Framebuilders - Anyone want to bend some fork blades for me???

I need some fork blades bent to 70mm of offset. I dont have the tool to do it myself. I would of course pay for shipping both ways and labor.
Thanks!!
Robert

I'd be happy to do it, but I'm in NM and in the time you'd be waiting to ship the blades back and forth you could build your own.....probably for the cost of the shipping.
For that kind of offest, I'm assuming you're making a rando style fork, a mandrel that has a tight initial radius (5-6") and then tapers off works best.
Like this (not mine):
http://pfffffffft.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/img_1046.jpg?w=300&h=225
Unless you have little girl arms ;) you don't need a big lever like that though.

thanks for sharing the photos of your benders. Nice!

I've raised this question in the past, and received minimal positive response. Do you want to bend fork blades on an assembled fork? or are you building a new fork?

I've raised this question in the past, and received minimal positive response. Do you want to bend fork blades on an assembled fork? or are you building a new fork?

That makes a big difference IMHO. Bending virgin blades is different than trying to get a fair curve in a blade that's already been bent unless you've got several mandrel ramps with different radii.

I've made exactly one fork, and bent the blades on a 10" ramp from Nova, but doing it for someone else is in the far distant future, if ever.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7/k4drd/Bicycles/Sanner%20Framebuilding%20Class/HammillEngineeringForkBladeBendersm.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7/k4drd/Bicycles/Sanner%20Framebuilding%20Class/CIMG6927med.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7/k4drd/Bicycles/Sanner%20Framebuilding%20Class/CIMG6928med.jpg

These are "virgin" blades for a new fork. I would love to build a bender and do them myself, however, I dont have a workshop at my house yet. (constrution begining soon) It is not really possible for me right now as my workspace is my back deck and driveway.

Thanks, Scooper.

Hey Stan very nice stuff! Fork 1 looks great, those nice fixtures look great. And wow they float!

David Mills of Mills Brothers is over in Advance NC, he'd probably help you for a few beers if you promise to listen to his stories. Ask him about his brother driving the VW bus.

Hey Stan very nice stuff! Fork 1 looks great, those nice fixtures look great. And wow they float!

Thanks, Tim. It was great seeing you in Austin. The floating thing is through the magic of Photoshop. :D


David Mills of Mills Brothers is over in Advance NC, he'd probably help you for a few beers if you promise to listen to his stories. Ask him about his brother driving the VW bus.

David Mills had a white track bike on display at NAHBS and told me it matched my hair. :p

The rear dropouts were socketed, but the SS/CS angle was too shallow for the size of the frame, so he had put a curve in the seat stays so they would hit the seat lug. It was clever and very well executed. I wish I'd taken a picture of the bike.

EDIT - I found pictures of David's white track bike on the NAHBS website HERE ( http://www.2011.handmadebicycleshow.com/2011/02/26/mills-brothers-bicycle-company-2/).

David bends fork blades on a modified car wheel, and I think the results speak for themselves. Probably costs $10 at a junkyard. I thought about copying him, but I don't need a car wheel sitting around in the garage.