Monday, November 10, 2008

Now I can start prepping the lugs...






















Well I got the tubing set I ordered from Novacycles.com it is a basic Dedaccia Crmo OS package with lugs and bottom bracket. I think it is a perfect blend of price and set up for a beginning builder... meaning if I screw it up it won't hurt so bad in the wallet.

After ogling the tubes and lugs I decided to get started on boring out the lugs to fit the tubes with the recommended "slopy fit". After eating my lunch sitting on the garage steps and thinking about all the things that could go wrong here... I took a few deep breaths and got started.


in the photo's you will see the lugs clamped in the vice, I used a dremel to grind out the sockets (typically needed to take off about .001 of an inch to make the tubes even enter the socket. The 1st lug (the lower head lug) took me about 1.5 hours just to grind out enough to fit the tube with the slightly sloppy fit. I learned qucikly how easy it is to snag or spin the grinder outside of the working area on the lug (see the two grind marks on the point in the vice).

The next lug was the top tube/head lug and I tried a couple different bits on the dremel and found that the sand paper bit works best for removing more material (but the stone shoots lots of sparks for the dramatic effect) it only took me about an hour on this one.


Not pictured is the seat lug and bottom bracket, I ended up doing them on Sunday evening and was able to bore and finish the outsides in under 2 hours.

I think everything fits pretty well and I have the right "sloppy fit" I need for silver brazing. Tonight I will start mittering the tubes which I think will be a more tedious process but we will see.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Good luck with your project(s), I think you'll have a rewarding experience!
Craig

Unknown said...

keep the posts and pics coming. I am right behind you on my first build. So, if you don't mind, I am going to use you as sort of a guinea pig. keep it up!

The lessons I am learning are amazing and really fun to work out...

The pictures below are the work I did last night, finished grinding the bottom bracket sockets.
Notched out the seat stays to fit the drop outs...
And the big big moment... doing my 1st miter on the seat tube (Tim calls this one the most forgiving miter and he is right)

I think that many of the lessons and techniques I have learned from wood working are carrying over into metal working very nicely.

bottom bracket, right side done (before finshing sanding)

bottom bracket, right side done (before finshing sanding)
the left socket is just starting to get ground, notice how thin the walls of the right socket have gotten. there is a lesson there and you will see in following pics!

grinding with a stone

grinding with a stone
it took a while with this stone but with the tight corners I had to use it because I only have one small sand paper bit left

ooh ahhh... a little sparks flyin

ooh ahhh... a little sparks flyin
That lesson I spoke of earlier is happening in this pic...

Ahhh... oh DOH!

Ahhh... oh DOH!
is that blueing? Yup that is the lesson that I learned on this socket. the grinding stone heats the metal very fast and as that wall gt thinner it started blueing. Bad, bad, bad! so I will have to sand and reshape that wall a little because I even got some chipping around the blue.

Chain stays with the drop outs notched in...

Chain stays with the drop outs notched in...
So this one was a little scary because I wasn't sure if I would get them straight and true... it ended up ok but I can do better.

Notching wasn't to hard but keeping everything even was hard

Notching wasn't to hard but keeping everything even was hard
I decided to try the bevel sides on the notch, I think I can do better so I may do the stays again?

The big moment... my first miter!

The big moment... my first miter!
I should have taken some before during and after shots but this went pretty fast actually. this is the ruff cut, I rounded it out better and got rid of that hump on the back wall

A little different angle... check out my home made tube holder... works like a charm!

A little different angle... check out my home made tube holder... works like a charm!
I am so proud of the wood block tube holder... now I just have to make the other sizes

A quick fit test...

A quick fit test...
Not bad forthe 1st miter and fit check... I only need to file the inside edges to match the bevel of the inside of the BB

Nother fit check after some finishing

Nother fit check after some finishing
still need to angle the inside of the edges then it is done and ready for finihsing before brazing. I also still need to finish the socket wall to clean up any uneven edges or tooling marks