week.

Cya soon hopefully.

D-CT

[ron l edmiston]

--- U are one of the few that can travel either side of the mast, with the wind, and still track to a given destination..
my hoosier brother, whatever your decision, i am sure you will achieve with a smile..

respect your handcrafted skill/s,

ronnie

[Matthew Strongin]

Would be a shame not to see these coming out anymore.

[MarkC]

The paint is great (I have another to send you....) but hope you keep the torch hot and the files sharp too.

Mark

p.s. that Atlantis paint work and color choice is superb!!!

[savine]

would be a shame if you don´t build anymore, have always liked looking at your work. though a good builder is easier to find than a good painter.....keep both doors open mate.

[Craig Ryan]

Savine, it's not over till they pry the torch out of my cold dead fingers... or however it goes.

Just got an R5 in for a total redo on the paint. Nothing really wrong, he just didn't like the color and quality of the finish... and it was his b'day present.







Just getting going on it. New masks, all paint, it'll be new again.

[Craig Ryan]

Paint and logos gone, a good base on, and something to build on. Cervelo R5.

[Craig Ryan]

Saturday in the shop. Fella has a Cervello R5 he'd like to have painted like a 2010 R3. Using masks I'll replicate the look. I traced all of the present graphics, then drew them in Illustrator. I had to tweak them some to make up for the differences between the artwork and the desired look. I prep the frame by sanding it completely, cleaning it, then giving it a good clear coat as a base to build on. After sanding that, I start building my basecoat. Knowing the best sequence to mask is a bit like differences in sequence in frame building; everyone gets there a bit different. I'm not sure if I ever choose the way others would, but it gets me there.



These are about as small as I can get, and they are stinkers.





The big ones are easier to weed, but they all have their quirks. I'm putting these large masks on over black paint, then remove them later when the entire frame is painted.



The head badge takes a couple of steps, but ends up coming together well.







Lots of taping and revealing and hoping there's nothing big to fix.







This frame is going to be white, although so far you might have thought it was going to be black. I've got it all masked and ready for my white.



I told you so.



Now to remove everything and see how it looks. Usually this works well, but you guess how it can be sometimes. One little place where the paint lifts...





Everything looks pretty good! There are a couple of small fixes, but when you get used to looking at it with your magnifiers on your expectations are distorted. I'll let it sit tonight, then come in tomorrow and de-nib it before I lock the base down with a good clear.







I'll finish up the fork next. It gets kind of the same treatment.

[Craig Ryan]

More paint work going on
Masked base coat

First Clear



Fork is lagging behind

Sanding

Sanding

Second Clear

Second Clear

[Craig Ryan]

Rides start here.



I pump my own gas.



Back when I painted in the shop at school.



The way I started doing it.



Rhubarb, straight. Ate so much of it my nickname was Rhu.



1978 in Eugene, Oregon


I'm surrounded by students.



The street I live on.





CC has been a big part of my life.

[kentinmania]

One of my favorite frame/fork and overall looking bike ever

Do you know where is the happy owner now? Looks my size ahah