Garage Frame Building.

This is something that has ben in the back of my mind for a long time…can't wait to see how it comes together. I think it would be fun to start playing around with gearboxes…

you should check out these North Van guys, collaboration is often mutually beneficial in the early years

http://mischiefbikes.com/

This pic shows all the basic tools you need to get-r-done.

Vise and tube blocks to hold the tubes. Hack saw to rough cut to size and files. How do you know what to file? There are some online programs that will give you a mitre template that you can cut out and trace onto the tube, but they only work on round to round intersections. From the drawing you get the intersection angle, set that angle on a bevel protractor and file away till it sits flat in the crotch of the mitre. Then file the rest of the mitre till the two tubes sit nice tight with each other.

How do you fit a 38mm down tube to a 36mm head tube? Squish that sucker in the vise so you get an oval. This is one of the spots where the nice online templates won't help you, alternatively you could pick smaller diameter tubes that don't need to be ovalized.

Check and file, re-check and file, check again and maybe file some more.

Gravity is your friend. BB to seat tube joint, slathered in flux, random steel rod inserted to hold it in place.

Kill it with fire.

Without a jig the common practice is to build in sub assembles. BB to seat tube - the polo mallet. Head tube to down tube - the hockey stick.

Your hockey stick makes love to the polo mallet.

Their love child.

Hold the top tube in with a strap.

Front triangle.

Hack, file, and sand till you get what you want.

It's called jigless building…but you do need something to get the chain stays in place.

Take a couple lengths of aluminium L channel and a threaded rod add in some basic geometry calculations to form a triangle from your drawing and you kinda sorta have a jig.

Hopefully all this went well to get the correct bb drop.

The flux is water soluble so the frame gets a sit in the bath after each joint is brazed.

Woot my very own first FSO.

What is FSO? Frame shaped object. Like every noobs first frame it's got some flaws. The seat stays are not in plane at the seat tube, I was sloppy with my mitre and one must have slipped while I was tacking the other. But meh it's cosmetics.

Since this pic I put on the disc tab and completed the final brazing on the main joints. I still need to silver on the cable stops and put in a seat stay to chain stay brake brace. Hope to get that done tonight.

Each of the fillet brazed joints will also get the extra brass filed off and sanded smooth. This I'll likely cut lots of corners as I am not trying to make it pretty, just functional.

The head tube, and seat tube need to be reamed. The heat needed to joint the tubes causes distortion, the more hackish my brazing the more that will need to be reamed.

It will get a rattle can matte black paint job, but I hope to ride it this weekend so the paint will likely wait till next week. Build it up, ride it, then strip it back down for paint.

Pretty sweet, dood.

Two good resources:
http://www.bikecad.ca/

http://forums.mtbr.com/frame-building/

Just looking at that nova site im curious why you chose to not use lugs or lugged BB shell for your first go around?

Was it because of the angles?

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Just looking at that nova site im curious why you chose to not use lugs or lugged BB shell for your first go around?

Was it because of the angles?

Sent from my SM-T310 using Tapatalk

Lugs lock you into a pretty tight geometry range, their designed for road bikes.

I do have a set of the Slant Six OS lugs that I am making into a commuter bike. It will be 700c flat bar disc brake with lots of room for fenders and fat tires.

nice job , keep us updated as you progress

Awesome thread.

Designing and building your own frames… there's no other feeling like railing a bike you've done up yourself. :)

I've been running a couple frames I've built up for myself for a few years now. They've been solid, and I've just now sold a couple to buddies that have seen mine and want some for themselves. Pretty cool.

very cool

Dammit, I don't need any more hobbies!!!

Nice work and a decent EnerGuide rating.

decent EnerGuide rating.

That had me scratching my head for a minute. It's full of awesome home cooking.

Does the bb shell come threaded or do you need to have that done? I assume it will need to be chased and faced if threaded?

Important question now: What are you going to call it? Kevin? frunobulax? Blue Steel?

http://www.metrolyrics.com/cheepnis-lyrics-frank-zappa.html

Maybe not Frunobulax.

BB shell comes threaded. Seat tube needs a light ream, head tube ream and face. BB threads chased and faced.

A common newb mistake is to weld the bb in backwards. I didn't manage to make that mistake so it's got that going for it.

I think I'll ride it a few times for naming it.