In a message dated 3/23/04 1:25:54 PM Pacific Standard Time,
gillies@cs.ubc.ca writes:
> I think it would be fun to give each framebuilder the same set of
> tubes and lugs and tools and to have a "race" to build a frameset in 3
> hours - fixed time limit - or something ridiculously short (including
> paint job !) Afterwards, cirque attendees could vote on the best
> frameset!
>
> The goal is not to torture the framebuilders, or injure them, however
> much it might seem like torture for some of the perfectionists on this
> list. Rather, the goal would be to allow people to see a frame being
> built (if that's not a trade secret) and to see what sorts of
> resourcefulness could be applied to building a frameset in a rather
> short timespan.
>
Bernie Mikkelsen has building his standard frame down to under one day of work. They're fully functional, but they look like they were built in a short period of time. Nothing at all sloppy or unworkmanlike, they just don't have any detailing that takes time.
I think that would be torture for the framebuilders, to do as you suggest. I
can't imagine any of them wanting anybody to see something thrown together in
that amount of time. Artists and craftsmen have their process and way of doing
things, to ask them to do something so totally different isn't really fair to
them.
Stevan Thomas
Alameda, CA