So my second frame is finished and painted and 90% built. Still waiting on my bars to arrive and then it'll be road ready. So this is something that has been on the back of my mind for quite some time. It's one of those "hmm it'd be really cool to try this" but just kept pushing it off. Well we were at Home Depot and the urge came and decided to go for it. I figured if I fell over dead tomorrow who would ever know about my hair brain idea? We you see quite a few builders that build wood frames but normally they're laminated with the inner sections hollow for weight.
Well I'm not looking to compete with carbon frames and want a normal looking frame. The laminated frames normally have a very curvaceous almost standard carbon frame shape. When I took my framebuilding course I was talking to my instructor Doug (Fattic) about his thoughts on Bamboo and he had a very positive view on them. So with the use of normal hardwood Oak dowels for frame tubes I would attach them the same way bamboo frames are done. So I picked up both hemp bast fiber and carbon tow to try out and West Systems resin/hardner to build a couple of frames to try out. I figure the worst I get is a noodly frame as they joints will hold fine. Plus have Oak is pretty strong...not the strongest as I may try a hickory frame later but I don't want to drop too much on a bonfire frame.
Then I bought all my standard braze ons from Nova Cycles. All the stops were rivet on styles so they'll get two types of attachment. They'll be epoxied and screwed which I believe will be good and secure. If not there's alway zip ties. Haha.
Now there was the issue with a seatpost. Since the dowels are closer to standard tube sizes and reaming out and sliding in a piece of seat tube wouldn't be ideal. I would the route of some higher end carbon frames. I would extend the seat tube dowel and do a seat mast setup and use a old carbon seatpost. Then just taper the dowel down on a lathe so I can slide the seatpost over that.
So I treated myself to a gift this weekend and bought myself a 40" wood lathe and some chisels and made some chips last night!
Sorry the photo is so hazy. Drew this up last night. Since my laptop is having issues getting Bikecad to work. I completely forgot about Rattlecad but still like a working with paper and pencil as I can physically see things laid out and drop an existing frame over it to compare things.
The rough cut the dowels and luckily I have enough to build another frame with the left over pieces! Double score!
The head tube is for a 1-1/8" setup but since I have more 1" parts I bought some headtube adapters to run a 1" headset. Pretty cool to have a frame that you can use both oversized threadless or 1" threaded. Then just a standard 68mm chromoly BB shell.
Specs of the frame
-Head tube 69 degrees
-Seat tube 74 degrees
-Top tube 52.5cm (yes it has a sloping top tube...sorry)
-Chainstay length 43cm
-BB drop 70mm
The cantilever mounts on my old Cannondale will be used as the frame is no longer road worthy. I could of used to head tube and BB shell but didn't want to cut and grind off the leftover tubing.
So I know this should probably be in the Framebuilding forum but quite honestly I don't always get the most positive feedback and vibe from there. Plus this place is like Cheers were everybody know's each others name and just better overall vibe. Plus it'll have downtube shifters and mostly vintage parts. It'll be almost full Suntour Superbe Pro in black/gold and the frame will be stained Ebony black.
Well this is as far as I got and update as I go.