So refreshing to see someone do things the way most of us would do things. I have a vise, files and a hacksaw. Most guys just want to show off all their fancy stuff that I don't have. Your videos are the most helpful I have found. You are teaching not showing off. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I will be watching I can find that you do.
I remember watching this video a while back. It inspired me to finally get started on my first frame that I’d been thinking of doing for a while but didn’t have any fancy tools. Thanks for the great content! Another cool tip that I learned from Marc-Andre Chimonas’s book Lugged Bicycle Frame Construction is to wrap a bit of sandpaper facing outward around the other tube and grinding out your mitred tube using that after you get pretty close with hand files.
Just flicked through the comments and saw someone mention that trick already and you mentioned it’ll be a slightly larger diameter than desired which is also true! You’re right that maybe using a slightly smaller diameter would help.
Get it as tight as you can. Less than a fingernail gap is a good starting place. As you develop skill it becomes easier to get the good fitup. If you're REALLY good at welding you can fill some gaps, but it's not recommended and it's certainly not easy at all. Much better and easier to start with tight fitting joints.
I was wondering if it would be ideal to wrap a tube in sandpaper to make a final pass and have a exact and uniform radius? Lets say for brazing where its more critical
You can do that sort of thing. Wrapping a tube in sandpaper will increase its diameter by a significant amount, so ideally you'd use something round that was slightly smaller in diameter than the tube you're trying to fit it to. And that would also require that you could make a "file stroke" exactly at the angle you wanted and centered perfectly left to right. If you use a file or sanding method that is slightly undersize on the radius, it allows you to sort of "chip away" at it and sneak up on your fit, and that seems to work really well when you get a feel for it.
So refreshing to see someone do things the way most of us would do things. I have a vise, files and a hacksaw. Most guys just want to show off all their fancy stuff that I don't have. Your videos are the most helpful I have found. You are teaching not showing off. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I will be watching I can find that you do.
Very nice tips (again), IMHO you deserve many more subscribers, such great & honest content!
I remember watching this video a while back. It inspired me to finally get started on my first frame that I’d been thinking of doing for a while but didn’t have any fancy tools. Thanks for the great content!
Another cool tip that I learned from Marc-Andre Chimonas’s book Lugged Bicycle Frame Construction is to wrap a bit of sandpaper facing outward around the other tube and grinding out your mitred tube using that after you get pretty close with hand files.
Just flicked through the comments and saw someone mention that trick already and you mentioned it’ll be a slightly larger diameter than desired which is also true! You’re right that maybe using a slightly smaller diameter would help.
This was very helpful. Thank you for sharing your experience.
excellent camera work
hey very good chanel! How to miter down tube for tapered head tube ?!
Great video. I'd love to see a series where you build a simple frame with nothing but hand tools, just to show that it can be done.
It can be done, but boy is it tedious. I probably won’t make that video series, but it would be cool.
Sir my frame cant accomodate 700c x 28mm. Can i hand file the bridge where the rear brake is installed? I need to reduce 10-20%
Also, really enjoy your videos, thanks for sharing....
Thanks for watching
how many mm gap is acceptable before joining tubes for a fillet, lug, or tig weld to be safely strong? thanks for amazing vids.
Get it as tight as you can. Less than a fingernail gap is a good starting place. As you develop skill it becomes easier to get the good fitup. If you're REALLY good at welding you can fill some gaps, but it's not recommended and it's certainly not easy at all. Much better and easier to start with tight fitting joints.
interpolating......glad I got a chance to talk to you at NAHBS
If tubes are double butted how much of a butt must remain after cutting tube length before tube structure is weakened? Thank you!
I was wondering if it would be ideal to wrap a tube in sandpaper to make a final pass and have a exact and uniform radius? Lets say for brazing where its more critical
You can do that sort of thing. Wrapping a tube in sandpaper will increase its diameter by a significant amount, so ideally you'd use something round that was slightly smaller in diameter than the tube you're trying to fit it to. And that would also require that you could make a "file stroke" exactly at the angle you wanted and centered perfectly left to right. If you use a file or sanding method that is slightly undersize on the radius, it allows you to sort of "chip away" at it and sneak up on your fit, and that seems to work really well when you get a feel for it.
Dude, you’re da beeest!
Just curious, what kind of tubing do you use on a bike frame
For steel bikes it's generally 4130 tubing or similar.
Do you have a favorite brand or model of hand file? Or what to look for in a good hand file?
ok, lol should have watched video first, chrome moly.