timtim2008
Well-known member
how did you make the windows?
44 Bikes Frame Shop
- Thread starter fortyfour
- Start date
So the badges are photo chemically etched. Two layers in an EPS file are sent to a company in Seattle, WA. One being the art layer and a second being the "cut" layer. A relatively simple process but you can get some really nice results. They come on a long sheet (pictured) and since the cut layer leaves a very fine point of attachment, I simply twist the badges off, and file off that small attachment "stub" with a needle file. Since the badges are stainless, there is springback once they are formed. I've found the best way to do this is to use undersized steel forms (basically I have 2 different diameter rods of steel with flats milled on the ends so I can put them in a vise to hold them in place). The portion of the die which the badge touches is polished. Starting from the center of the badge, by hand, I form them evenly. Then with a leather mallet, I gently tap the remaining sides/edges to conform to the shape. Through trial and error, I've found just the right O.D.'s to pretty much match the resulting tube O.D.'s once the stainless spring's back a bit. Sometimes it's helpful to bend them a bit too far so when you press them over the tube shape, they fit perfectly. But it was trial and error as well as previous knowledge having dealt with stainless a lot in my jewelry days. The head tube badges are held in place by two metric machine screws, while the seat tube badge is held in place with a special 3M double sided foam tape (same stuff the big automakers use on their decals/emblems). Hope that helps!
Are you asking about my windows in my shop? The large ones? These were given to me and salvaged from a dumpster. I collected just enough of the original casement parts to make two of the windows work, and the remaining ones I actually constructed frames for them. If this was not the windows you are referring to, let me know!
sunsation288
Well-known member
your tig skill amaze me !!!!! , incredibly talented you are , congrat
and please keep your beautiful picture coming !
and please keep your beautiful picture coming !
Last edited:
Been busy building bikes! Here's a few from the past few weeks.. Enjoy:
TLD's Pieces Parts by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Lovely D.E.B. : RACK Mode by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Steady by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Welding Cam's Huntsman by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
One down... by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Welds by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Bottom Bracket Weldery by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Upside Down by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Welding those Dropouts by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Cam's Huntsman : Well Balanced by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Cam's Huntsman Finished by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Come and See Me Sometime by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Nice and Purdy... by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
A tacking I will go by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Rearranging the Studio where the design magic occurs :
New Studio Setup by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Riding some bikes too...
Picture Perfect by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
On My Way by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Blur by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
TLD's Pieces Parts by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Lovely D.E.B. : RACK Mode by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Steady by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Welding Cam's Huntsman by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
One down... by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Welds by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Bottom Bracket Weldery by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Upside Down by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Welding those Dropouts by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Cam's Huntsman : Well Balanced by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Cam's Huntsman Finished by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Come and See Me Sometime by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Nice and Purdy... by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
A tacking I will go by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Rearranging the Studio where the design magic occurs :
New Studio Setup by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Riding some bikes too...
Picture Perfect by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
On My Way by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Blur by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Ign
Well-known member
I like the cross bike!
polexican23
Banned
What pedals are on the snow bike? They look fantastic.
Jimbo..
Well-known member
Those look like 45NRTH Helva pedals http://45nrth.com/products/pedals/helva
VWPORSCHEGT3
Banned
that rack is the ****!!!
JimVonBaden
Well-known member
Your work is way to pretty to cover up with paint!
Jim
cderalow
Well-known member
Kris,
Learned titanium yet? I'd love a huntsman, but 19# is pretty damn heavy
Learned titanium yet? I'd love a huntsman, but 19# is pretty damn heavy
Thistle746
Member
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2013
- Messages
- 17
Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter I could spend hours in here. Looks like a very peaceful place to get work done. I hope you realize how fortunate you are Kris... ...some of us have cubicles...
Guster
Well-known member
Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter I could spend hours in here. Looks like a very peaceful place to get work done. I hope you realize how fortunate you are Kris... ...some of us have cubicles...
Absolutely, bed and a fridge and you wouldn't need another home. If it wasn't for kids and a cityslicker wife I'd see myself in a place just like this. 
Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter I could spend hours in here. Looks like a very peaceful place to get work done. I hope you realize how fortunate you are Kris... ...some of us have cubicles...
I fully understand and appreciate just how lucky I am that is for sure. What you see definitely came with a lot of sacrifice, low pay/no pay and hard work to get to this point. Believe me... there have been so many set backs on my end. But Things finally came together. Not to mention I found out really quick that a cube is just not for me so I had to make some changes really quick otherwise I'd go completely crazy. Editors Note: Not having kids makes it a tad easier however.
For the record, my studio is part of our home which sits about 50 yards up a small rise from the shop.
