Building a custom frame..

hoakin1981

Hello fellow riders. The subject line pretty much sums it up. I am very interested in the idea of building my own frame, design & all. I have managed to find some information on the net but I would really like to hear the opinion of someone who has actually tried doing something like this. I have many questions, like where to get the materials from, what would be the estimated cost of building it, what software did you use for the design..

Pretty much any info on the subject will be much appreciated. Also any tips on some bibliography would be most welcome!

Many thanks in advance for all the help!

Ride safe.

Berk Bonebonce

I think you will find that you will have to build your jigs before your frame. I believe Dave Yates teaches courses to similarily misguided people like yourself. And there's actually a Framebuilding Forum.

desweller

I'm doing a spot of research for the same reason.

This thread could be useful:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=16053263

I think this site has some good pointers too:

http://www.littlefishbicycles.com/

marcusjb

To second that the Dave Yates course might be a great way to go (I think booked up for 2011 already).

I was just reading about it, with a load of pictures here - http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=39924.0

Looks amazingly rewarding and the best way to get going with building a frame properly.

darren H

Yeah could be a good thread. I worked in brazed frame at raleigh in 1992 . A lot of work was set up for you but its very rewarding doing it yourself.
Good luck

ynyswen24

Downland Cycles in Canterbury also do a course. Have a look on the web for Patereks framebuilding manual, there is a web version - it's considered the standard reference book. http://www.timpaterek.com/index.html
Google Ceeways for all supplies, they do a starter kit for about £120, can be a bit slow to contact but are very helpful. http://www.framebuilding.com/index.htm
Bike Forest is a good online design program and the Frame builders Forum is worth looking at, a lot of the revered custom builders (Richard Sachs etc) seem to be on there and it's a great source of info and inspiration.
I even found a book that details a rough and ready, but doable, means of building using some basic homemade jigs - Lugged Bicycle Frame Construction: A Manual for the First Time Builder by Marc-Andre R. Chimonas. I think it's methods are pretty basic but show it can be done.
Finally, if you are near Bristol then
http://www.bespokedbristol.co.uk/Bespok ... _2011.html
is worth looking at...

Berk Bonebonce

marcusjb wrote:

Looks amazingly rewarding and the best way to get going with building a frame properly.

Precisely. You can't build a frame properly unless you have a workshop containing a couple of grand worth of kit.

ride_whenever

I think bob jackson also does framebuilding courses where you build a frame for a bout £450