Folding Bikes - Porteur Stye Chaincase on folder?

Anyone attempted to mount one of these to a folder? Particularly to a Swift?

I asked the company about maximum chainring size. Response was 49 teeth.

http://www.velo-orange.com/postch.html

Looks good. ' wonder how it mounts?

From the picture it appears to mount to the seat tube and to the chainstay. May need special mounting hardward due to the large OD of the Swift seattube.

Thanks a million for the link law4jba! I love the Porteur, and the Chrome one is cool too. A competent mechanic or machinist ought to be able to find some workable parts to mount it to a folder. In a pinch, you might be able to jury-rig it with coat hanger pieces.

Before I saw this link, I'd been thinking I might try fabricating something out of aluminum cans, wrapped in duct tape.

The owner's name is Chris Kulczycki. The email is: <chris@velo-orange.com>
I just might shoot an email to find out about the Porteur.

Edit: The Velo Orange page also says chaincase hardware will be available soon for $9.00. I just emailed Chris to ask him about it. I'll let you know what I find out.

hmmm, I could order one, but will it fit?

damn local bike shops are useless

For that kind of design one can use a plastic sheet and a hair dryer to melt it and have a hard plasctic cover as a chaincase. I remember doing that on my days of Star Wars outfits.

EDIT: Oh, my bad, nowadays they don't use hair dryers anymore, they make their own vaccum forming machine:

http://www.tk560.com/vactable4.html

For that kind of design one can use a plastic sheet and a hair dryer to melt it and have a hard plasctic cover as a chaincase. I remember doing that on my days of Star Wars outfits.
[/url]

You got me interested. What kind and where can I get the plastic?
TIA!

You got me interested. What kind and where can I get the plastic?
TIA!

The website on linked above on vacuum thermoforming used high impact polystyrene. Acrylics should aslo work (Lowes and home depot sell Acrylics for use as impact resistant windows).

Raph - you *have* to show us some of your Starwars costumes.... Endor Trooper? Bobba? Surely not Mr Vader himself?
;)
http://content.crazyphotos.com/h11a.jpg

Raph - you *have* to show us some of your Starwars costumes.... Endor Trooper? Bobba? Surely not Mr Vader himself?

Before starting the masters program that I am finishing this august, I paid US$8000.00 in credit cards by designing, creating and selling star wars props, from full costumes to Chewbacca accessories without neglecting the classic lightsabers and popular costumes like Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo. I sold one rifle replica for over US$600 that costed me 4 hours and 35 bucks.

As soon as I finish my masters I will get back into the latent artist and see what I can come up too.

Now...pictures? I don't think so...not for now (lol), I need to find them on one of the 4 external hard drives. Once I am done with what I am doing (hopefully July 22nd) I'll have the time and I'll come back. I did find some lightsabers though...enjoy

May the Force be with you.

... one can use a plastic sheet and a hair dryer to melt it and have a hard plasctic cover as a chaincase.... [/url]

I may actually try this. How do you make the mold?

I may actually try this. How do you make the mold?

Just be creative: Tupperware lid, cooking pot, sculpt one from wood, ...

I may actually try this. How do you make the mold?Just be creative: Tupperware lid, cooking pot, sculpt one from wood, ...
Okay, I can carve one from wood, no problem. But I'm not going to build a vacuform table to make one chainguard. Could I persuade you to explain your low-tech process in a little more detail?

If I use plastic sheeting, is it going to shrink radically? Can you laminate several thin layers together -- that is, does that work, is there any advantage to it, &c?

And then, what's the procedure: do you just wrap the wooden mold in plastic sheet, and blast it with the heat gun until the plastic shrinks itself to the mold, then massage the stubborn spots until it conforms perfectly? All advice will be appreciated.

Rudi

Okay, I can carve one from wood, no problem. But I'm not going to build a vacuform table to make one chainguard. Could I persuade you to explain your low-tech process in a little more detail?

If I use plastic sheeting, is it going to shrink radically? Can you laminate several thin layers together -- that is, does that work, is there any advantage to it, &c?

And then, what's the procedure: do you just wrap the wooden mold in plastic sheet, and blast it with the heat gun until the plastic shrinks itself to the mold, then massage the stubborn spots until it conforms perfectly? All advice will be appreciated.

Rudi

If you have a decent source of heat (your significant other hair dryer may be good enough) you don't even need to massage the stubborn spots, it just takes a little longer (and you have to get a little closer) and all melt down into the mold.

Yes, you can use several thin layers. I don't remember having a lot of swrinking taking place. In fact it actually expands a little bit while heated. Just be very pacient to detach the final product from the wood mold. Sometimes it takes 30 minutes or more.

Good luck, let us know how it works. If you do a web search on the subject you may find some interesting variants of the same technique.