Every once in a while, we'll send some frames out for carving. I'm a casting / sculpture guy, and that means I work primarily with wax. I also don't feel the need to compete with guys like Jerry Norris. He is an amazing craftsman, and I just can't say enough about his treatment of this particular U-Frame. There are some detailed pictures of this machine, pre and post-assembly, in the U-Frame Slideshow. You can see more of Jerry's amazing work at inkednation here.

About the U-Frame:

The finished and assembled Bronze U-Frame weighs in at a hefty 10 - 10.5 ounces. (Each machine is unique, so the weight can vary slightly from machine to machine.)

They can be run as liners, or shaders / color machines.

As liners, I run .020 springs, with a short top spring. Typical speeds of 120 - 135 naked. (Depending on throw, you'll lose 5 - 10cps with a needle and rubber bands.) I usually run a pretty long throw for a liner, but not nearly as long as with my shaders. Typical voltage will be around 5 - 6 volts, with plenty of slap for 7's and 9's.

In a shader configuration, with .018 springs, They'll run between 100 - 115 cps naked (losing around 5-10 cps with a needle and some rubber bands) As a shader or color packer, I like to run a medium-long throw. Typical voltage for a punchy shader is around 6 - 6.5 volts.