Race chassis

[Grumph]

Made by Norgren apprentices ? How to go to extreme lengths to avoid welding...

[F5 Dave]

Maybe they smashed their welders with big hammers.

Bit adjustable though.

[husaberg]

Made by Norgren apprentices ? How to go to extreme lengths to avoid welding...

First pic had me thinking Bert Greeves.

[Grumph]

First pic had me thinking Bert Greeves.

Well, up to a point...Greeves used the cast beams due to the poor quality of steel tube available.
One of those front beams would have sufficed - Looks like it has one each side.

[husaberg]

Well, up to a point...Greeves used the cast beams due to the poor quality of steel tube available.
One of those front beams would have sufficed - Looks like it has one each side.

Bert had a foundry as well.
Symmetry is often appealing.

[richban]

I have been wanting to build a farme for a while now. Its a new year so why not give it a crack.

I want to build 2. One for my F5 50 and one for my F4 90.

This is my inspiration. I have know idea what I am doing. Should be frustrating and very rewarding.

[Grumph]

I'll tell you up front that that layout of what are effectively crossed girders will distort like buggery unless the right welding sequence is used.
It will be so stiff in a vertical plane that straightening - or adjusting the head angle - is damm near impossible.
I did a small Harris magnum style copy with the typical crossed triangulation at the head and hit major touble.

Tack everything up with the joints as tight and well shaped as possible and only finish weld when you're happy you've got it right.

What are you using for a jig ?

[F5 Dave]

They do look the shit. And Kaitoki is mainly right handers so if distorts, try to favour that.

[richban]

I'll tell you up front that that layout of what are effectively crossed girders will distort like buggery unless the right welding sequence is used.
It will be so stiff in a vertical plane that straightening - or adjusting the head angle - is damm near impossible.
I did a small Harris magnum style copy with the typical crossed triangulation at the head and hit major touble.

Tack everything up with the joints as tight and well shaped as possible and only finish weld when you're happy you've got it right.

What are you using for a jig ?

Yeah the distortion is one thing I hate when welding. When I was making my 300 pipes I started to embrace it a little. It helped pull things around a bit.

Jig. That will be Phase 2. Phase one will be designing the jig. In my mind I'm already trying to figure what colour the finished frame will be. Crack up. There are lots of good ideas for jigs on line.

Phase 3 will be designing the bike. I really like Frits's mention of Zero offset forks. I know from riding MTbs that a shorter stem / offest the more positive control, to a pont. But of course the most important thing will be getting that trial right. Well its all important!

One of the other many things I don't know how to do is the pipe bending. I have seen the sand method and heard of other ways to do it.
For the Bucket frames I want to use some 1.2 or 1mm wall steel tube. Anyway this will be a long drawn out sort of thing but I am looking forward to having a crack.


Any advice welcome. As soon as I have anything to show I will.

[monkeyfumi]

I love how despite having state of the art assembly area, they still support the sump with a block of wood.

[Grumph]

I love how despite having state of the art assembly area, they still support the sump with a block of wood.

But it's a clean piece - and cut to the correct angle.....and not with a chainsaw, LOL.

Thinking again, Rich, a GPR style tapering top beam with the front engine mount droppers NOT going to the steering head will distort a lot less....
Pipe bending - you may even be able to hire a hand bender, ask around.

[richban]

But it's a clean piece - and cut to the correct angle.....and not with a chainsaw, LOL.

Thinking again, Rich, a GPR style tapering top beam with the front engine mount droppers NOT going to the steering head will distort a lot less....
Pipe bending - you may even be able to hire a hand bender, ask around.

Some more pics. Quick look at the Wakefield catalogue and 19mm x 1mm wall steel tube weighs in at 440gms a per meter. 1.2 wall 520ish per meter. The frame will be holding an AM6 engine. It should be quite light.

[mr bucketracer]

At least it's a easy frame to make

[jasonu]

Some more pics. Quick look at the Wakefield catalogue and 19mm x 1mm wall steel tube weighs in at 440gms a per meter. 1.2 wall 520ish per meter. The frame will be holding an AM6 engine. It should be quite light.


]

Use 4130 chromoly tube.

[richban]

At least it's a easy frame to make

Really! Maybe for you. Looks bloody hard to me.