So as some of you might remember, Mike Zanconato up in Worcester, Mass. is building me a lugged steel frame and fork. I’ve been documenting it on RBR. Well, the bike is actually done and painted, but I am just getting around to updating the build diary.

First I asked for votes on lugs. http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=46871 Here on RBR, Richard Sachs' Newvex won easily, but when I tallied the votes from the Serotta forum, the Richie-issimo lugs squeaked by, 65-64.

The he ordered the tubes and lugs. The tubes are Dedacciai Zero (aka SAT 14.5). The steel importer is Joe Bringheli is Ohio. http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=49006

Then he built a fork: http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=49478

On this thread, I’ve got photos of him machining some of the tubes. As usual, I tried to take good notes, but if there are any errors, let me know. Blame me, not Zank.

Here he is machining the tubes. This is the top tube. He is using a bimetal hole saw (similar to a hacksaw blade) on a horizontal milling machine with some high-end cutting/tapping oil. First he determines the angles he desires for the frame, then he miters the tubes to create those angles.

Here he is mitering the down tube. The red inside indicates that this is the short butt and he should not cut from that side of the tube. But, of course, he has to miter both ends.

This is the bottom of the seat tube, so he has to cut it across with a concave shape where it goes into the bottom bracket shell.

These are the lugs. Note the breather holes in the tube. When he heats up the joint for brazing, if there is no place for the air to go, it will blow the silver brazing material out of the joint. The holes also allow soaking the flux out from the inside of the tube.

Top tube, down tube and seat tube. You can see the compound miters on the seat tube and down tube (both bottom bracket shell end). He says most people don’t do the second compound miter on the down tube, but he does because it looks cleaner inside the shell.

Tube with holes for bottle bosses drilled with a vertical mill.

Top tube, seat tube with expander hole and down tube.

Top tube miter where it meets seat tube.

Another view of seat tube and down tube compound miters where they meet the BB shell.

Slotting the chainstays where they meet the dropouts. These are Technociclo dropouts. They make most of the forged dropouts: Campy, Columbus, Sachs, etc. That's it for now. Next comes the brazing.

Sheepshead, these are spectacular threads. I love this stuff. I think my head would explode if I had to decide on all these options. Hopefully Zanc made some of these decisions for you. This is true craftsmanship on display.

More than ever I now want a custom built lugged steel frame. If I could sit in the shop the entire time while it was built, I'd be in heaven. Of course the builder would go insane and throw me out after my 5700th question on the first morning.

Actually, that's what I like about Zanc. He spent a lot of time talking with me about what is best to do and why. I told Zanc what I wanted, he measured me, went over it options with me and we decided together what's best. His shop is cool place to visit.

You are having a wonderful custom bike experience. That's part of the beauty of getting a customized whatever.