Day 9--The Final Countdown!

The pressure was on to get everything brazed today. The schedule called for finishing all torch work and beginning frame prep. This includes things which get your bike ready for painting such as chasing threads in your bottom bracket and facing it as well as reaming and facing the head tube so it will be ready for a headset. As a rookie I have a bunch of silver blobs in my bottom bracket threads so have to file those down before facing it. This could take a bit of time. :(

In any event I got lots done including finishing my seat stay caps, brazing on the chain stays themselves, brazing on a bridge between the stays as well as adding my cantilever brake mounts! It was a productive day and all I have left to braze on are my cable guides. Even though I am making a single speed I am going to add them in case I want to put gears on the bike. I hope it turns out cool and rideable in the end.

Here I am brazing the cantilever brake mounts to my rear seat stays!

Lucky for us they let us stay longer again tonight. This time it wasn't just me but everyone trying hard to get their frames done. I feel good that I am not the furthest one behind anymore but still one of the 3 who works the slowest. I feel less pressure not being the last one to finish something and actually think I might get it done tomorrow. Hopefully so because it is the last possible day to do it! It will be amazing to have a bike finished! :) After class Steve, Zach and I took Ron, our teacher, out for beer and pizza. I am exhausted and ready to flop into bed again!

Post class party: L-R: Me, Steve (Idaho), Ron (Instructor and owner of UBI), Zach (NYC)