A Geordie in Lincolnshire

[Dave Yates 1Participant @daveyates1]

This is by way of a formal introduction, I have already posted in the Help Required area and received some excellent advice, thanks to all who replied.

I have lurked on the site of and on for some time and have subscribed to MEW for a number of years.My main interest is in building bicycle frames which I have been involved with since 1976 (when Noah was a lad, and before Pontius went solo) Before that I was a teacher of craft subjects ie metalwork, woodwork and tech drawing. That was back in the days when kids in school actually made things on nasty dangerous machines before the safety elf reigned supreme. I packed in teaching in 1980 and set up a business building custom bike frames, M.Steel Cycles .We had a retail shop in Gosforth and a framebuilding workshop in Wallsend It went well for many years until in 2005 we were forced to close the framebuiding side due to falling demand because of cheap aluminium imports from the far east.

I moved to a smallholding in Lincolnshire with my then partner, now wife Debbie and we set up Dave Yates Cycles and Engineering the same year. We extended a building to make a decent workshop and have been here ever since. I knew there would be enough work to keep just me busy and having reduced my overheads at a stroke this proved to be the case. I am now semi retired being very selective about which jobs I take on. I build new frames, repair, alter, and respray older steel frames and run courses for enthusiasts to come and build their own frames

I have always been into machine tools since I discovered the delights of making swarf when I was at Wallsend Technical School in the 60's. and have always had access to machines since then. However the workshop I have now is the one I have always wanted . Currently I have a Colchester Master 2500, a Bridgeport, a Union cutter grinder, an Eagle surface grinder, a Kerry Super 8 and Progress3a pillar drill, a Q&S power hacksaw and have recently acquired a Super 7 from Russ B of this parish. Most of it has a legitimate use in the business (well, I can argue the case quite well) There is also Oxy Acetylene kit, a Lincoln 255 Square wave TIG set, a paint shop for stove enameling and a shot blast cabinet which are definitely part of the business but very handy for all sorts of "stuff"

In addition to bicycle frames I also make custom knives and sticks. I just love making things and it is what makes me tick. I hope I can make some worthwhile contributions to the forum in whatever form

Cheers

Dave Yates

[Dave Yates 1Participant @daveyates1]

[Bob RodgersonParticipant @bobrodgerson97362]

Welcome Dave, I am an exiled Geordie living in Cheshire. I remember your shop in Gosforth. I served my apprenticeship at the Wallsend Slipway and later Swan Hunters. In the 70's I went into the oil industry and stayed in it until my retirement from it in 2014.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Greetings, Dave

Sounds like you have:

a very useful workshop; great skill-set: and well-sorted lifestyle.

… Enjoy them all.

MichaelG.

[brickyParticipant @bricky]

Welcome to Lincolnshire Dave,

For the the last two years it has had a new ME exhibition at spalding 23rd&24th April .I wish you well in your new home.

Frank

[Ben TowellParticipant @bentowell49396]

Hello Dave,

I'm new on here as well and by coincidence….

I live in Gosforth, but was born in Lincolnshire – we have swapped.

Plus my first proper mountain bike was one of your Diabalo's. I had it in about 1992. Orange with a splattered paint job. Lovely welds on it…

I'm just looking to but a small milling machine. I've recently been using a clients Minitech mill and now want my own. Looking at the new Tormach 440s.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Welcome to the Forum Dave, I'm sure the members would like to see a few of your frames and some nice smooth fillet brazed joints.

My Uncle was a frame builder – Tom Quick of TJQ Cycles in South London, mostly road bikes but I do have a MTB he made to my design.

J

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Welcome Dave,

I have great respect for frame builders. Long, long ago I had a lovely 24" Dawes frame with 531 main tubes. I found it half buried at a farm and built the bike (5-speed) from the bare frame. We saw a lot of miles together before it got swiped.

Neil

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Welcome Dave!

Come and meet a lot of fellow Model Engineers at the Spalding M.E Show 23rd/24th, at the Springfields Events Centre.

I shall be on the Peterborough Society of Model Engineers stand in Hall 1.

Howard

[Dave Yates 1Participant @daveyates1]

Thanks for the warm welcome chaps.

Bob

Theors geordies aall ower th place.

Michael

I am enjoying every minute of it !!!

Bricky

I have actually been to the last two Spalding ME exhibitions, I am going to miss this years as I will be away in Kent that weekend on a Knife forging course

Ben

We sold a lot of Diabolos, the finish you mention was known as the b—w job because the pattern was acrylic ink dropped on the wet paint then blown about with a straw.

JasonB

I have actually worked on a few TJQ frames, very nice they were. If anybody is interested there are some pics on our website at **LINK**

Neil

I have worked on countless Dawes frames over the years, they built decent stuff at a decent price, I like the new style you have brought to the Mag, keep up the good work.

Howard

As mentioned above I will not be there this year but hopefully next.

Cheers

Dave Yates

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