I am a frame builder AMA

Hello,

Long shot here but..

I'm wondering if anyone has the other part to this for making a stem.. itsthe fleur de lys if so itd be great if you could post me it today!

The reason being ceeway is closed and I need it kind of urgently..

Thank you

3 Attachments

Dismantling a frame and reusing the lugs, practical or more hassle than its worth?

I have a Flying Scot frame that was my grandfathers but it’s too big, flexes like an over cooked noodle and the seat stays had rusted through underneath. I’ve welded up the holes on the seatstats but I always knew this was a temporary fix. I suspect the seat tube and probably the downtube are on their way out as I’ve shaken a lot of loose rust out of the frame and can hear more rattling around inside.

If the frame hadn’t been my grandfather’s I’d have binned it or cut it up and made it into a stool or something but it has done sentimental value for me and my father so I wondered if I could reuse the lugs when I do a framebuilding course.

Problems I can envisage,

Getting the tubes out the lugs cleanly, leaving no braze in the lugs.

The rust that’s affected the tubes could have affected the lugs too?

Reusing the lugs might limit my options for frame size and tubing?

Any thoughts?

I have been pondering this for a few days. If I have a plain old shitey quill stem, how difficult would it be to turn it into a face-plate stem in the style of the Gas Pipe Stem thread?

They usually have the bottom clamp. Was thinking I could just buy a couple of seat binders, braze them onto to the top of the stem, then slit through them to make a faceplate. Would it work? Obviously everything would have to be dead straight.

This sort of stem:

I know I can just buy a faceplate quill stem for £20 or whatever, but still.

Wouldn't you have to put the seat binder on directly (or near as damn it) the existing split otherwise you'll end up with a C shape and won't get the bars in?

Looks like directly opposite the existing slot is where the extension tube attaches.

If you do decide to try it, this might be cheaper than Ceeway,

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Steel-bike-frame-parts-frame-building/123218347652?hash=item1cb062c684:g:tLQAAOSwUUdapudt

You've got me thinking about doing this to the Llewelyn stem I just built...

2 Attachments

That's not my stem, just a random example. Assuming that wasn't an issue...

The two sides of a faceplate never touch as well, so it might end up being quite a wide slot, meaning the two halves are both smaller than 180°, which gives a little bit of wiggle room?

Ah ok.

I'm sure I've seen someone do it with two nuts, one drilled out a bit to allow the bolt to slip through so if that works...

Ooh yeah, you've got a perfect blank space there for it! Might look a bit weird depending on which way around the stem goes? In terms of which way the bolts face

But yeah, easier bar swaps and BMX bars are the major advantages - I know you like a bit of klunking so would think braced bars are your sort of thing!

Bolts on mine would face kinda diagonally downwards/forwards.

I think it would look a bit strange but that's fine.

Yeah I do like a braced bar!

Cool, glad you think it's viable as I know nothing :) my concern was that it'd collapse under me. Couple of 6mm bolts should be up to the task though?

These

Have binder type attachments brazed on and I've seen them on quite a few builds so must be ok.

What filler material would you be using?

I've built that stem with silver and I'm hoping it's gonna be strong enough, not sure silver would be wise for this binder attachment though, might need something stronger?

And don't be fooled, I also know nothing!

I saw a guy on YouTube (Pithy Bikes) try to make a seat binder out of silver and it couldn't take the strain... He said he was going to try with copper (I think) next but ended up buying a plain old clamp on one in the end. Copper could be difficult for you, the silver would melt wouldn't it?

I actually have no welding/brazing equipment, there's a place here in Edinburgh called the Forge that has "2 welders" but I don't know whether that mean TIG, OA, MAPP, etc. They told me people have done bike stuff there before though. Need to go along and check it out at some point.

I have some Sifbronze rods but haven't had much success with them, I reckon if I could get it to work (I might need to try different flux or a more focused torch or something) then I could do it with minimal disruption to the silver or I could just patch more silver in there afterwards if required.

Didn't realise you were in Edinburgh. I don't know about the Forge but there's a place over here in Glasgow that has welders and space that you can hire but I think they are pretty basic stick or at the most mig machines.

It'd be bloody amazing if someone opened up a workshop and did pay as you go (or something like it) access to tig welding kit.

I think the problem is that you could be welding for half an hour and burn through half a bottle of gas and I think argon can be pretty expensive. Probably a similar story with OA and I think someone told me there is a limit to how much of these explosive gases you can hold.

If you have the space to use it I'd really recommend getting some mapp torch and some stuff. You could be in action for under £100 I reckon.

there's a place over here in Glasgow that has welders and space that you can hire but I think they are pretty basic stick or at the most mig machines.

What's it called out of interest? Maybe worth my time to head over depending on what I have access to at the Forge.

If you have the space to use it I'd really recommend getting some mapp torch and some stuff. You could be in action for under £100 I reckon.

Sadly not a chance of this happening until I move flat! Storage space is maxed out at the moment.

Does the chainstay have to be drilled for flat mount braze ons?

Depends how wide your dropout parts are.

What's it called out of interest?

It's in the Whiskey Bond, something to do with the Scottish Scultpture Studio. I'll see if I can find more details...

http://www.glasgowsculpturestudios.org/2014/10/09/metal-workshop/

Actually mentions they have OA stuff. That might be new.

Ooh, nice. Might be worth a trip over depending on what I end up needing!

Would anyone be able to recommend me someone to make two brackets?
They'll essentially just be like two split seat clamps with a bolt either side and with a bit of added metal and two holes drilled through them to take a rail.

Not sure where to get such things machined without very great cost so if someone has a hookup or good suggestion I'd be eternally grateful!

1 Attachment

I know somewhere in Kingston, Surrey if that's any good?

Think I may have found a chap but if he falls through I'll drop you a PM for details!

Edit: Sorted in record time!

Gotta explain what they do now surely?

Cock straightener?

See @TvH post above...

I actually have to get my act together now and make the rest of this contraption myself but it's to do with #enduropacking.