CuoreSportivo
Active member
A hello all the way from Denmark!
I am very impressed with your whole setup, from your first posts about the building process, and right up to the last one, where you once again presents a great craft.
However, I have a small question that I hope you will answer: What is the meaning of the location of the gearshift on your cross-racer, and the handlebar angle? (ok that was 2 questions)
It is fascinating to follow your thread!
Regards
Jacob
I am very impressed with your whole setup, from your first posts about the building process, and right up to the last one, where you once again presents a great craft.
However, I have a small question that I hope you will answer: What is the meaning of the location of the gearshift on your cross-racer, and the handlebar angle? (ok that was 2 questions)
It is fascinating to follow your thread!
Regards
Jacob
I really like this one. Reminds me a lot of the Giant I just got. What's the approximate cost for this complete bike?
The gearshifter is made by a company named Retroshift that is cross specific or meant for alternate bar setups where there is more flair to the drops. More flair at the drops offers more hand positions, a wider stance for a bit more control in the rough and these style bars typically have a shallower drop. There are a few key advantages to the Retroshift in cross or touring setups. One, you can dump gears in one swoop vs a paddle shifter you need to individually shift each one. A second advantage is if your derailleur hanger gets bent or the drivetrain is very mucky with mud/dirt, you can switch from indexed shifts to friction mode shifts so you don't have to rely on the indexing at the shifter (which was a huge benefit of these older down tube style shifters vs the newer paddle style shifters). Not to say that the newer style shifters are bad, but there are a few interesting advantages of these older shifters. My one comment is when the shifter is shifted in the lowest cog position-the shifter gets a bit awkward to shift since the lever is flipped all the way up and you have to twist your wrist a bit more to access it. Not a deal changer for me. But I love this setup and it's simplicity for single ring setups.
@k-os / et all:
If anyone has questions on pricing, the process of ordering, or any of the nuts and bolts, it is available via my website and the fit / pricing guide found here.
Back to it and welding the day away...
Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick... by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
If anyone has questions on pricing, the process of ordering, or any of the nuts and bolts, it is available via my website and the fit / pricing guide found here.
Back to it and welding the day away...
Tick... Tick... Tick... Tick... by 44 Bikes, on Flickr
Thanks for sharing. This Retroshift is very interesting, as I always miss the old style down tube shifters (where you can shift multiple stops in one motion), in fact so much so I started to go with fixed/single these days.
tool-guy
Well-known member
Just a question that may of been asked before and I've missed it. What is the purpose and result of using (what I am guessing) compressed air into the tubes while welding?
Cris B
Well-known member
It'll be a purge gas to ensure that the welds are not compromised
longlivepunk
Well-known member
For titanium you have to purge the tubes with Argon (same gas coming out of your torch) to keep the back side of the weld clean as well. Steel only needs inert gas on the face of the weld, bit Ti to have to keep the whole area inside and out clean to get a quality weld.
As others have stated, the purpose of the "plumbing" is what is referred to as back purging. The inert gas as stated in tig welding is Argon (MIG welding too). It is a shielding gas which protects the welding site from contaminants. Oxygen is a contaminant to stainless and titanium alloys, which can compromise the weld integrity. So to counteract this, you must fill the insides of the tubes with the inert gas argon. I'm running a dual regulator off of a single tank which enables me to regulate the flow of argon to torch and to the purge system. What is key is to understand that since argon is heavier than air, it sinks so your weld site should be at the lowest point at all times. Steel alloys don't necessarily require this system. But the benefits are that you do not get any "sugaring" on the backside of the welds-so the inside of the tubes are very clean and smooth. I have to ream the insides of the head tube, bottom bracket and seat tube-that lack of sugaring really saves me A LOT of work! Not to mention it really helps to provide tool longevity. As stated before, I'd like to offer titanium to clients in the future, and given that steel is relatively forgiving, it's been a good exercise dialing in all of my setup and honing my procedure so I can break old habits and experiment with what lends the best results. Once dialed and I'm really confident with my setup and procedure, I'll make a few Ti frames for myself, test them and eventually offer this material to clients. Hope that helps!
A shot from today:
jfcasey
Well-known member
I tooted on down 31 over the weekend and thought of your shop... still amazed at how something as cool as what you have going on is hidden away in the woods down thereTman
Well-known member
More and more I am lusting after one of your frames!
BSAschields
Well-known member
Great photographs
Jimbo..
