Tubing Removal

[LeakyDuck]

I recently decided that I needed a recumbent to make my life complete. Then I looked at my checkbook. I have found several good site on building your own. Signed up for a welding class at my local Jr. College. Both of my donor bikes have lugged frames. Can I remove the tubing from the lugs? I want to do this because one piece of tubing will look neater and more professional than splicing the tubes as in most of the sites I have looked at.

[Dave Kirk]

If you can afford it your life will be made much , much easier by using new tubes. Here's a good place to buy aircraft tube and you can get it in any length you need............splicing not good.

Dave

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/mepages/4130tubing_un1.php

[ang1sgt]

Any Ideas on which Recumbent you want to make?

Chris

[LeakyDuck]

Any Ideas on which Recumbent you want to make?

Chris
I started out looking to build the Easy Tour clone - then I acquired A Centurian Mixte with 24' wheels. If I cut, extend and graft in a bottom bracket from an old Royce Union. minimum cutting and welding. That is why I want to pull the old tubing out of the lugs if I can.

[PaPa]

Not a task for the faint hearted or inexperienced. It can be done, but only if the frame is silver brazed - and even then, it's far too easy to spoil the frame. If you choose to try it, then cut the tube near the lug and grind-out the remaining tube with cutters or stone wheels.

I want to do this because one piece of tubing will look neater and more professional than splicing the tubes as in most of the sites I have looked at.Don't thumb your nose at spliced joints. If done right, they are strong, relatively easy to do and invisible. Both tubes should be the same wall thickness and the sleeve should be thinwall chromoly (.028"-.035"). The image below shows 1-1/4" diameter tubing, and 1-1/4" diameter sleeve which has been slit about 1/4" wide to permit telescopiing into the tubes. During assembly, make sure you orientate the sleeve's slit, approximately 90 degrees from the filler access holes. Once assembled, feed Harris Safety-Silv 56, 45 or 45T into the holes. An adaquate length of straight, 1" angle iron and a couple of hose clamps can be used as a jig while you tack the pieces together.

[Dave Moulton]

I wrote an article on frame repair here. (http://davesbikeblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/abandon-or-repair.html) It included removing tubes.

[ang1sgt]

LeakyDuck...I've seen a few of those and they build up nice. You may want to search around for some of the Bent Groups and see what they have to say. Bentrideronline.com is a good one as well as http://www.recumbents.com/. Both have good resources and links to many folks that have built up frames.

Good Luck!

Chris