By James Morikawa
It's the 22 of December 2006. I have some time to create a webpage. I'll write briefly on my process of "Installing Rear Brake-Bridge".
It's a time I get to use of my vertical milling machine.
I use a simple fixture for mitering the ends of the bridge on the mill. It's made out of a 1 inch by 1 inch piece of mild steel square bar. Has a thread-screw tapped into the bar. The bridge is first mounted at right-angle to the bar. The cut angle is adjusted using a gravity protractor, which I do remove when mill working the brake-bridge. The fixture is adjusted and secured tight with the mill vice. I hope the pictures give the idea of the process.
Checking the fit of the bridge. I will remount it on the mill and for more machining if needed. Of course, I need to be careful not to pass the point where, "I keep milling off the ends, and it's still too short". Anyways, most of the time I check fit, and remount for more milling, usually 3 to 5 times, taking a little off the ends until I have the right fit. I can get an accurate cut angle, but I still haven't figured out a way to get a precision-cut-length between the mitered bridge ends. In other words, "how much I mill off the ends" is done "eye-balling", and approximating.
This my rear-brake-bridge-fixture. I once had an awesome Henry James one, but had sold it when I got fustrated with framebuilding as a business and gave it up for awhile. Later, taking it up as just a hobby and lacking funds, I made the one above, which is "far from as awesome as the James Henry one". No worries, the Henry James one is in the hands of another framebuilder who appreciates fine equipment. Anyway, the above fixture is used to check fit, and silver-brazing.
Brake-bridge silver brazed.
Making sure things are OK. This is one of a number of way to do it.
And so ends the rear brake-bridge process.
Have a good day.