As a disclaimer: I’m not a writer in any shape or form. 

In 09’ I was living in a double with a full basement. Whoever built the house in the late 1920’s had built a huge workbench and shelving downstairs.  I knew I had a place to begin building.

The space was warm and dry which was great. Looking back it was probably warmer than my current space. The downside, it was underground.

There were no other options. It had to be the basement. In the beginning I remember watching that (first?) video that Marty put out and dreaming of having a freestanding shop. I still do. 

It’s always been easy for me NOT to over extend.  Which has carried the business through the lean months.  I had an Apt and a shop for 650USD.  Score. DON’T OVER EXTEND YOURSELF! No matter how cool everyone else’s shop looks there is no way your going to be able to replicate it and survive. Start Small. 500sq ft is all you need.

I was spending quite a bit of time on frame forum (RIP).  Looking around I started to get an idea of what tools I needed to make a lugged bike, where to buy the tubes, where to buy the bits, the silver and the flux. At this point I started to reach out to an original American builder, Doug Fattic.  

Growing up I had always messed with hand tools, motors, tractors, guns, and plastic models.  Spray-painting matchbox cars in my papaws basement were a favorite pastime when I would visit his workshop.  I would shoot a 22LR Rifle into a dead stump retrieve the bullets and melt them into trinkets with a propane torch. I taught myself how to skin rabbits and tan the hides. I guess my point is I had a concept of how to use tools early in life. 

I was able to find a second hand copy of Paterek . It was really old. The thing looked like it had been typed on a Remington. It was really outdated.  Didn’t really have a clue how to design a frame. I remember reading somewhere that the inside angles of the main triangle should add up to 360°.  Fact or Fiction? All I knew was that I needed to get a copy of Bike CAD stat.  Bike CAD wont make you a better builder. What it will do is save you money. It’s always a trade off in the beginning. What should I buy? A or B?  Looking back I wish I would have bought bike CAD first. It’s a very powerful tool that allows a builder to be efficient and professional.