Lugged steel frame construction

Lugged steel frame construction is a method of building bicycle frames using steel tubing mated with socket-like sleeves, called lugs. For most of the bicycle's history, steel has been the primary material for bicycle frames, with lugged construction the primary assembling method. Steel continues in use by builders of high-quality steel frames, though its dominance as a frame material has waned since the mid-1990s &ndash, displaced largely by aluminum; lugging has been displaced by TIG welding.

Method of construction

Lugged steel construction uses standard cylindrical steel tubes which are connected with lugs, external fittings made of pieces of steel (sometimes stainless steel) which fit over the ends of the tubing. Before assembly, the builder cuts the tubes to the desired length and precisely mitres their ends, providing a tight fit. The end of the tubes are inserted into the lugs and subsequently brazed with a silver or brass filler metal. The lug greatly increases the strength of the joint by distributing the molten filler metal over a larger surface area via capillary action. When brazing a bicycle frame, builders may use a small positioning structure called a jig to hold the tubes in place and maintain their precise alignment and frame geometry. Four lugs which may be used to construct a typical diamond frame include:

Lug

Lug or LUG may refer to:

Places

Handles or connectors

Lug (Bajina Bašta)

Lug is a village in the municipality of Bajina Bašta, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 2555 people.

References

Coordinates: 43°58′N 19°33′E / 43.967°N 19.550°E / 43.967; 19.550

Lug (Kiseljak)

Lug (Kiseljak) is a village in the municipality of Kiseljak, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

References

Coordinates: 43°58′21″N 18°01′27″E / 43.9725°N 18.0242°E / 43.9725; 18.0242