downtown douglas

[LukeTheJoker]

So running into a brick wall today. Of the 6 steel. Supply shops in my town not one of them keeps thin wall steel tube only medium wall arrggh . My question specially to you Luke the joker the master of massive builds. How much of an issue is the extra weight of using the 3.2 mm wall stuff going to be on something this big

If it can rust let it

3.2mm wall is heavy! I tend to use 1.6mm so the build would weigh twice as much... My builds tend to be on the heavy side as is...

I have found the same problem, but if you look a bit deeper and maybe try a bigger company you might find some, that is what I ended up having to do.

The other option may be to switch to square tubing it is normally readily available in 1.6mm wall.

The way I ended up finding a supplier was through a tube bending place, they know where to get stuff and normally pretty cheap too!

Of course there is always the option of cutting up old bikes for tubing, but that tends to leave you with lengths that are too short for custom work, you can always join them but the sleeving, plug welding, welding up and then smoothing it all out gets old fast...

Luke.

 

[grasscutta]

That's what I was concerned about it been double the weight of the original plan. I have one steel place left to try then I might try some of the exhaust shops. I really don't want to have to cut tube off other bikes of I can avoid it.

If it can rust let it

 

[Funkme]

A lowriding grasscutta...

 

[grasscutta]

Well still no luck getting thin wall pipe. One place could special order it with a 2 week lead time and a astronomical price. So unfortunately I am going to go with the medium wall which is going to mean some design changes to try keep the weight down as much as I can. Might have to change the name to all you can eat Douglas because it is going to be so heavy. Go figure I live in an industrial town with a plethora of steel shops and engineering shops yet still can't get anything out of the ordinary

If it can rust let it

 

[grasscutta]

Picked up tube today told the old bloke cutting it What I was doing so he chucked in a length of 6mm plate for free I kept over thinking things when I was bending and cutting and it just wasn't working for me. Once I went to my usual wing it style things started flow for me. hopefully get a bit more done this afternoon. I'm not happy with my front bar but it will stay for now until I get the rest tacked up

If it can rust let it

 

[grasscutta]

I'm liking the idea of black and copper but copper plating is out of my budget. Has any one used that hammer tone copper paint is it any good or is it junk like the chrome and gold paint

If it can rust let it

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Looking good! Never used those paints, so can't comment on them, I do tend to like the hammertone finish paints though, they have a nice iridescence to them.

Luke.

 

[grasscutta]

Seat and forks are purely for mock up. Now I can't decide if I want 26 inch wheels or 20 inch this build off is sure to send me over the edge

If it can rust let it
Thats enough for today. So far im reasonbly happy with where it is going. I was actually suprised how light it is with using the thick wall tube.by bike standards it is heavy but I can still lift it with one hand and im only a wirey lanky bloke. I guessing at the moment it is still well under 10kg.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Weight is always relative! Looking good so far, keep it going!

Luke.

 

[OneHorsePower]

I'm liking the idea of black and copper but copper plating is out of my budget. Has any one used that hammer tone copper paint is it any good or is it junk like the chrome and gold paint

If it can rust let it

i used gold and chrome paints in the past, the thing is you can't put clearcoat over it or it disolve the reflective aspect to a foggy silver or metalic baige .. i don't know the coppertone tho , maybe different , you would have to read the label , also these paints tend to be tricky to apply and take a week to cure before touching , or it will affect the reflecting "mirror" finish

 

[grasscutta]

No progress today as I had fair bit of work on with my business. But I did pick up a demolition job on mid 50s property and having a look around the property there is some pretty cool old and retro stuff hidden away that I will save for future builds and to clutter my man cave so not so much of a lost day

if it can rust ......let it

 

[bigred407]

Really liking the look of this build. Yet another inspiring & talented build from a forum member. Great vision & work man.

 

[mikeeebikey]

In high school my friend and I copied his Haro master frame, a 6-7 pounder for sure.
We used the thick wall tubing, it weighed 16 pounds!
Besides that, it rode terrible, the head tube was crooked, and we made the bottom bracket higher.
Last time I needed high quality tubing, it had to be ordered from Cally.

 

[grasscutta]

In high school my friend and I copied his Haro master frame, a 6-7 pounder for sure.
We used the thick wall tubing, it weighed 16 pounds!
Besides that, it rode terrible, the head tube was crooked, and we made the bottom bracket higher.
Last time I needed high quality tubing, it had to be ordered from Cally.

Don't tell me that mikeebikey Hahah. Even of it does ride terrible I'll convince my self I like it. Just like my old work truck which is sort of a natural rat truck by pure negligence drives like crap but I still love it even if it is twice as old as me.

If it can rust let it

 

[mikeeebikey]

Tell you guys about high quality metals, used to be alot of steel mills, metal labs, and alloy nanufactures, not so anymore.
In the last 20 years seems like all aircraft tubing originates in cally.
All exotic alloys, cally.
And bronze, bushing/bearing quality, cally.

 

[bigred407]

Not sure if the U.S. is the same as here in the U.K., but I think some of the problem is the throw away culture we now live in. People aren't interested in making their own stuff any more, they just want to buy of the peg, use & abuse then bin it. That for me is such a shame, how can being creative become a dying art?

 

[grasscutta]

i kept hearing the term burrito bike so curiosty got the best of me and i started googling it. with out even knowing it i liked burrito bikes. now it got me thinking is my build in some way a burrito.?

 

[grasscutta]

Today was just one of them days were I struggled to get into it. Started making the rear end but nothing I came up with I liked so just spent most of the time frustrated and staring. Wasted a heap of steel so I quit while I was behind. Get a good nights sleep and try again tomorrow.

If it can rust let it

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Sometimes we have those days, but it makes it even sweeter when you do find the style you want!

Luke.