Dave Yates frame building course

[alexb]

I got a place on this course for my 40th birthday.
I've just got back from the most fantastic week ever.
I've put some pics up here:
http://frameforum.org/forum3/index.php?topic=822.0

There were two of us on the course, staying in the crummiest B&B cum pub ever. Think Fawlty Towers and then imagine what it would be like now with no investment whatsoever....

Anyway, I built a filet brazed compact audax frame and the other chap, Andy, built a Flying Scot replica. You couldn't get two so disimilar bikes! It was really good to see exactly how both bikes were put together though and Dave did a brilliant job of teaching us how not to fuck everything up!

[David Martin]

Cool.. Dave Yates is a great guy.

..d

[Luke]

Any chance you can put some of the photos on here?

You have to register to see them on the link you gave.

[alexb]

OOps, didn't know you couldn't see the pics.

Here:

Frame with some wheels on it.

This was built at the Dave Yates frame building course last week. Dave is a fantastic teacher. I went from never having handled an oxyacetylene torch to this, in 3 days:


Seat cluster:

I haven't filed the seat clamp yet, so it's still a bit rough.


The most expensive brake arch ever (it's a Reynolds stainless one, bought to match a 953 frameset Dave built, but he didn't use it). There's some flux still on it (Dave's sandblaster threw a fit on the last day, so the frame is still a bit raw in places) and I haven't started to clean it up yet...

Rear drop-outs (before I soaked the flux off).


A good one:


and a less good one:


The shorelines could be better, but this was day 2:

I think I should be able to clean them up.


These should end up looking nice!



The fork crown was a pig!




I'll have to get in there with a scriber to neaten this up, but again, I have the time to get it right.

Finally, this was what it was all about. New frame versus old frame.
I wanted to move my position down and back. Mission accomplished!


I'll update the thread as I clean up and polish the shiny bits.

[Flying_Monkey]

Really good job! I'd love to do one of Dave's courses - it's just a shame he moved so far away from the Toon... he was once a member of my club.

[Charlotte]

Alex, words can't express how insanely jealous I am 

Although I was expecting nothing less from you, that's a beautiful bit of work for someone who's never built a frame before.  I can't wait to see it once you've finished cleaning it up and once it's been painted.  Any idea about colour schemes yet?

I hope that by the time I get round to going on his course, Dave's still doing it.  I can't imagine anywhere better to learn how to build a frame.

Chapeau, Sir!

[Ivo]

Looks like a superb week which you'll remember anytime you ride this bike.

[toekneep]

That's a great job, some lovely details on there. I've had my Dave Yates frame on the road for six months now and I love it more and more. I'm off on the first camping tour next week and I can't wait to try it fully loaded. The frame building course sounds really interesting - one day maybe.

Don't forget to update when it's finished and painted.

[alexb]

Paint will be a deep metallic red. It should look more or less plum until the sun hits it.
That should go well with all the stainless twinkly bits.

[Mrs Pingu]

I'm impressed!

[donpedro]

Good job, a real beauty! Love to see it all dressed up. 
About how much does it cost and was it hard to get on it?

I'm salivating every time this course is mentioned. Done some riding with Mikael Przysuski that was one of the first pupils, so I'm sure one can trust a job done under Dave's supervision:
Vivace - Vivace
Haven't seen him for a while and this might be the reason. Looks like he's on to his third frame by now:
www.przysuski.se