how much does carbon tubing cost?....and steel bottom bracket cages etc...

[montage]

Ok....somebody stop me before I go mad with this...
But is carbon tubing expensive?
And are all the metal parts such as dropouts, BB cage etc possible to get/cheap?

Will I die if I do this?

I ask because I saw this: http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=27899

 

[fossyant]

I wouldn't...... really..... you'll not know structural integrity....

Danbo built his own steel frame, but then he's an 'engineering fella'

 

[Will1985]

Get in touch with Xav on TTF - he likes playing around with bits of carbon and is at Portsmouth uni. Might be able to advise you.

 

[montage]

I wouldn't...... really..... you'll not know structural integrity....

Danbo built his own steel frame, but then he's an 'engineering fella'

How hard can it be? Carbon tubing goes into slot...superglue...gaffa tape... job's a goodun.

Get in touch with Xav on TTF - he likes playing around with bits of carbon and is at Portsmouth uni. Might be able to advise you.

Xav on TTF? I take it TTF is time trialing forum, xav being a user of it...... if not then please correct me

 

[Will1985]

Correct.

 

[Joe24]

OOo i never saw that.
My brother works with carbon fibre, he could sort that thing out.
Oh, and carbon tubing is pretty expensive.
Be better if the drop outs were different and were track ones though......

 

[montage]

Tubing on ebay doesn't seem too costly...could most likely get all the tubes for under £150 ....but the question is, would it really be lighter than a decent aluminium frame?..

 

[Joe24]

Is it the right diametre for the frame?
Is it made to be used as part of a bike frame?
This is my 5000 post

 

[youngoldbloke]

!m, 20.8mm OD, around £30, e.g. see Carbonology http://www.carbonology.com/carbon-tube-over-12mm-od-18mm-id-208mm-od-c-64_76_77.html

 

[hubgearfreak]

a decent aluminium frame?..

is there such a thing?

 

[Will1985]

This is my 5000 post

Get back to revision!

I can't talk

 

[montage]

Is it the right diametre for the frame?
Is it made to be used as part of a bike frame?
This is my 5000 post

I'm thinking of possibly (looong project) making a carbon fibre frame myself....but interested to see if this is just completely stupid or an actual acheivable, cost efficient idea.

 

[montage]

youngoldbloke.... nice link! thanks

So if I am going to base this frame on the trek that I linked in the OP, there are a few obvious problems:

1. Aquiring all the "parts" which connect the bits of tube to each other ..... It could be as simple as ebaying for some of these, and then finding carbon tubing with the correct diameter, but then welding or sticking the parts together could be a nightmare.

2. Safety. I really don't want carbon splinters up my arse...so I would need to check if the carbon tubing is strong enough, and if I have the tubing thick enough. If I stick to circular tubing throughout then this should be pretty sturdy provided that thickness + "welding" is correct

How do you stick carbon to the steel connecting parts?

 

[Headgardener]

Didn't I read somewhere that you have to bake the carbon or something like that?

 

[PpPete]

How do you stick carbon to the steel connecting parts?

There are some 2 part epoxy resins used in the aerospace industry that will do it. Don't know how commercially available they are, and you have to get the proportions just right. Have a look at araldite maybe?