Why do I design and produce frame castings and parts for steel frame construction?

There is a fair quantity of frame fittings and lugs on the market for a frame builder to choose from, much of it is from the 80’s and early 90’s era when steel frame production was ubiquitous. It is a pile of toil and expense to design and produce new casting designs, so why do it?

During my normal daily work at the bench making frames I found those 80’s and 90’s frame parts and some more recent designs lacking in many ways, they:

• do not exist for particular frame geometry, thus restricting design considerations.
• do not allow the builder to modify them for aesthetic or design considerations.
• didn’t exist for larger tube sizes which are better suited for use in frames for the larger and or heavier rider.
• are missing important design features that belong in 21 st Century lugged steel frame construction.
• are time costly and difficult to use correctly or to modify for design considerations.

Right from the start and to this day I do not design and produce new parts to exploit a perceived demand in the frame builder’s market, but firstly only to fill a need I have in the Llewellyn workshop production.  However the initial design, tooling and production costs for new frame fittings are considerable and my own in-house production volume would never recoup these costs. To recoup the considerable expenditure I sell these Llewellyn parts directly to other builders or via my agents in the USA and Europe.

I will start with an out-line of the investment casting process and then follow a chronological order discussion of the Llewellyn parts I have created and give a short rational of the “whys” of their creation and some of their features:

• “Llewellyn Stem lug set” – First stem lug set for 1” and 1 1/8” forks and 31.8 handlebars.
• “Crescendo” lug set – World’s first road frame specific sloping top tube lug set for XL (DOS) tubes.
• 30.60mm seat posts that fit directly into 0.50mm wall 31.7 seat tubes
• “Little fella” Gear boss – Stainless Steel investment cast threaded M5 DT gear cable boss, for 31.7 and 35mm down tubes.
• Manorina  –A road frame specific sloping top tube lug set for OS tubes
• Track Dropouts – Track dropouts with enough material for placing on larger stays
• Dropouts – Investment cast dropouts with and without twin M5 threaded eyelets
• Limpets – Stainless gear and brake cable bosses
• Custodian – Level top tube lugset for OS tubes
• Cadenzia – Level top tube lugset for XL tubes in partnership with Dario Pegoretti.
• Rack bosses
• Nipper M5 seat tube binder boss. For lugless frame construction.
• XLH-4 Socket stay seat lug Cadenzia – Level top tube lugset for XL (DOS) size tubes.
• XLS-04 “Crescendo” Socket stay seat lug – sloping top tube lugset for XL (DOS) size tubes.
• Project underway, new process for casting, custom designs and a new frame set with lugs and fittings for mega tube size. Why, because I get asked for this.
• Projects in the wind, decent fork crowns that ease the builders toil and work well and look sweet
• Project in the wind, decent BB shell that ease the builders toil and work well and look sweet with correct angles.
• Socket seat lug for Custodian and Manorina lugs sets (OS tube size)Why do I design and produce frame castings and parts for steel frame construction? 

  There is a fair quantity of frame fittings and lugs on the market for a frame builder to choose from, much of it is from the 80’s and early 90’s era when steel frame production was ubiquitous. It is a pile of toil and expense to design and produce new casting designs, so why do it?

  During my normal daily work at the bench making frames I found those 80’s and 90’s frame parts and some more recent designs lacking in many ways, they:

  • do not exist for particular frame geometry, thus restricting design considerations.
  • do not allow the builder to modify them for aesthetic or design considerations.
  • didn’t exist for larger tube sizes which are better suited for use in frames for the larger and or heavier rider.
  • are missing important design features that belong in 21 st Century lugged steel frame construction.
  • are time costly and difficult to use correctly or to modify for design considerations.

   

  Right from the start and to this day I do not design and produce new parts to exploit a perceived demand in the frame builder’s market, but firstly only to fill a need I have in the Llewellyn workshop production.  However the initial design, tooling and production costs for new frame fittings are considerable and my own in-house production volume would never recoup these costs. To recoup the considerable expenditure I sell these Llewellyn parts directly to other builders or via my agents in the USA and Europe.

  I will start with an out-line of the investment casting process and then follow a chronological order discussion of the Llewellyn parts I have created and give a short rational of the “whys” of their creation and some of their features:

   

  • “Llewellyn Stem lug set” – First stem lug set for 1” and 1 1/8” forks and 31.8 handlebars.
  • “Crescendo” lug set – World’s first road frame specific sloping top tube lug set for XL (DOS) tubes.
  • 30.60mm seat posts that fit directly into 0.50mm wall 31.7 seat tubes
  • “Little fella” Gear boss – Stainless Steel investment cast threaded M5 DT gear cable boss, for 31.7 and 35mm down tubes.
  • Manorina  –A road frame specific sloping top tube lug set for OS tubes
  • Track Dropouts – Track dropouts with enough material for placing on larger stays
  • Dropouts – Investment cast dropouts with and without twin M5 threaded eyelets
  • Limpets – Stainless gear and brake cable bosses
  • Custodian – Level top tube lugset for OS tubes
  • Cadenzia – Level top tube lugset for XL tubes in partnership with Dario Pegoretti.
  • Rack bosses
  • Nipper M5 seat tube binder boss. For lugless frame construction.
  • XLH-4 Socket stay seat lug Cadenzia – Level top tube lugset for XL (DOS) size tubes.
  • XLS-04 “Crescendo” Socket stay seat lug – sloping top tube lugset for XL (DOS) size tubes.
  • Project underway, new process for casting, custom designs and a new frame set with lugs and fittings for mega tube size. Why, because I get asked for this.
  • Projects in the wind, decent fork crowns that ease the builders toil and work well and look sweet
  • Project in the wind, decent BB shell that ease the builders toil and work well and look sweet with correct angles.
  • Socket seat lug for Custodian and Manorina lugs sets (OS tube size)