# Wooden mudguards.



## Hilldodger (28 Dec 2009)

Tomorrow I'm going to make the jig and steamer so that I can start producing wooden mudguards I've already planed down the thin strips of well seasoned english ash.

You will of course be the first to know how I get on.


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## GrahamNR17 (28 Dec 2009)

Wooden? 

As in, for ordinary bikes? Or are they something for restoring hobbyhorse type stuff?

Sounds really intriguing!


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## dan_bo (28 Dec 2009)

I'll have some off you.[/pissed]


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## BlueDog (28 Dec 2009)

I am equally intrigued and admire your creativity, but why  ? - With all the rain about these day, is this in the quest of a floatable bike  ?

Anyway, good luck and I really look forward to seeing the results


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## bauldbairn (28 Dec 2009)

GrahamNR17 said:


> Wooden?
> 
> As in, for ordinary bikes? Or are they something for restoring hobbyhorse type stuff?
> 
> Sounds really intriguing!



+1


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## Hilldodger (29 Dec 2009)

Wooden mudguards were often fitted to late Victorian/Edwardian bikes and I have a nice pair to fit to an 1896 ladies bike I'm restoring. 

I'll also be fitting them as an option to the reproduction 1890's bikes I'm making as part of the Leicester Cycle Company brand.

And I'm sure they'll be a must have for the London fixie crowd

Mine will be nicer than these http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/accessories/mudguards/road/product/wooden-mudguards-10042


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## BlueDog (29 Dec 2009)

Oh I see. I hadn't heard of wooden mudguards before, but having read your reply and done a bit of Googling, it sounds like you've got an interesting project on you hands

Good luck and I hope you will keep us posted with progress. In the meantime, here's a nice bike photo with wooden mudguards from the www .....


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## alecstilleyedye (29 Dec 2009)

BlueDog said:


> Oh I see. I hadn't heard of wooden mudguards before, but having read your reply and done a bit of Googling, it sounds like you've got an interesting project on you hands
> 
> Good luck and I hope you will keep us posted with progress. In the meantime, here's a nice bike photo with wooden mudguards from the www .....



not sure about the egg-beaters on that thing though…


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## longers (29 Dec 2009)

That is a nice looking bike Bluedog.

I'm also interested to hear and see how you get on with your project Hilldodger, you could make your fortune out of this.


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## Wobbly John (30 Dec 2009)

I tried laminating some a couple of years ago, but they came out of the mould slightly twisted. 

We made a steamer up at work for steaming timber - a length of 4" waste pipe with ends, and connected it to a wallpaper-stripping steamer - worked quite well, but the plastic pipe needs support as it sags a bit.

I'm thinking about trying to do another set, by putting the glued laminations between the inner tube and tyre & pumping them up to apply pressure. Hopefully there'll be enough spring to turn out the correct size - if not I'll have to try to borrow a 29er wheel.


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## longers (30 Dec 2009)

What did you make your former out of John? Just being nosey!


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## Wobbly John (31 Dec 2009)

Plywood - We had routered out a circle for a glass centred table top, and I routered another cut at wheel radius, in the waste bit, so that I had a hoop and a disc. Put laminations in about half of it then used wedges in the opposite half to apply pressure.

I hadn't pre-steamed them to shape and it turned out twisted, probably because of the difficulty handling strips of springy wood covered in epoxy.


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## Arch (31 Dec 2009)

Wobbly John said:


> I tried laminating some a couple of years ago, but they came out of the mould slightly twisted.



Come on, I know you. Surely you then made a bike with slightly twisted wheels and frame to fit them?

Anyway, good luck with them Rog, I look forward to seeing the results.


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## Night Train (5 Jan 2010)

When laminating and steam bending wood you do need to be aware of the grain of the wood. Avoiding areas of short grain and twisted or wild grain helps ensure that the result is closer to a true curve.

In terms of laminating the spring back is dependent on the number of laminations.
This is the equation.

Percent of spring back = 100 x [1÷(N²-1)] 

where N = the number of laminations.
This equation can be found on: http://davewoodshop.homestead.com/coldbending.html
and on other internet sites.

This can also be expressed as :

r = R÷(N²-1)
where:
R is the radius of the former
R+r is the radius of your finished work
N is the number of laminations

Steam bending is more forgiving as you can over bend the wood and then relax the bend a bit if it is too tight by opening it out a little.

There is a short period of time when the cooling timber is still a little 'adjustable' when it comes out of the mould. When it has cooled properly it will be pretty much fixed.
You can re steam it but you will need to make a curved steam pipe to take it.


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## stevew (17 Dec 2011)

Hi Hilldodger,

Did you ever suceed in producing these for sale ?
I'm looking for a short rear one that fits on the rear brake mounting.


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## Night Train (18 Dec 2011)

stevew said:


> Hi Hilldodger,
> 
> Did you ever suceed in producing these for sale ?
> I'm looking for a short rear one that fits on the rear brake mounting.


I might be pursuaded to make some.


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## BenM (19 Jan 2012)

These from the good old US of A look rather nice - http://www.woodysfenders.com/store/index.php?main_page=page&id=4


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## snorri (19 Jan 2012)

Have you considered recycled Aluminium?


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## seadragonpisces (4 Mar 2012)

My Schwinn Vestige has bamboo front and rear fenders, it looks super cool. There is a folding bike company, I forget the name, I think it starts with a D and one of their bikes has/had fenders made of wood or something similar, looks good and retro. Love it


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