making a Frame???

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Nathan_S

Likes Bikes and Dirt
hey guys,

Next year im in my final year of school and one of the subjects i do is technology studies. In this subject you create ideas and make a folio to match it and seeing as i'll be in my last year of school we get to make whatever we want.

So im thinking of building a freeriding frameor something along those lines and i was wondering if it would be worth my while or is it to risky?
 
kholden_1992

kholden_1992

Likes Dirt
i think you should be fine. you pretty much have a whole year to get it mint don't you?

the only risky part would be cutting your driving finger off like i did today lol
 
N

Nathan_S

Likes Bikes and Dirt
yeah we got a whole but also need to compose a design folio with it

I was wondering if it woiuld be to hard to make all the pivot points right or just by a whole frame?
 
scoobydid

scoobydid

Likes Dirt
If you're passionate about it then do it.
Why not try approaching existing frame builders (email) and let them know what you are doing and what you hope to achieve. Hopefully, one of them will be supportive and give you the information you might need to make a more informed decision.
I'd probably look at doing that soon so you have more time to plan or, if it turns out to be too big a task, change the scope of your project.
 
N

Nathan_S

Likes Bikes and Dirt
i was thinking of making a nicolai frame so i emai lthem and they should give me the geometry specs?
 
Jimass

Jimass

Eats Squid
No. Unless you pay royalties that won't happen. You need to design you OWN frame right?

Email smaller companies and ask for some general info on what pivots work and what don't ect.
 
.BP.

.BP.

Likes Dirt
Seriously don't bother unless you are fully dedicated as i have done that coarse and everyone tends to get over the subject. At the start it will be all good you will enjoy it but when the end of the year comes around you will regret choosing the subject.

Making something you are interested in may help, i built a trailer to carry the bikes without having to strap them in but the build quality starts to get less and less towards the end of the year as you get over the subject.

Its your choice but if i had the choice again i defiantly wouldn't do it.
 
bipyjamas

bipyjamas

Likes Dirt
I think it'd be more fun to build a stem or something simple like that, it gives you more time to just get creative with it and if worse comes to worse you can just keep it simple and still come out with something decent... like a paper weight ;)

A fixed/freewheel hub might be interesting too.
 
evObda2

evObda2

Likes Bikes and Dirt
bipyjamas said:
I think it'd be more fun to build a stem or something simple like that, it gives you more time to just get creative with it and if worse comes to worse you can just keep it simple and still come out with something decent... like a paper weight ;)

A fixed/freewheel hub might be interesting too.
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I like this point.. everyone doing this seems to focus on "the frame"..
Why not show some engineering and design skill by focusing more on something smaller, like a nice machined bling hubset?

Although quiet small.. these components are very thought out to work as well as they do, and i think, will show more engineering thought and practices than welding some tubes together and a linkage (and yes i know building a frame isnt that simple im just exaggerating my point) :p
 
.BP.

.BP.

Likes Dirt
Yeah my brother designed a chain guide that was supposed to keep the same tension on the chain throughout the travel of a bike. It would have been good if it was thought out better.
 
Fat_Ride

Fat_Ride

Likes Bikes and Dirt
.BP. said:
Seriously don't bother unless you are fully dedicated as i have done that coarse and everyone tends to get over the subject. At the start it will be all good you will enjoy it but when the end of the year comes around you will regret choosing the subject.

Making something you are interested in may help, i built a trailer to carry the bikes without having to strap them in but the build quality starts to get less and less towards the end of the year as you get over the subject.

Its your choice but if i had the choice again i defiantly wouldn't do it.
Click to expand...
You should put this post in your resume somewhere...
 
S

smeck

Likes Dirt
Without knowing what your skills are I'm still going to say that making a frame is out of your league. While the welding and profile cutting the tubes is difficult enough, you still have to work out your geometry and materials. Technology studies certainly used to need you to demonstrate a level of planning and knowledge. Without some real mathematical engineering (not possible with high school maths) you will end up with a lot of guess work and hunches. So it may be best to avoid a project where you will struggle to justify why you used a 1.5mm wall thickness tube instead of a stronger and safer 2mm. Also consider what if you build a DJ frame and it breaks on you, even professionally built frames fail so do you have faith in your skills and knowledge to use it after all the effort to make it?

Unless Technology Studies has changed since I did it, you get about the same amount of your marks from the design folio as you do the actual construction of the project. I didn't even finish my project and scored awesome marks so my tip is to concentrate on a component where you can really get into the technical design without having to go nuts with engineering justification. A hub or a stem would be better but there's similar problems here and then its a machining exercise. Are you going to be able to monopolise a lathe and mill for the time taken to make it? Are you going to use it? If you make a mistake will you have to start the whole project again or can you do it in small bits and assemble it? Good blocks of billet for machining might be hard to get at school, RHS and tubing will be cheap and easy.

Build something that you will use and its easier to stay motivated, perhaps something like a bike stand, or a rack with a locking/clamping mechanism that can't be defeated with bolt cutters. Do a big design feature like a rotating head that uses a spring/ball bearing detent with a spring loaded pin lock. Then you can get into the design and pro's/con's argument without having to download the One Steel catalogue. You'll get the added benefit of being able to use it for years at home and be able to modify it if your needs change.

Good luck with what ever you choose.
 
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N

NH_

Likes Bikes and Dirt
haha so true fat ride, he said that because no employer would hire you if your quality drops over time

i wouldnt even bother trying to make a bike frame unless you can weld to a high standard even just cutting the tubing has to be within really tight tolerances, none of this oh ill just weld that gap up it will be fine

the higher you aim the more stress your going to have on you, your in high school most metalwork/tech teachers in high school i know of couldnt really weld that good themselves they just teach what they learnt in the same subject at school and stuff so if you make something simple but to really high quality its better then doing something hard and failing
 
.BP.

.BP.

Likes Dirt
I would be proud to show an employee the finished project and the quality it was built to but after 2 years of a teacher telling my that the trailer wont pass rego and that its not built properly changed my whole view of the subject. Only to prove the teacher wrong and for him to take no responsibility in causing me to take longer to finish the project.

It may be different at other schools but i know most student that took the course at this school were well and truly over it by the end.

I have other certificates to show an employees that are a lot more worthy of showing them. For example i have a certificate for coming 5th in NSW for World Skills in Metal And Engineering which was a result of me enjoying what i did so judging me from telling the truth is just plain stupid.

I seriously would like to see you keep up to your best in those circumstances.
 
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