COMPARISON WITH OTHER JIGS

One way to tell if the Henry James Jig is the best one for you is to look at some of the other ones on the market. Here are some questions that will bring the differences to light:

Is it just a tacking fixture?
For lugless construction, jigs are used only to "tack" at 2 to 4 spots on each joint. Most tacking jigs offer limited access to one side of the frame.

The Henry James Jigs are specifically designed for all methods of frame construction. Brazed lugged construction requires the most from a jig. Full access to each joint is critical because, when using lugs, most builders prefer to braze the complete frame in the Jig.

Because our Jigs are designed for brazing with lugs, they are also better tacking Jigs than anything else out there!

Why does it cost so much?
Just because it costs more doesn't mean its better! Some jigs are purposely overpriced to create a false image of superiority. Caveat Emptor.

Instead of doing a lot of design and development work, some designers make a trade-off and end up using a lot of expensive material. Often these designs have few features and benefits, and limited versatility. These jigs have relatively few, but often complex or material intensive, parts.

Usually, our competitors build one or two jigs at a time, which adds greatly to the cost.

How well engineered is it?
Our Jigs use more parts than competitive designs to create improved functionality and other benefits for the frame builder. The Henry James design philosophy requires the courage to invest a lot of time in design and development, and to build larger production runs of the Jigs. The end result is a much lower price and much greater value for you, the Frame Builder.

What are the limitations in the seat tube area?
Does the top of the seat tube have to be square cut? If it does, you can't pre-shape the seat tube top, or use a seat lug with an internal ledge for a cut to length seat tube.

Does the seat tube holder arrangement pivot about the center of the BB shell? If so, you can't build with the seat tube offset from the axis of the shell.

Can you easily build interrupted seat tube designs? These are common and unavoidable with rear suspension frames. Our Universal Jig, with its Universal Tube Supports is especially good for this type of frame construction.

How versatile is the rear axle arrangement?
Most jigs come with one axle for only one spacing. You have to pay extra for any other spacings. So you have to pay extra to do both 130mm road frames and 135mm mountain frames.

How do they do 120 mm track spacing, or 126 mm old road spacing (for restoration, repairs, or using classic parts), or 145 mm if the jig also builds tandems?

How do they handle the inevitable pull-in of the rear dropouts? The Henry James Universal Axle System is infinitely adjustable. You just set it over width as needed.

How do you build forks?
A fork building feature is integral to the Henry James Universal Frame Jig! I invested a lot of time in development to do this without adding complexity. The rear dropout holder doubles as the front dropout holder.

A separate fork jig, if offered by our competitors, usually costs about $500.

You don't usually build forks? That is all the more reason to have one built in for when you do need one!

Can you build the occasional tandem on the jig?
An attachment of some sort must be used, and you should not expect the adapted jig to be good for a tandem specialist.

Both the Henry James Universal Jig and the ACCESS 100 Jig have a tandem attachment available.

How do you mount it?
Because of the jig weight and bulk, most jigs require an expensive and complex mounting system that can add several hundred dollars to your costs.

The Henry James Jig fits in a stock Park PRS-3 OS Work Stand. Most of our customers already have one. They cost about $140, and are an excellent repair stand when you are not building!

How portable is it? How much storage space does it need?
We have customers who set up a frame in the Jig, then single-handedly put it in their vehicle and take it to a full-time professional welding shop (an easy way to get perfect welds) for tacking while they wait. They then bring the Jig back for the next frame.

Even on a moveable stand, most jigs take up a lot of space. Our Henry James Universal Jig easily adjusts to store in an 18"x20"x30" volume! And the ACCESS 100 comes close!

What is the shipping weight and size?
Your jig must be shipped to you. Other jigs must be shipped by truck, which gets expensive, while ours go UPS. You may move or sell it.

For Comparison, our Universal Jig weighs 65 pounds, and the ACCESS 100 weighs 100 pounds. Both ship via UPS in 2 reinforced cardboard boxes anywhere in the USA for about $70-$95. S they ship internationally via air freight for $150-$300.