Winter Bicycles

[Eric Estlund]

That's how they do it where we from:

[Eric Estlund]

I was discussing brazing pace with someone, and I was able to take out the time lapse on this video. This shows a typical pace- it's a good solid preheat, then in and out with the torch, being conservative with the extra effort and lingering torch work.

Pardon the poor quality FB video:
https://www.facebook.com/eric.estlun...6246568503260/

[Pi Guy]

I was discussing brazing pace with someone, and I was able to take out the time lapse on this video. This shows a typical pace- it's a good solid preheat, then in and out with the torch, being conservative with the extra effort and lingering torch work.

Pardon the poor quality FB video:
https://www.facebook.com/eric.estlun...6246568503260/

That was very cool to see. Thanks for posting! What are your brazing tunes?

[Eric Estlund]

It's really variable based on my mood. I alternate between quite a bit music. Riot Grrrl stuff if in pretty high rotation. This week it's been a bit of late 90's/ early 2000's stuff on the Belly Pandora station.

[Eric Estlund]

"Mechanic Edition" black Rider ts are in! Men's S-2X, Women's M-Xl and youth s-l. $20 first/ $15 each additional with a Paypal note on size and address to "info@winterbicycles.com". International orders are $30 first/$15 each additional. Get yours now; pre orders ship Monday!

[Eric Estlund]

The Flux is in the Flame: Gasflux "team kit" (ha!)



Sporting my new Gasflux t-shirt. GF makes a nice range of products for traditional steel brazing, and they are all nice folks to boot. A fun piece of trivia- Winter Bicycles is now using GF rod in the old facility that used to produce it here in central PA.

[Eric Estlund]

Came across this guy-



It's an old demo from when I taught a puppetry class and was made quickly from some leather and found materials (nails, wood and stones).

[Eric Estlund]

Bilamaramma

https://flic.kr/p/JqGNLi

[Eric Estlund]

My dad gave me 100lbs of iron.



Funny, most of my hobbies seem an awful lot like work. Good times ahead!

[Eric Estlund]

The BB shot from this weeks FNL is mostly cleaned up, but unfiled. I did break down and use a riffler for the final fiddly bits, but this was pretty close.

Here is a shot in the raw after brazing. In all fairness, stuff like this looks pretty darn clean even under paint.



More photos of the bike in process can be seen in the Flickr set here.

[progetto]

All I see you holding is a cross between Don Ferris and Carl Strong.

My dad gave me 100lbs of iron.



Funny, most of my hobbies seem an awful lot like work. Good times ahead!

[Eric Estlund]

That's my place to keep working from. Smooth transitions, good flow out, even width and smooth radius changes. Like Carnegie Hall- practicepracticepractice...

[Eric Estlund]

New Tool Day: "Examiner 10" surplus exam lamp

[progetto]

Dr Eric.

[Eric Estlund]

Every now and again I get to narrow my focus on what I think of as "Japanese inspired" lugwork. This is essentially my interpretation of what I imagine when I think of Japanese lug cuts from the mid to late 70's-mid 80's. To my eye these strike a wonderful balance between a relative conservation and specific visual detail. They are beautiful in part due to their design cleanliness; rather than the fancy filigree of some of the earlier "fancy cuts", they focused on specific gesture.

When I do my "Winter" take on this style, I enjoy the limitations of curve and point and try to really bring these "simple" elements into their own.

I like to start with a fairly basic lugset.



Working in on it. On these lugs I try to refine things and give it a bit more gesture without radically changing their shape.



Two-piece binder to M6 conversion with new contours. I'm about half and half with these. In this case I'm doing shot in fast backs, so I like the extra material in this now structural area. I also added the countersink for a small visual break, and contoured the shelf to lip detail.



Before fit up I do the main reshaping- I change the curve of the points, the radius of the relief and tighten up the edges. I also change the diameter of the hole on these lugs for more consistency, and the radius of the outer bill edge.





Making points pointy:





These are all roughly shaped. Once the tubes are cut I'll do any adjustment I need to the socket angles then tighten up the final shapes and edges before brazing.

I've built in this style for road, touring, rando and track builds. This is another track bike, and I'd love to do more in various platforms.

[Brevik78]

I just want to say you inspire me alot!! You are one of my favoritt framebuilders, and just love your work!! And you have so much knowledge that you share with everyone!! And you take the time to write good answers, and are a wery good instructor!! I wish i someday has 10 prosent of your skill!! You are a great role model!! Thanks alot!! I follow your flicker account and always likes your shots!

[Eric Estlund]

Thanks, Jan- I'm glad you are enjoying following along with the work. Very kind words, thank you.

[Eric Estlund]

[Eric Estlund]

I opted to braze the lugs posted above with bronze. In most cases filler choice is decided by the application. Here, either silver or bronze would have been appropriate, so I went with the later for nostalgia and tradition. I use a fair bit of bronze for fillets, forks, etc. There is something satisfying about sweating lugs.

Fill-it brazing:

[Eric Estlund]

Following up my post in FNL 389, here are a few more shots of the new Winter "Ambassador".





Description and full photo set here.