Class Info

If you are interested in participating in this course, please take a moment and read the following information carefully. It describes both what I expect the course to give you and what is expected from you in this course.

Course Application

We will accept early applications starting 1 February 2010 and ending 29 March 2010. The course application can be found HERE

Please email your completed application to the email address listed at the bottom of this page (meaning: read the entire page before sending your application). You can also bring your completed application to the first class meeting on Monday, 29 March. All admission decisions will be made after the first class meeting.

Overview

This course will take place on Monday and Thursday evenings from 7pm-11pm. All sections require your attendance, and they will vary week-to-week from being classroom-based instruction, field trips, guest lectures, and hands-on machine shop time. If you have conflicts, please talk to us ASAP and we will try to resolve them. NOTE: This official class time only makes up a small percentage of the total time you will spend designing/building your bike.

Prerequisites

This course is open to all students of Stanford University, both undergraduate and graduate level. This course is treated as an advanced shop course, therefore basic shop experience is required, which includes the following:

• Completion of ME203 or Equivalent -- must be comfortable with lathes and milling machines. This is mandatory with NO exceptions. You might have to prove your "equivalent" experience.
• Basic TIG Welding with steel and/or aluminum (at least have tried it)
• Competency in Oxy-Acetylene welding and associated safety precautions
• Familiar with hand tools such as hack saws and files
• Basic understanding and appreciation of the proper care of tools
This course will give you a very advanced understanding of TIG welding and/or brazing , as the welds you will be making on these frames will need to withstand the stresses of having your butt riding on them! Allow a minimum of ten hours of torch time before even thinking about welding your bike. Visit the PRL as soon as possible (RIGHT NOW) to start practicing! If you do not know how to weld yet, please see a TA and ask for a lesson. It’s their job, you know!

If, by the first day of class you have not at least picked up a TIG or brazing torch, you will not be allowed to enroll in this course. While this course is intended to teach you all of the aspects of Framebuilding, we need a proactive first step from you.

Assignments

We expect you to carefully read everything we assign. There won't be much, but what there is is important.

In order to provide a more structured environment, We will provide several assignments throughout the quarter. This will be mostly hands-on work, consisting of either tooling fabrication or in-process checks of your bicycle frame. This will not only provide you with a better understanding of the frame-building process, but also help to ensure that nobody falls behind during the quarter. Additionally, several assignments will help to fortify our selection of manufacturing tools and fixtures, thus insuring that future generations will still be able to enjoy fresh tools. Again, this course is a work in progress, and the continued formal lab structure was the outcome of last year’s course feedback. Further input is always welcomed.

Grading and Units

This course is offered at 3 units only, and no auditing is allowed. I know this may seem harsh, but trust me, this course will take up A LOT of time, and you will appreciate the course credit for it. Letter grading is the only option available, and your grade is based almost entirely on the quality of the bike you build. Not to worry, though, I'll do my best to make sure every bike built is a keeper.

Cost of Materials

This course can get quite expensive, depending on how crazy you wish to get with your creation. We have a plethora of sponsors this year, all offering wholesale or better pricing on their goods, but expect the minimum cost of a frame to be around $250, and a component gruppo will add another $400-$5000, depending on how deep your pockets are!

I hope that covers everything! If you still have questions, please email us at RyanAtPureIrishStout.com