Custom frame bicycles

[Anonymous No.653697]

Hello /diy!
So my friends and I wanna start building some custom frame bicycles. There's some a bit more than entry level experience on bicycle "technology" and also in "metalworking" (basic welding experience) what we need is some help with the frame building (materials, tools etc). We were thinking of buying some parts (wheels, brakes, cogs etc) and build some others.
Pic related.

[Anonymous No.653699]

>>653697
For best results get a pipe bender press (harbor freight tools usually has cheap ones that work pretty well) and learn to TIG weld. Use aluminum pipe. Try to design your frames so you can use as few welds as possible.

Google up as much info as you can.

http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/tig-welding-aluminum-bike-frame.html

[Another guy No.653724]

I was thinking of doing the same this summer....

I get attached to the bikes I ride like emotionally attached. I lost my favourite bike and I miss it. Its not the best bike I've ever had but its the bike that i rode best with...
I was thinking if its possible to get so attached to a bike you bought then how much more attached would you get if you built it yourself..

The hard thing is making the ball bearing rotational axes for the back wheel and crankset! I was thinking of just buying ready made ones or melting some metal into a mould that would take the shape of the ball bearing system.

[Anonymous No.653727]

>>653724
>ball bearing rotational axes
Well I think they sell this kind of parts. I don't think we're going to make so many parts, at least not at the moment. If we get our hands on some proper equipment and get some technical knowledge maybe we could build some more parts, but bearings no way :P

[Anonymous No.653733]

>>653697
>For best results get a pipe bender press (harbor freight tools usually has cheap ones that work pretty well) and learn to TIG weld. Use aluminum pipe.
pipe benders are for making relatively-small-radius bends. the machine they used to make the large-radius bends in the bike frame in OP's pic is called a "tubing roller". And harbor freight does sell one, though I can't say how well it works. For thin-wall bicycle frame tubing it should do okay.

also I would advise against using aluminum. it warps from uneven heating and softens around welds.... fillet brazing on cro-mo steel gives you much less headaches

>>653724
>The hard thing is making the ball bearing rotational axes for the back wheel and crankset!
you can buy bottom-bracket shells (and head tubes) already made, to weld into a custom frame.

I don't understand what you mean by "ball bearing rotational axes for the back wheel"... you can buy dropouts already made, in pretty much any mainstream style you want

[Anonymous No.653757]

>>653733
>also I would advise against using aluminum. it warps from uneven heating and softens around welds.... fillet brazing on cro-mo steel gives you much less headaches

Yeah, I forgot to mention that you actually need to heat treat the bike frame. That's the only thing sorta out of many DIYer's range sine it require an oven large enough to fit the entire bike into, get it hot enough, and a container of water and antifreeze large enough to quench it in. Among other things.

[Michaelangelo !!RYeXqMvbOWq No.653805]

>mfw I'm not the only one

Check out these guys for some ideas; http://www.ruff-cycles.com/

[Anonymous No.653811]

>>653805
looks tiring to ride

[Anonymous No.653822]

>>653805
why not just make the frame a bit thicker and put a cheap motor in it.

[Anonymous No.653872]

>>653822
These type frames (cruiser and chopper style) are very popular in the motor bicycle community. Check out motorbicycling.com alott of nice motor bicycle builds.

[Anonymous No.653970]

>>653757
>http://www.ruff-cycles.com/
Heat treat? o.O

[John No.653978]

>>653697
That is a nifty looking bike to cruise on...

Please check out this hackaday page, guy designs speed bikes for his gf.

Maybe some good info, talks about the frame...
(Saw this thread and remembered the page from a while back, don't remember all the content but remember reading it)

http://hackaday.com/2014/06/06/a-bicycle-built-for-one/

Please bump my reciprocating saw blade/mini-jackhammer thread if you have any ideas me.

[Anonymous No.654558]

>>653757
this is why they use an aluminium alloy. when you see "alloy frame" they mean just aluminium but doped enough that it welds easily with cheap equipment.

making bikes out of epoxy would be my first choice for custom bikes. they're strong, flexible, and dont require a 1000$ tig welding setup. assuming you're planning to weld thin tubing and not make it out of something like rebar.

carbon fibre, fibreglass. these will all do.

[Anonymous No.654694]

>>653970
see
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6emWh53WpZI

For how to not needing to heat treat it. It's more about the rod you use it seems.

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/To-the-Point-Heat-Treating-Aluminum-Frames.html