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Im currently working on the idea of making a lucky 7 seat post. I’ll need to fabricate it by getting some 22mm round steel or tube and making the seat post out of that. I’ll then need to cut the end of the old seat post to make a sleeve so it’s the correct diameter to fit in the bike.
As I don’t have any benders for this job I was thinking of trying out two methods
- the first is just get solid round steel and heating until it’s red hot so I can bend it and then rapidly cooling it in water so it maintains its strength.
- the second is getting steel tube and filling it with sand so when I heat and bend it, the tube will maintain it’s round shape. Then cooling it in a bucket of water.

Has anyone got any thoughts on how I should go about making the seat post? Thanks
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Im currently working on the idea of making a lucky 7 seat post. I’ll need to fabricate it by getting some 22mm round steel or tube and making the seat post out of that. I’ll then need to cut the end of the old seat post to make a sleeve so it’s the correct diameter to fit in the bike.
As I don’t have any benders for this job I was thinking of trying out two methods
- the first is just get solid round steel and heating until it’s red hot so I can bend it and then rapidly cooling it in water so it maintains its strength.
- the second is getting steel tube and filling it with sand so when I heat and bend it, the tube will maintain it’s round shape. Then cooling it in a bucket of water.

Has anyone got any thoughts on how I should go about making the seat post? ThanksView attachment 156441
Preferred method for me would be to fill the tube with sand, heat, bend, and then cool in sand as well or oil if you want. Done it this way plenty of times

I refrain from cooling any super heated metals in water
 
Preferred method for me would be to fill the tube with sand, heat, bend, and then cool in sand as well or oil if you want. Done it this way plenty of times

I refrain from cooling any super heated metals in water
Thanks, that’s really interesting. The only reason I said to cool it in water because as young trades assistant nearly 20yrs ago, the tradie I worked for at the time did it and when I questioned him about it he told me ‘It strengthened the steel, by heating the metal you crate a soft spot and rapidly cooling it, the steel didnt get a soft spot’
I’ve never questioned it until now lol I’ll have a look on the internet and see if there’s any truth to it and get post what I find, just as a point of interest. For some reason oil turns on a light bulb for me but I can’t remember why that seems familiar unless I’ve been corrected once before but for some reason I just auto default back to the first time I saw someone heating and bending steel. No matter what it just goes to show that if you’re teaching someone something it’s best to teach them the right way first,
Thanks again
 
I just found a website that talks about the different ways of Quenching steel and the pros and cons of each method. It’s just a quick article but it’s enough to show you there are many different ways to harden steel. I think water has a few to many draw backs as it can warp, crack and ruin your job. Also it requires you to reheat the steel to just below critical level and then letting it air cool.
Im not sure which method I’ll use as I have a large bag of salt (which I was using to super cool some beers by a having a plastic tub full of ice and water then add some salt and you’ll have cold beers in no time) I can make a Brie with the salt or use sand to as heat transfer product and lastly I could make a wind tunnel out of a Desk fan and a box.

https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-the-definition-of-quenching-in-metalworking-2340021
 
You now have the coolest build theme song. Haven't heard that one in a while.
 
It isn't so much your choice...it's the type of steel's choice.

In 22mm, if you go with 1018 (mild steel) ... use water 300°-350°.

4140 (Chromoly) ... oil.

304 (Stainless) ... can't be heat treated, but will work harden, like when you bend it.
Thanks heaps, I’ve been off the tools for about the last ten years. I traded in my plumbers wrench for a rifle and cam paint, after serving my country for the last decade it was time for me to home with my family. So I’ve hung up my boots and I’ve dusted off my old tool trunks. It’s funny how my old tool fell like old friends but you just can’t remember there name. lol the cogs in my head are slowly starting to turn over and the old trade skills will come back to me.
I really appreciate your advice. Thanks again
 
Nice... what branch?
I was in the Air Force as part of a small unit. My unit was 65 SQN and I specialised as a ‘Airfield Engineers’ or AFENG for short. We did everything to do with building a base from the ground up as well as all the passive defence and rapid repairs with heavy machinery. Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD). Plus all the grunt frontline stuff. Some of the more rewarding work was Disaster Relief work, even though it was still like you were in a war zone. I made Corporal, so I got to run a section of troops and I was looking to be made up to SGT. But unfortunately I didn’t look after myself enough and put my troops and career first and it all caught up with me. Not the way I intended to end my career but at the time it was the best thing I could have done. Now I’ve got the time to make everything I missed at home. My loved ones are the most important thing to me now.
 
I’ll have to do a video at the end of my build with all the progress photos and the song in the background.
Songs have verses, bridges, and choruses. Don't wait till the end, lead us along with a verse or chorus from time to time. :wink1: :nod: Video clips of work progress make these builds, and the builders, come alive!
 
Thank you for your service.

USMC for me...'87-'91.

My Brother was going for 20 in the Navy, made it to 16 and due to heart issues (that he resolved) no ship would pick him up...so he was involuntarily discharged.
I have to say Thank you, your brother and your family. It takes a special kind of person to sign on the dotted line and give themselves in service to there country. But it’s not just the individual signing up it’s there whole family and I feel it’s important to recognise everyone’s sacrifice. Because it’s not just the time served in uniform but also the years afters that we are still effected that our loved ones have to help us through.
I have nothing but respect for anyone that puts on the uniform.
 
I received in the mail my new 8-1/2” steering tube. So I played around with my front fork design. I will need to widen y to be ID of the top ring bolt so that it sits flush on the steering tube.
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I drilled the holes for my rocker which I just guessed and didn’t actually work out the angles and hole placement properly, I went old school and as this current work that I’m doing is just a mock up so I can see my idea come to life and try out ideas in a 3D way. I am also thinking of doing upside down rockers, but will see. I’m having issues with the forks as the main legs drop out is a open ‘U’ shape and keeps jumping of the rockers. To solve this issue I thinking but drilling a new hole in the forks.
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I chopped up a spare bike today that I’ve been taking parts from. I paid $30 for the bike a while back just for the wheels and fenders. But know that I’ve chopped up the frame there’s no way I can put the wheels back on the bike so they belong to Gypsy Queens now.

That takes my total bill so far to $135
 
Before I go much further with the rear of the bike I need guidance from the Judges or some in the know.
Plan plan is to try to stay in group 1 and to bend the rules as much as possible but not break them. As you can see with my upside down forks they are factory but not designed to be used in the way that I am. Also in trying to keep my fabricating to a minimum. But something just can’t be helped like the rockers for the forks.
Because I’ve put fat tyres on the bike I now need to extend the rear drop outs by about 80mm (3 inch) so the tyres don’t rub on the frame. I was going to make another rocker/ gusset to bolt onto to bike so I don’t alter the frame. But I’ve noticed the the support bar that runs from the top of the seat post to the rear drop outs is actually bolted onto the original frame so I can remove them without cutting the frame and then reuse the same places to put a new piece in.

So here my dilemma if I remove the original support bars and replace them with new support bars that run to new rear drop outs that are extended out. And in no way I cut or weld the frame am I still in class 1?

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