a listee posted:
>"I think that comparing Mecano to Legos is a gross over simplification.
>Ditto for saying that lugged steel frames are nothing more than simple
>plumbing work. Mecano and lugged steel frames both involve cutting
>tubes and sticking them into connectors - how hard can that be! ;)
>As for woodworking, a REAL craftsman would march into the woods, chop
>the tree down themselves and then turn it into a piece of furniture.
>Plus they'd do it without all those fancy cheating tools like rulers,
>planes, saws, etc."


my reply:
'shades of grey there, i think.
in nakashima's book 'the soul of the tree', (a must-read
for every framebuilder) he mentions doing just that - going
in, felling, ageing, and, years later, producing.
framebuilding is a little different because material
doesn't so much grow as it is made. over time, the
distribution chain allowed builders to tap the chain
and get the goods they need without have to smelt
the metal in the basement.
the problem is - in the last generation industrial
made rigs have 1) become so popular, and 2) builders
have stopped building - that the chain is near dry.
end result? fewer tube sets for builders. fewer
accessories for builders. etcetera. use it or lose
it? think about it that.
e-RICHIE
ps
the book: