Bits and Pieces.
The small firm I worked for didn't initially have all of the raw materials. I had my own little collection of bits which I had procured from the bicycle factory. This brake bridge was originally stamped Gipiemme, which is still faintly visible on the pitted surface of the metal.
This frame and all of those built within the first couple of months were a product of enthusiasm and self belief. I so much wanted to be a framebuilder and I knew it was likely my only chance. Fortunately, my luck held out long enough to see me master the necessary skills and acquire jigs and tools to do the job more easily.
If I had produced this frame last week, I perhaps wouldn't be so proud as I was back then. In 1988, it marked another notch on the frame tally and gave me the experience to continue and further my skills. I persevered with the fillet brazing and after some practice, a change of brazing rods and equipment, in the spring of 88, it clicked. I started producing uniformly shaped, beautifully smooth joints that soon flowed from my fingers without even thinking about it. I had been inspired by George Longstaff in particular who I was lucky enough to meet on several occasions in the years that followed. He was even complimentary about my work. Praise indeed.
Bits and Pieces.
The small firm I worked for didn't initially have all of the raw materials. I had my own little collection of bits which I had procured from the bicycle factory. This brake bridge was originally stamped Gipiemme, which is still faintly visible on the pitted surface of the metal.
This frame and all of those built within the first couple of months were a product of enthusiasm and self belief. I so much wanted to be a framebuilder and I knew it was likely my only chance. Fortunately, my luck held out long enough to see me master the necessary skills and acquire jigs and tools to do the job more easily.
If I had produced this frame last week, I perhaps wouldn't be so proud as I was back then. In 1988, it marked another notch on the frame tally and gave me the experience to continue and further my skills. I persevered with the fillet brazing and after some practice, a change of brazing rods and equipment, in the spring of 88, it clicked. I started producing uniformly shaped, beautifully smooth joints that soon flowed from my fingers without even thinking about it. I had been inspired by George Longstaff in particular who I was lucky enough to meet on several occasions in the years that followed. He was even complimentary about my work. Praise indeed.