Originally Posted by dminor
I'd be careful about the idea of drilling through the sides of the stem: the sidewalls are the strength for vertical torsional loads. Drilling top-to-bottom might be better.
I'll bring that up. I'm not the smart one about the loads and torsion.
"I don't think I'd do any overlap of those holes in the grip area (as your drawing indicates) - - maybe a single spiral so that ther aren't any holes in alignment? Just a thought. Good luck . . . doublecheck your insurance
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Good ideas, keeping the holes out of alignment, I was planning to keep them inside the grip collars, the bars have been shortened already =the collars won't be moving.
To my detractors -seen drilled-out lightweight trials rims? -holes in the rims between the spoke nipples.
I'm too cheap to buy, i'll make 'em. Maybe I'll break them.
Maybe I'll go down 500 grams with my drilling. I doubt I'll weigh it, all I have to do is lift the front once to know if it was worth it.
It'll be fun, cost nothing. I'm not telling anybody else to go this route.
I doubt anybody is running such stupidly thick steering. If I worked with CNC machines I'd be doing the same, maybe a little more sophisticated.
I might acid etch designs into my frame next...what? ...the tubes are gonna snap?
I running stuff that's strong -not light.
I'm not hucking, i'm orthotropically challenged.
Gravity is a harsh mistress.
Thanx for your concern though, really!
I am not doing this as a whim.
Some thought is going into the project. Don't go off drilling your lightweight components kids.
I bought heavier thickness of metal with the idea to do this. I've bent 2 pairs of bars already.
And grinding\cutting\shaping metal is a hobby I include with mtbing.
Lil' custom edges, can't buy that.
Again, my bars are 1/2 cm thick walls.
My stem is the same bolt\faceplate threadless ones everyone uses that are aluminium.
Mines chromoly steel...and hard!