Lash it together.

It feels like a while since I made any real progress on the bike, despite having done regular bits and bobs to it over the last few weeks. Today I managed to shape the top stay set.

The two roughly shaped stay sets.

 The way that they have come together after the redesign for the drop out fitting. Now that the stays are roughly shaped, the really tricky bit lies ahead, fitting them to the frame so that they end up square and my wheel runs true. So I fixed them to the frame with tape to see how they will sit.

Stays taped on frame video.

Stays taped onto the frame.

I was very pleased that they do actually meet pretty much where I had hoped they would. Of course using tape is not a real  guide. The next step in the build is to cut the excesses down on the end of the stays so they are square. Then do the same in the frame and see how it sits then. I have a feeling that I may need to add another section of ply in the bottom bracket join, as I may have cut too much away. Not sure yet.

Once the stays are fitting well it will be a case of tacking them in with wood screws and measure up and make the metal drop outs. Once those work I can do the final shaping and sanding then fitting. Once together that is it, no undoing it. I liked the way it looked so much I propped a wheel up in the frame, and y'know what? It started to look like a bike. I also took the opportunity to see how the drop out might place.

 Prop a wheel in just to see.                               Drop in the drop out.