PhilDAS learns to glue (mostly) metal

and I thought I had questionable taste in footwear...
tidy metalwork. can't quite tell from the pic, did you have to braze the top zit further back on the leg to keep them in line?

Yeah the bend was awkward with lining them up.

The rest of Phil's outfit

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Sometimes

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#realitykings

Found you a skinsuit

Not for me this one but I may do my own in a few weeks

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looking good

Very interesting process. Not as simple as I thought

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Are you making a carbon road frame 🤯🤯🤯🤯 that process looks very very intricate.

How're you finding it? Any more info on the process?

Yeah, this is a track frame (for the road) but I fancy a disc road frame soon.

It's only a prototype/proof of concept so we've used cheap tubes which are thicker than necessary and a heavier weight carbon to wrap on the joints. We'll have some lighter stuff for the next one and eventually we'll be making our own tubes.

The process sounds quite simple but it's actually very difficult compared to making a steel frame.
The tubes are mitred on the mill with diamond tipped tools, glued together with epoxy adhesive in the jig, filleted with more epoxy out of the jig, some lightweight body filler added just to smooth out the transitions on the joints for easier wrapping.
Then templates created for each joint and carbon sheets cut using the templates. Joints wrapped in carbon, several layers.
Vac bagged and baked in an oven for 7+ hours.

There's a lot missing from the middle but that's the gist.

What curing oven are you using? Many moons ago I built myself an oven for curing prepreg carbon panels for cars - basically just an insulated MDF box with an electric hob ring, and a fan from a Honda Fireblade to keep the air moving.

Pretty much just that although we've got a fancy controller than can do controlled ramps and multiple temperature stages. The prepreg requires a 2 stage cure.

Is that a carbon bb shell? Very cool.

What do you think it will weigh?

It has a stainless steel BB shell bonded inside it (which is heavy)

This frame is heavy for carbon. Around 1200g but under 1kg is the plan with better tubes

This is very cool. Having played with a bit of prepreg in my days, I'm beyond impressed with the headtube. Sounds promising!

Back to metal

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I just need to decide on 700c or 650b before I settle on geo and cut tubes.
This is her other bike with 700c, the new one will be 32c with mudguards whichever wheel size I go for. Smaller wheels better proportioned? Lighter?

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Don't BDHU me

MAX? Nice.

650b is dead. But do it anyway.

Yup. 28.6mm steerer, stainless Samson crown

I agree but on smol bikes?

For a bike that size I would go 650b. Smaller wheelsize looks more proportionate and probably rides fine if you get the trail and other geometry right.

650b, by the adage ‘if it looks right’ alone :)