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phatlizard
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Anmerkung:
Diese email von FTW hat Andrew von yetifan.com erhalten - ich weiss nicht, ob er es dort schon irgendwo veröffentlicht hat, oder es sonst irgendwo zu lesen war. Ich fand die Informationen in jedem Fall sehr interessant!
Die email betrifft einen 1985 YETI-Rahmen!
Viel Spass!
I am really happy that the bikes we poured out hearts and souls into are
holding there value. If it is in fact an '85 then I for sure did all the
welding. At that time and untill '88 I did all the welding. The top tubes
were purchased from a BMX company called "Redline". It is likely that this
frame was built at the shop that owned by a bike shop called Pedelers west
in San Fernando Calinfornia, before Yeti actually had their own address.
Chris worked for the bike shop and had convinced the owner to buy a mill and
welder and rent what used to be a small bar in a poor section of town.
Chris' dad and I were working together at an iron shop building highway
signs for california dept. of transportation. I had been TIG welding for a
few years at that point and Chris needed someone to set up their machine and
teach him to weld. I mentioned that I would be willing to trade my services
for bike parts and work part time helping Chris build his custom frames. The
bike shop had run an ad in a BMX magazine and JP called and then came by to
visit. He brought the original fixture and some tubing. Chris and I helped
him build the first batch and upon seeing whatr were were capable of doing
John began to market more aggresively while Chris and I worked nights
building the early machines.
Bikes at that time could have had Campagnolo or simplex drops and one of
several types of brake studs. During the first year Chris and I slowly began
to make slight changes in the way the frames were built. Since I did all the
welding and attaching of the braze ons these are areas that if I look at
closely can tell almost exactly when the frame was built. There were parhaps
five frames built before Chris and I were involved and only the first dozen
of so that Chris and I built were almost exactly like the samples we had
seen. On those first frames the rear brake housing stop was welded "tangent"
to the seatstays. I didn't like the way this looked so I made the part
smaller and and centered it on the seatstay.
Also all the brazing was done
with TIG rather that the more conventional gas torch method. Quickly I was
able to make a very smooth fillet around the brake stop loop and carrier
rod. I also made a simple tool to make a smoother bend in the bent rod that
held the loop. The very first frames would have a lumpy brazing job in that
area.
During the later years some frames came back to the factory and received
gussets on the chainstay and a thicker collar to support the seat post.
Diese email von FTW hat Andrew von yetifan.com erhalten - ich weiss nicht, ob er es dort schon irgendwo veröffentlicht hat, oder es sonst irgendwo zu lesen war. Ich fand die Informationen in jedem Fall sehr interessant!
Die email betrifft einen 1985 YETI-Rahmen!
Viel Spass!
I am really happy that the bikes we poured out hearts and souls into are
holding there value. If it is in fact an '85 then I for sure did all the
welding. At that time and untill '88 I did all the welding. The top tubes
were purchased from a BMX company called "Redline". It is likely that this
frame was built at the shop that owned by a bike shop called Pedelers west
in San Fernando Calinfornia, before Yeti actually had their own address.
Chris worked for the bike shop and had convinced the owner to buy a mill and
welder and rent what used to be a small bar in a poor section of town.
Chris' dad and I were working together at an iron shop building highway
signs for california dept. of transportation. I had been TIG welding for a
few years at that point and Chris needed someone to set up their machine and
teach him to weld. I mentioned that I would be willing to trade my services
for bike parts and work part time helping Chris build his custom frames. The
bike shop had run an ad in a BMX magazine and JP called and then came by to
visit. He brought the original fixture and some tubing. Chris and I helped
him build the first batch and upon seeing whatr were were capable of doing
John began to market more aggresively while Chris and I worked nights
building the early machines.
Bikes at that time could have had Campagnolo or simplex drops and one of
several types of brake studs. During the first year Chris and I slowly began
to make slight changes in the way the frames were built. Since I did all the
welding and attaching of the braze ons these are areas that if I look at
closely can tell almost exactly when the frame was built. There were parhaps
five frames built before Chris and I were involved and only the first dozen
of so that Chris and I built were almost exactly like the samples we had
seen. On those first frames the rear brake housing stop was welded "tangent"
to the seatstays. I didn't like the way this looked so I made the part
smaller and and centered it on the seatstay.
Also all the brazing was done
with TIG rather that the more conventional gas torch method. Quickly I was
able to make a very smooth fillet around the brake stop loop and carrier
rod. I also made a simple tool to make a smoother bend in the bent rod that
held the loop. The very first frames would have a lumpy brazing job in that
area.
During the later years some frames came back to the factory and received
gussets on the chainstay and a thicker collar to support the seat post.
