Building a board track frame from scratch...sort of

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gestalt

New Member
Feb 18, 2011
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MA
So I had this pretty decent worksman newsboy on eBay, and after almost a week the sale the vendor backs out! So I've decided to use the wealth of donor bikes I have and use my hydraulic bender to make my own darned self. What I don't have is tubing right now and I was wondering where I could sourc really burly steel tubing on the east coast, preferably new england. I want to use a thicker gauge than normal bike tubing, what would be a good thickness to go with?

This all just seems so much simpler considering all the work that would go into installing a drop loop and stretching the top tubes on a worksman.
 

gestalt

New Member
Feb 18, 2011
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MA
I'm in Boston, well Allston actually. Same difference. Me and some buddies finally put together a little shop space just down the street and let me tell you it is quite the step up from working on the fire escape. 'tis a humble shop with naught more than a cheap drill press, welder, cheap as heck tube bender and a small assortment of other tools.

I have checked out framebuilding.com before, but I avoid ordering stuff from all the way across the pond if I can. I'm wondering if there is a MA supplier, possibly tubing that is used for something else would end up working great. Plus, I'm going to need some pretty long lengths for this frame. Having just a couple 24' sticks laying around would be real nice.

I chopped the rear triangle and head tube off a mountain bike to use. I'm thinking all I'll have to bend up is the top tube, down tube and that cross tube in the middle. I have some plate to make some custom dropouts out of.
 

flybytaco

Metal Molding Madman
Oct 17, 2009
1,170
8
0
seekonk MASS
i think emt conduit could work. esp if its gusseted up nice like 1 inch i have used it in frame sections before and it never broke or bent i wouldnt take it in the woods tho ahh maybee tho lol
 

gestalt

New Member
Feb 18, 2011
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MA
What kind of wall thickness do you think? By hyd lines do you mean hydraulic? What would be a good source for that? Questions, questions, questions.
 

discontinuuity

New Member
May 24, 2010
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Colorado, USA
You can remove zinc by soaking it in acid. I've had pretty good success using plain vinegar, but if you want to be real fancy you could sort of reverse-electroplate it.
 

gestalt

New Member
Feb 18, 2011
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MA
I found a place in sommerville that has 1 1/4" 14ga tubing that I can get for just under $50 a stick. I'm going to pick up one on Monday as I didn't get out of work in time to do it today. I'm pretty sure I'm going to go there on my MB with a grinder and cut it in half there to get it home. They aren't the kind of place to cut for free.

What I haven't decided yet is if I'm going to modify my bike with a rack like people use to carry surf boards on their bikes or construct a bob trailer this weekend. The rack would be much easier to implement but doesn't give me much in the way of cargo capability beyond carrying sticks of stock. I'm leaning twords the trailer because I need to start getting back in shape for when I go back to working as a pedicab driver in april. I figure I can pull a weighted trailer on my ten mile commute. No way to replicate pulling 500lbs of people, 300lbs of bike and my 180lb weight though.
 

gestalt

New Member
Feb 18, 2011
10
0
0
MA
You can remove zinc by soaking it in acid. I've had pretty good success using plain vinegar, but if you want to be real fancy you could sort of reverse-electroplate it.
As a kid I used to take a box of my dads old galvanized nails and put them in a metal bucket and pour muratic acid on it. The reaction produces much hydrogen and I would light the bucket. Whala, instant hydrogen torch!
 

gestalt

New Member
Feb 18, 2011
10
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0
MA
So I had never purchased anything from harbor freight because I thought they were mail order only and I usually hunt for tools locally. Well I found out about a store about half an hour away and made the trip this morning.

ZOMG!!!

I could move in there. I came for the tubing notcher, and almost left with a sandblaster, air compressor and powdercoater. I managed to think better of it and only get the notcher, angle finder, wrench set and a survival knife. But I'll be back for the powder coat stuff for sure within the next two weeks. I've been doing nothing but researching how to diy a oven bigg enough to bake these frames since I got home.
 
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chainmaker

Well-Known Member
Jan 19, 2010
2,634
69
48
Ma USA
Hey gestalt and taco,
If you like chopping frames I got some great diy plans for you pm me your e-mail and I will send them to you.

Cheers