[Armchair Spaceman]

Just recently picked up an old lugged 531 frame for my second fixie conversion. I don't know it's full history but I believe the builder died from old age some time in the late '60s. To the point of the thread - I've had it bead blasted prior to powder coating and the down tube/bottom bracket junction looks like the lug and downtube have been drilled and pinned or nailed together then brazed. Anyone who knows old frames aware of the practise? I don't have a pic but it looks like original build work rather than a later repair...

 

[asterisk]

A lot of steel builders still do that... in this or last month's Popular Science there was a profile of Richard Sachs and it stated that's the method he uses.

 

[tubafreak]

It's a good practice, it keeps your alignment steady throughout the brazing procedure and keeps quality consistent from frame to frame.