Custom fillet brazed cyclocross stems

Well, the quarter at UW has ended and for anyone wondering, here's what a quarter or two at the University looks like after it's all said and done. Nothing but a bunch of words on a computer screen. Much less satisfying when compared to the products created working in the shop.













Now that summer is here and I can spend a substantial amount of time in the shop, it's back to making tangible things. First up is a batch of stems that will be fillet brazed. The first two will be cyclocross stems with the front brake routing right through the middle.














First I get the raw materials and cut down a barrel adjuster traditionally mounted to the side of a head tube




































A portion of tubing is then brazed to the end of the barrel adjuster so that I can create a water tight cable route through the stem. Water that gets in up at the cable housing/barrel adjuster interface will run along the cable and not down into the stem.






















































The tubing that will be used for the extension on the stem is then punched and drilled to fit the sealed creation.




































The steel tubing that will be used for the steerer and handlebar clamps is turned on the lathe to remove excess material














The key to making a beautiful stem is prep work. The more you do prior to the actual brazing the nicer your finished product will be. More coming soon...