Hi,
Like many of us (I suspect?) I have always had the urge to mess around and make some bicycle frames. I am not looking to go into production, or anything particularly high-end, but I would like to ride around on something I have made myself.
I have a build-pro welding table to jig on, and a good AC/DC tig.
I am looking to make something that I can commute on, but also to take some decent weight in panniers - maybe with a welded rack becoming part of the frame.
I would like to cut-out the bottom-bracket shell, drop-outs and head-tube from an old frame - to make things easier. I would essentially only be joining things together for now!
I am not sure whether to go down the steel or aluminium route.... what do you think?
There is a good thread from this forum relating the aluminium frames and issues of heat treating here: http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/tiging-cycle-frames.42273/#post-467565
I was thinking of possibly vastly over-engineering it so that heat-treating isn't an issue....
Or using steel, and getting hold of some seamless tubing to TIG together.
Or even doing a CAD design and getting the components laser-cut (waterjet maybe better to remove the heat affected zone?)... maybe a bit like this, but welded:
http://www.bmedesign.eu/rivetedframe.htm
Any ideas or suggestions? Or previous projects?
happy new year all.
Sam
Like many of us (I suspect?) I have always had the urge to mess around and make some bicycle frames. I am not looking to go into production, or anything particularly high-end, but I would like to ride around on something I have made myself.
I have a build-pro welding table to jig on, and a good AC/DC tig.
I am looking to make something that I can commute on, but also to take some decent weight in panniers - maybe with a welded rack becoming part of the frame.
I would like to cut-out the bottom-bracket shell, drop-outs and head-tube from an old frame - to make things easier. I would essentially only be joining things together for now!
I am not sure whether to go down the steel or aluminium route.... what do you think?
There is a good thread from this forum relating the aluminium frames and issues of heat treating here: http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/tiging-cycle-frames.42273/#post-467565
I was thinking of possibly vastly over-engineering it so that heat-treating isn't an issue....
Or using steel, and getting hold of some seamless tubing to TIG together.
Or even doing a CAD design and getting the components laser-cut (waterjet maybe better to remove the heat affected zone?)... maybe a bit like this, but welded:
http://www.bmedesign.eu/rivetedframe.htm
Any ideas or suggestions? Or previous projects?
happy new year all.
Sam