Well had an annoying set back with the frame tonight... I built an insanely convoluted jig to hold the frame tube and headstock in place only to discover when I cut the bottom tube through it went PING! It was under tension... ie the bloody frame was bent! So I had braced a bent frame. Bunny move.....
On the positive side I turned up a new head tube the length I wanted. 120mm or a little under 5 inches. Plus I got a delivery of thin wall inch steel tube from my man who works at the place they make it. SO now I have to build the frame straight from the ground up from basic principals..... plus I am not happy with the frame design yet so I have played around with some variations...… let me know what you like or don't like and any new ideas! Pictures to come.....
7/8 tube in the middle and light tube for the extra chain stay AND converting it to 24 inch frame... which I really like because the line of the top of the top tube point directly at the very top of the tyre (not inflated in picture)
Idea 5. (last one tonight) Same as before, 24 inch frame but WITHOUT the central tubes...
So I have managed to confuse myself royally. Advice, thoughts appreciated.
Idea 3 looks ok, not happy that the triangles created above and below the middle tube are not equal. Also it might look good from the side but when you put on a big chainwheel and chain it can become messy to get the tubes to clear.........
Yeah I am back to idea 1..... looking at it set up now and thinking about giving the forks a little more curve to bring the wheel up a little and the headstock down.....
I'm looking at the angles of the head tube and seat tube. They flow together. What if the middle tube sat parellel to the top tube and attached to the upper part of the downtube. That would create two more tubes that also flow together.
Well, today has taken an unexpected turn. I started out building a long Path Racer and as it sits at the moment it’s mocked up as a 1930’s Art Deco roadster..... bars are a little high but I can’t jam the stem in any further without the whole thing ending up on the floor! I am see laminated wooden varnished fenders,
Art Deco chain guard... might come to nothing but it’s an interesting tangent.
If I do carry on down this track of a 1930's Art Deco roadster then I might have to make a version of these bars to go on it.... with the central "wire" in the middle in line with the stem.
I have liked this photo for years and this could be my chance to make a set.