Well-known member
I like those Retroshift levers. I'm getting nostalgic for good old-fashioned, non-indexed friction shifting. I just built up a flat-bar commuter bike and put a new SRAM drivetrain on it, and getting the indexing shifting cleanly seems to be impossible across the whole cluster, at least using my **** bike mechanic skills, so I'm thinking about getting a pair of silver power ratchet thumb shifters from Rivendell and losing the trigger shifter setup I have on there now. Kristofer, have you ever used the Riv silver shifters?Thanks for sharing. This Retroshift is very interesting, as I always miss the old style down tube shifters (where you can shift multiple stops in one motion), in fact so much so I started to go with fixed/single these days.
cderalow
Well-known member
funny,
I've never had issues using indexed shifting and getting it to work right, but you really shouldn't be trying to dial each ring in for the entire cluster. especially on 8+ speeds.
in theory you should be getting 1/2-2/3 of the cluster on each ring perfect, and the remaining bit being terrible.
making it hard to shift out of appropriate ranges keeps you from cross chaining and decreases chain wear.
oilfieldtrash4
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2012
- Messages
- 490
Awesome shop. I'd definitely be interested in a no compromise full race road bike. Shorter wheelbase, lightweight, short head tube, stiff chainstay design.
Jimbo..
Well-known member
2/3 is all I'm able to get. I guess my expectations are too high since I'm expecting all 20 of the cluster/chainring combos to work perfectly which I pretty much could on my older 6 and 7 speed drivetrains. Honestly this is the first 10 speed I've ever built up from scratch, or messed with at all really. Anyway, thanks. That cross bike looks gorgeous.
oilfieldtrash4
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2012
- Messages
- 490
That's strange. I have no issues getting each shift precise on my shimano 105 10 speed cassette. Getting only half to two thirds shifts precise seems ridiculous.
Editors Note: I am not a bicycle shop, I'm a bicycle builder.. but here is how I was taught way back when.
Typically, the largest chainring, and largest cog combination is considered a "crossover" and then the smallest chainring x smallest cog combination is considered a crossover. All should work, but OEM's recommend that you avoid these two extremes as it adds extra wear/tear on your drivetrain.
But the most important thing to remember or remind yourself, is that if you are using indexed shifters, all shifting is controlled by the shifter. The derailleur has 3 screws and in most cases a barrel nut to take up slack in the cable. Here's how I was taught, no matter what the drivetrain (7, 8, 9 10 or 11 speed) for rear derailleur setups:
1. With derailleur cable un-attached, align upper pulley of rear derailleur with smallest cog on cogset (shimano states it's centered, while sram wants you to place it slightly in-board) using the appropriate limit screw. You now have just set the high limit. B-Limit most times is factory set, and is ok, but check to see if this is set according to the manufacturers instructions.
2. Make sure shifter is in it's smallest tooth count mode, and any barrel nuts for tension are dialed all the way in. I normally then back them off by 1 or 2 turns so it's easier to start them. Tighten cable. Shimano from memory likes a bit more tension in the cable while Sram likes a bit of slackness. The more you work with them, the more you know how much preset tension to put in the cable.
3. While pedaling the drivetrain, advance the shifter into the first shift. If it is skipping or does not respond quickly or there's a bit of a lag, add small amounts of tension in the cable until it shifts smoothly from the 1st to 2nd gear. What you are doing is setting the tension in relation to the indexing at the shifter. Once this first shift is dialed, and really smooth/quick, run through the gears while pedaling up to the very last cog. Once in this position, set your low limit screw so that the derailleur does not advance into the spokes of the rear wheel. Shift through the cogset in different scenarios of quickness or slowness. If a mountain bike shifter, attempt to load/dump many cogs at a time to try and replicate on-trail shifts as well as many quick down shifts in a row. If all runs smoothly, you're done with the rear.
The most important take away is understanding that all the shifting / indexing occurs at the shifter. It's all preset. The first shift is the most important one to index / align. The derailleur merely limits the travel of the chain in the high and low position. Once you accept that, your derailleur setup woes will become much more simple (there can be a lot of other factors that can mess up a drivetrain). It's really that first shift that sets everything up. Another huge factor in clean shifts is drivetrain cleanliness. A really gunked up chain / cog combination can really hamper a derailleurs/shifters ability to shift correctly. So many times a simple cleaning when I worked at in a shop made even the worst setup work like new. Derailleur cables stretch over time so this can also cause a drivetrain to skip/be misaligned.
The front derailleur is a bit different depending on the manufacturer as alignment marks can be different where they are taken so it's important to trust the manufacturers specs and follow along carefully for their setup instructions.
Don't meat to hi-jack the thread.
I have be running fixed gear on my commuter and single for my mountain bike. I really enjoy the fact that my bikes are just pick-and-go. The only maintenance I need is to pump air to the tires from time to time...
cderalow
Well-known member
let me know if you uh want a tester?
I'll happily 'test' a bike and uh 'fail' to remember to get it back to you.
free of charge
