Framebuilders - Just an introduction...

Hi Guys,

I am Jake from North Carolina, and am a high school student. I have been road biking for a while, and would really like to try frame building. I have been looking at carbon fiber building and steel. Which would be best to try(I do have access to an oxy-acetaline(sp?) torch). Also, this may sound a little crazy, and off topic, but I would like to make a bike related product that is small(not a frame), and I could easily produce and sell to local riders. I am open to any suggestions as to what I could make, and please tell me if that idea is completly impossible.

Thanks,
Jake

1. Forget carbon fiber, your torch would melt it. :)

2. My bike rack is narrow diameter stainless tubing. Consider making custom racks.

3. There are lots of busted frames out there; both lugged and welded. Ask for some and try taking them apart and putting unbroken parts back together. Get good at that and you could start a frame repair business in High School.

Hey Ken

Thanks for the information. What kind of bike rack do you mean? Like a car rack or storage rack like at schools?

Thanks,
Jake

Hey Ken

What kind of bike rack do you mean?

I know what kind of rack I mean:

The racks from Tubus are very nice and sell for upwards of $100

http://www.tubus.net/eng/produkte/uebersicht.php

And Joseph Ahearne is making very nice front racks like this one:

http://photos1.blogger.com/img/151/1517/1024/rack04.jpg

If you think you can make racks like those, email me at info@kogswell.com -Matthew

wow Matthew-those are really nice-I wonder how you would bend it perfectly every time(I would like to email you and say I could make one-but I doubt I could lol)

Jake