While we are waiting for Buttercup to come out of the paint shop, I'll slowly start on the Mule. Here is the tube set, etc. You can see that I have cut the chain stay bridge so I can cold set the chain stay ports wider to accept the s-bends.







Here is my idea on the rear fender mount.
If we use a pedastel when you are running 23's,
it can be removed for running 32's.

OK, let's paint. Off to Class Act Paint and Powder tomorrow. I didn't really know how far to finish the the frame prep as far as cleaning up the investment cast imperfections and silver flash go. We don't know how much detail work is included in the paint job.

So I probably over did the prep to insure a great paint job. On the next frame, I think I will take it to Clackamas Sandblasting and glass bead it myself for $30.00. Glass beading is excellent for silver flash removal and imparts a small compressive stress layer that improves fatigue life. Plus it takes one hour versus five doing it by hand.

Still prepping the frame for paint.................................hoping for this Monday. The head tube is faced and reamed. I also honed and slit the seat tube. File and sand, repeat...................

Got to spend 4 hours on the frame this morning. Spent a bit of it reaming the seat tube to accommodate the Thomson seat post. We will ball hone it at the shop to finish it. With all the grinding, filing, and sanding, the weight is now 4lbs. 4.25 oz.

Here are the very nice dropouts for the mule. I'm not going to put in a strut on the 'stone. Although it was quite the light weight machine in its day, I think it is plenty robust to handle a 140mm disc and a 23mm tire. We will see................

The silver brazing is complete and the filing, sanding, and handwork has begun. If I don't have jury duty tomorrow, should make great strides towards completing the frame. Jeff brought in his Merckx to have the BB removed. The frame only weighed just under 5.4 lbs. Significantly heavier than Butter Cup.

I believe that Devin has ordered the s-bend seat stays for the Mule. The luddites and traditionalists will rail against this design. I think it is keen and will no doubt build one for myself.

While I was giving my fingers a rest from all the sanding, I started the fit up for discs on my old Bridgestone RB-1. It will be my rain bike this winter.

Nothing to report on the SS other than it is soaking in the hot water after the final silver braze on the brake bosses, the front rear brake cable guide, and a few other small touch ups.

Here is the start of the next project for Devin. The s-bend chain stays just don't want to cooperate. But, they sure are handsome and probably worth the extra effort to force them into submission. They are MTB stays made for fillet brazing, but they fit the BB ports extremely well.

The brake posts are tacked, awaiting more silver. The brakes are not very friendly, no height or toe-in adjustments. So I tacked them at the 433mm chain stay length and don't know how much fore and aft wheel travel you will have.

Here's what I'm thinkin' looks the best aestheticly. Parallel to the seat stays would put the exit too far up the seat tube. I lowered the brake bosses as much as I could with out impacting wheel/tire removal.

Brake bridge fully silver brazed. I also cut off excess head tube and seat tube. I'll finish the brazing Monday with the wire for your next frame....................................

We got home from the coast early today and I took advantage of a lull in Sweet Tinas birthday festividads. I soaked the flux off from the previous silver brazing and now have the brake bosses almost ready to braze.Congratulations to Josh Creem, whom I'm sitting next to, for making CAT 2.

Igot the seat stays silver brazed in. Only items left are brake bosses and bridge, then lots of filing and sanding. I am how ever out of silver, damn! It's Sweet Tinas birthday, so the frame is on hold until the festivities have subsided.......

I just about had the seat stays completely mitered and ready to silver braze when Vigilante Dave dropped by on his ride home from work. I should get them today and maybe start the top secret brake boss modification. Dave still wants to do a fatigue analysis on the frame. For what it's worth, he is also ditching the Force on his Parlee and going to Dura Ace. The Force just doesn't shift cleanly and is too noisy.........................