Calfee DIY bamboo
 

This is already a thread over in the single speed forum, but I thought this subforum would be interested as well. I know I am, I have never built a frame but I've definitely made a lot of fiberglass model airplane things and I'd like to try it.

I saw this in pictures from NAHBS and was wondering about the jig. I've seen it in photos also from his Bamboo ventures in Africa. After my wood frame I'm going to dabble in Bamboo next. Hence I'm using the same joint wrapping techniques so it shouldn't be too different.

I would trust Craig's kit more then others (not that I have any reason to think other kits are bad) as he's done a LOT of research on the type and treatment of bamboo that works best for frame building. Andy.

The idea for this kit is that the jig be reusable. You can sell it or share it. The Kickstarter levels gradually make the tool kit more complete and adds more and more build kits. I don't see however how this would work in a class setting as suggested, wouldn't you need one jig per student?

I think the idea was at NAHBS they would build a frame over the weekend. I've no idea if that actually happened, though, as I was only there on day 1 and took the one photo. I suppose this being CA that there might be problems making sawdust and using epoxy or other chemicals right in front of people.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1623/...9573296e_c.jpgUntitled[/URL] by Darth Lefty[/URL], on Flickr

I also think it's noteworthy that this setup will let you pick the style of bike, and includes a kid-sized BMX option, and potentially a little-kid-sized 18" BMX option.

I think it's ingenious as the jig itself is just common stuff from any hardware store. I would love to just buy a jig and the frame materials and also get the template sheets. I wonder if the head tube is already pre faced and reamed also? The coolest thing is his change from hemp or carbon for the joint and just using cast wrap instead. No messy resin/hardners to mess with. After watching the whole set of steps he has on YouTube it almost makes me want to try out cast wrap instead. You can pick up a 10 pack for $50-60 which would easily do a single frame if not two.

he would have made a ton of money with this 7 1/2 years ago

If you check the Kickstarter levels I think you're looking for the $580 pledge level... jig kit and a bike kit (and 1mo rental of the mitering kit). Or the $800 level which includes a mitering kit for you to own.

It does look like it would be pretty easy to use the same plan with nearly any suitable tubular material. I wonder what else you could come up with. What would be fun? Can you imagine a frame made of... baseball bats? pool cues? heheheh

It also looks like it should be adaptable to other frame styles or standards, should it be popular enough the kits can be profitable. I'm certain they could sell more fatbike or Boost-standard kits than 18in BMX bikes, anyhow.

The jig's cost isn't in the materials but the dimensions it is made to. If one has the skills to design and fabricate the jig to be straight and square I doubt that person would be looking at the jig to begin with. Andy.

Herobikes.org sells their frame jigs separate from their kits. Cast wrap maybe easier to work with, but IMHO its looks terrible. Also the typical medical advice for a cast is not to get it wet - that advice wouldn't translate well to the bicycle world.

It occurred to me that casting tape comes in a lot of colors, but it looks like it also already occurred to some of the students in the video https://youtu.be/ikyxKgu8WPo?t=1m12s

The bikes shown at the show were all painted with epoxy or something, protecting both the bamboo and the wrap. No problemo.

After watching Calfree's instructional videos, I retract the ugly comment. I still prefer the look of carbon or hemp.

A thinned epoxy coat on the base and then a top coat of polyurethane.

All these jigs are clever and simple, but all have their flaws.

The Hero bike jig is solid, but only allows for the one width of dropout (i.e. if you have a thicker one it throws out your alignment) and one head tube diameter. These are things you can work around with a bag of assorted washers.

There are improvements that can be made to some smaller parts. I'm going to make some parts to improve somethings like nicer cones/plugs for the head tube when doing the layup and a part to go over the seat post insert for the same reason. When you do your layup you can wrap against something sturdy and with a neat edge, so later when you pop everything off you have a nice flat and crisp edge.

I figure I could make a pretty good go of making my own jig, esp. since I'm good enough at CAD and have some friends with 3D printers to make some clever parts. You could go a long way if you already have some basic shop and carpentry tools like a caliper, a drill press, a miter saw.

I think Calfee are thinking ahead about bike styles. One of their videos showed that the tool kit has spacers for a bigger head tube, and I thought I saw something with Boost spacing.

There's about an hour of instruction videos, I haven't watched them all yet but confident that if I did I'd be well on my own way.

The j need for a jig seems to stall many people from pursuing their own build. You can just dispense with it altogether and just match up your frame to an accurate drawing and use clamped straight edges off the bottom bracket to line everything up piece by piece.

You'll also get much better glue tacking ability that way since it will pool properly around the circumference of the miter rather than sagging to one side on a flat jig.

The last addition to the stable was a decent used tandem that cost less than this... that time SWMBO said, "It's always been up to you..." which is not a ringing endorsement but I took it. But this time she has exercised her veto :-/ There's stuff we are saving for, I'm only disappointed and not angry. Maybe someday!

I've been watching the videos. It seems like the mitering kit is way more crucial to the process than the jig. The jig could indeed be recreated with hardware store parts and a caliper. But it also seems like the mitering kit is something you could manage without if you had a benchtop drill press and a vise to go in it that has sufficiently big jaws for the tubes... shoots... whatever.

Use it as a headlamp or something

Noticed the dropouts are aluminum, they have track ends but also a non-replaceable derailleur hanger. No rack eyes.

The headlamp idea is great!

Some of the parts are available separately but it looks like the only way to get a kit right now is via the Kickstarter

DIY-kit - CALFEE DESIGN

Mitering-cut a small v to get it started and round it out with a Nicholson half round and then sandpaper stuck to a tube of the correct dimensions. Not difficult.

Not difficult but certainly more time-consuming! That's the power of power tools.

The videos show him building a road frame but nevertheless he has to trim down the outer front of the chain stays where they are barely narrower than the BB shell winding flanges. But he advertises that there will be MTB kits. I'm curious how a MTB would work with another half inch on either side. A 100mm shell maybe? Or stays that aren't straight?

I have power tools but it's easier to do a good job by hand. For a person just building a frame for themselves then the use of hand tools will enhance their ability to finish the frame nicely.

Power tools are good for moving a lot of material, very quickly. Which can be handy...right up to that point when you've removed too much!

It is very easy to screw up unless you are well practiced. Take your time - by hand - and you'll usually get a better result.

I do rough cuts and unseen work (things that can be hidden) with the more 'vicious' tools.

Agreed! It's like learning to drive and picking between a $20K sedan and a race car. Sure one can learn with both but the costs of a mistake with the race car is far greater. Andy.(who usually comes up with better analogies)

It is probably heresy to say this, but I would be interested to know the overall environmental impact of bamboo that is cut down from a forest somewhere, shipped across the ocean, coated in volatile organic compounds to make it water proof, and all the other processes that go into this, versus a steel frame. Also correct for the expected useful life span of both. Is this really a greener bike, or just a greenwashed bike?

^^You can plant the bamboo bike and it will sprout, and turn into more bikes.

Depends if it's being sold as such. There is plenty of ways to make the process as green as you want. Local bamboo is available for a considerable number of people as well.

For some people it's just their building and riding material of choice, nothing more.

Bicycles are factory products. If I had to guess, I would suppose these are probably worse than the others if only because their volume is so low. For what it's worth, the appeal for me is not anything about the environment. It looks like a fun and tractable project with a rewarding output.

I hope this meets the goal and the project is funded because I'd like to buy a kit in the future, even though it's not in the budget for me today. As of now it's at $13.5k of $30k goal with seven days left. Sometimes KS has a rush at the end, here's wishing.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...o-bike-diy-kit