The swing mid tube clamp is almost done. It looks like a simple part and really it is but it is fairly complex to fabricate this sort of thing without big shop tools. I sorta miss my CNC machine but I sold it years ago. Even if I had a lathe and mill it it [...]
Archive for October, 2011
Sometimes the little stuff requires a lot of steps. Today I did some work on hardware for the swing tube mid clamp. This is only part of the clamp design because another similar clamp will go on the seat tube and the two clamps will be joined to act like a bridge between the swing [...]
I did some more work on the swing bike. To get an idea of what a swing bike is do some google searches for “swing bike” or “wobble bike”. Basically it is a style of wacky bike that is generally made as a goofy project. Most of the bikes I have seen are structurally weak [...]
I completed the welding of the chain stays and drop outs for the swing bike. The swing bike welding went smoothly. My welding skill is improving and I feel really good about the results. I am confident that these welds will be strong, once paint goes on the build they should look fairly nice. In [...]
I tack welded the chainstays and dropouts for Tim’s swing bike. Tack welds are small welds that hold things in place. The tacks hold things in place and for a final check before the joint is fully welded. If there is any alignment problem I would cut out the tacks and make adjustments but in [...]
The next bike I build will be a “swing” bike. Swing bikes are an interesting concept. The basic idea is to have the top tube section act a bit like a a fence door. The bike can steer on the front end or the rear end for a unique riding experience. This bike is for [...]
I got my new JD2 notchmaster mostly setup today. It is a great simple little tool for quickly cutting miters. I did a few test cuts with good results.
I was a bit frustrated with the weld up on the flat plate fork ends that I used for Matt’s bike. They work just fine but they are a pain to deal with and the end result is not as clean as the Wright style fork ends. With the flat plate style the builder has [...]
Matt’s frame has track ends, I finished the TIG work on the track ends today. The build has been a lot of fun, it is good to see the end around the corner. I still need to put a seat stay brake bridge in. After that it needs paint and final prep.
About once a year I replace my entire drive train due to wear. What happens is that as the miles go by the teeth on the cogs, pullies, and chain rings erode and become more and more pointy. After enough abuse shifting starts to suffer. After riding a poorly shifting drive train for the last [...]
Steel bike tubes for bicycle frames are generally joined via lugs, fillet brazing, or TIG welding. Done correctly all of these techniques result in a strong bicycle frame. If done incorrectly the durability and/or safety of the bicycle frame become a concern. I appreciate the skill behind all the techniques but personally I like TIG [...]
More practice on scrap… The welding web forum is a big help as I work to improve my technique. For next practice I am going to take Zapster’s advice and run a LITTLE bit hotter with the aim of going a little faster.
