Who Will Benefit:
First Time Frame Builders
Career Oriented Mechanics
Enthusiasts Desiring to Build Their Own Frame

Prerequisites:
None - this is an entry level class.

What You Will Learn:
Fulfill a dream by designing and building your own frame at one of our unique frame building classes. Unlike any other mechanic school, we are uniquely qualified to offer several frame building and welding classes for enthusiasts who wish to build their own frame or for those who wish to become a professional frame builder. Though our frame building classes are intensive, no prior frame building, welding, or brazing experience is required.

We offer three different two-week frame building courses: Brazed Chromoly, TIG Welded Chromoly, and TIG Welded Titanium. In all three frame building classes, students will build a high-quality frame they take with them after class. Students may build a mountain bike, road bike, hybrid bike, cyclocross bike, track bike, or trials bike.

In all frame building classes we cover these topics:

Frame Geometry Frame Fit Frame Design Tubing Selection Shop Safety Tool Selection & Use

Brazing or Welding Equipment Setup Jig Setup & Use Tube Mitering Tube Prep Finish Work

All materials and supplies necessary to build a high-quality custom frame are included in the tuition price. The choice of tubing used will vary somewhat depending on several factors; primarily the design determined by the student. In all cases the tubing will be high quality, either chromoly or titanium, depending on the course selected.

Each frame will be built with a full compliment of braze-ons and dropouts. If buliding a lugged frame in our brazing class, students will use high quality investment cast chromoly lugs.

Chromoly Brazing Frame Building Course

Since many of the higher quality custom bicycle frames are brazed, it is no surprise to us that our most popular frame building course is our Brazing Chromoly Frame Building class. We recommend it for the avid cycling enthusiast, the bicycle shop mechanic, shop manager, or the student who aspires to become a professional frame builder. Both lugged and fillet brazed frame building is covered.

Though the course is intense, numerous beginners with average mechanical skill or no previous building experience, have completed it successfully. In most cases, every step of the construction is done entirely by the student. If necessary, however, instructors are always nearby and willing to help.

Though nearly any type of bicycle may be built in this class, lugs are only available for traditional designs. Students who successfully complete this class will leave with a high quality custom chromoly bicycle frame ready for painting. For additional information about this class, see our Frame Building FAQ page.

Chromoly TIG Welding Frame Building Course

Our TIG Welded Chromoly Frame Building class offers all that the brazing class encompasses, but uses TIG welding as the joining method. There are several specially designed practice welding sessions that will prepare the student to weld all, or part, of his or her own frame.

Welding skill is considered by most people to be more difficult to acquire than brazing skill. Students should, therefore, have at least average mechanical ability and good hand-eye coordination. Good close-up vision is important especially in light conditions that vary to extremes in both intensity and contrast. Students who successfully complete the class will leave with a high quality custom chromoly bicycle frame ready for painting. For additional information about this class, see our Frame Building FAQ page.

Titanium Frame Building Course

Our TIG Welding Titanium Frame Building class offers all that the TIG Welded Chromoly class encompasses, but uses titanium instead of chromoly for tubing materials. A special emphasis is placed on proper cleaning and purging of titanium tubes, titanium machining problems and solutions, and proper titanium welding techniques. The specially designed practice welding sessions will prepare the student to weld all or part of his or her own titanium frame.

Since welding skill is considered by most people to be more difficult to acquire than brazing skill and since mistakes are more costly with titanium materials, students should have better-than-average mechanical ability and good hand-eye coordination. Good close-up vision is important especially in light conditions that vary to extremes in both intensity and contrast. Students who successfully complete the class will leave with a high quality custom titanium frame. For additional information about this class, see our Frame Building FAQ page.

Alumni Frame Building Week

Our frame building alumni often tell us they’d love to come back to UBI to build another frame. We designed this new class for graduates of our frame building classes to allow them to build another frame without enrolling in another full two-week class. This streamlined class is basically a supervised open work session, and will provide students with full access to our frame shop for five days.

UBI staff will be on hand to supervise students in mitering, fixturing and joining their tubes, and prepping the finished frames. However, classroom instruction and practice time will be minimal, and limited to brief refreshers on equipment operation and safety. Students must arrive at UBI with a full-scale frame drawing approved by UBI, and be ready to get down to work immediately.

Students may choose to work in steel or titanium, and in general may build any frame that conforms to the guidelines of our regular frame building classes.

This class is available by application only to students who have received a Certificate of Completion from a previous UBI frame building class. No exceptions! For additional information about this class, see our Alumni Frame Building FAQ page.

Tuition Information

• Brazing Frame Building Course Tuition: $2,150 - Registration Fee: $150
• TIG Welding Frame Building Course Tuition: $2,150 - Registration Fee: $150
• Titanium Frame Building Course Tuition: $2,850 - Registration Fee: $150
• Alumni Frame Building Week Tuition: $1,000 - Registration Fee: $100

All of our frame building courses are two weeks in length, with the exception of our Alumni Frame Building Week. The minimum registration fee is required with your signed Class Application. Please plan ahead and register early! Our classes usually fill within 120 days of the start of each class, and for 2008 our brazing classes are filling up to eight months in advance! It is a good idea to call us before sending in your application to verify availability. For additional information about our frame building classes, see our Frame Building FAQ page. Click here for a schedule of classes.

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