How a Lynskey Frame Is Built

1. Cold-working

To optimize the performance characteristics of a tube, whether it is a top tube, seat tube, or down tube, or a seat or chain stay, Lynskey shapes it by cold-working it with some very sophisticated tools David designed and built or modified himself.  The process is called "cold-working" because the tube isn't heated for shaping. 

2. Butting

Unless your frame is built with straight-gauge tubing, Lynskey uses machining tools designed by David Lynskey to shave off weight from each 3/2.5 titanium tube in your frame.  The goal is to make your frame as light as possible, and to enhance ride quality.

3. Tube ends cut for joining

Precision required, so your frame's joints will be maximum strength.   

4. Jigged for welding

Houseblend designs use standard jigs to allow building frames in a small batches, which cuts manufacturing costs.  Custom frames are jigged one at a time.

5. All in the family:  Toni Lynskey welds for both strength and beauty 

Toni's torch looks more like an artist's brush than what most folks regard as a typical welding torch.  No sparks flying here:  A weld corrupted by an "active" gas like oxygen or nitrogen makes titanium brittle (and therefore breakable) in the area surrounding the weld.  An inert gas like argon or helium (see the hose attached to the bottom bracket shell) is used to purge the area around the weld of air-born contaminants.  Toni also uses white cotton gloves to avoid hand-born contaminants.

6. Checked for alignment

As with any top frame builder, checking alignment is a key element in Lynskey's quality control.  This happens several times during the welding process, followed by a final alignment check after the frame has been completed.

7.  Bottom bracket shell tapped 

Requires sharp tools, lots of cutting oil, and a perfect interface between tool and material.

8. Finish

Satin, brushed, or painted, this is the final step before shipping.  Lynskey wants you to love the way your frame looks, not just the way it rides.