44 Bikes Frame Shop

[fortyfour]

Is that a 36 tooth chain ring gear?

Are you referring to the largest black cassette cog?

I have to laugh (not at you) but that's a 50t cog!

That thing needs its own zip code.

 

[Toothaker]

That was my next question. [emoji16] I remember putting a "huge" 32t cassette rear in a Raliegh many years ago.

No, I was asking about the gear on the crank. I was thinking you could climb trees with that gear combo, and I was trying to calculate the overall ratio.

Sent from my mobile using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[fortyfour]

That was my next question. [emoji16] I remember putting a "huge" 32t cassette rear in a Raliegh many years ago.

No, I was asking about the gear on the crank. I was thinking you could climb trees with that gear combo, and I was trying to calculate the overall ratio.

Sent from my mobile using The Garage Journal mobile app

Gotcha! Chainring on the Green fat bike is a 30t.

Chainring on my Ti fat bike is a 28t to gear the bike WAY down. The interesting part about riding in/on snow, is too much power can make you saw through the layer of snow beneath you and/or break loose traction. So it's essential that you not only maintain forward momentum, but the power you put out is even, consistent and relatively low. If I try and stand up and stomp on the pedals, the rear wheel will instantly cut loose and I'll stall in a lot of situations. You really need to be going at a crawl sometimes to maintain traction and momentum.

Seems counter-intuitive but riding a fat bike in the snow and breaking trail is a bit different than riding on dirt or pavement since the ground beneath you actually can change significantly and move/shift but you're also plowing through something that is pushing back at you.

 

[Buzz Lightyear]

I never cease to be amazed by the bikes you make and the attention to detail.

I didn't realise I needed a fourth bike but I'll need to have a chat with SWMBO.

 

[Kburk09]

Love this thread. Thanks for the inside look on your bikes!

 

[weldtoride]

Thanks again for the updates. Personally, I don't like to clog threads with "attaboy" type posts, however, I do wish to express sincere thanks for all the time and trouble you go through to share one of the best threads ever with us. Not only have I learned a lot here, but I imagine a version of your shop in my head as one of my "happy places".

 

[BoilermakerFan]

The green fat bike is a repeat customer (and my first customer) from Switzerland. Here's some additional details of that build:

Thanks for the additional eye candy Kristofer! Man that bike is gonzo!

 

[fortyfour]

Thanks again for the updates. Personally, I don't like to clog threads with "attaboy" type posts, however, I do wish to express sincere thanks for all the time and trouble you go through to share one of the best threads ever with us. Not only have I learned a lot here, but I imagine a version of your shop in my head as one of my "happy places".

Thanks. Very much appreciated! Here's another group recently finished up for the official release of Titanium.

 

[landrover bodger]

every one is a work of art fantastic looking bikes

 

[fortyfour]

Slow Progress



Finally found some time to remove the remaining parts of what was left of the horse stalls behind the shop, remove/clean what remained of the R11 insulation and prep things so I can begin insulating and building out the back of the shop for a small wood shop space. I don't even want to tell you what was hiding behind those boards...

Next step is insulation and removing the door which will become a window.

In other news, the first client titanium bike to leave the shop doors...









And a shot of my personal Ti mountain bike built up as a singlespeed.

 

[cderalow]

looks like a huntsman build?

 

[fortyfour]

looks like a huntsman build?

Correct. There's two more Huntsman Ti's in the next batch, one of which is a Sram AXS build which should be fun (no wires, cables... nothing).

Here's two before/after the bridge went in (one of my favorite parts for some reason).

 

[cderalow]

Correct. There's two more Huntsman Ti's in the next batch, one of which is a Sram AXS build which should be fun (no wires, cables... nothing).

Here's two before/after the bridge went in (one of my favorite parts for some reason).

one of these days i'll convince my wife to let me replace my caad10 with one of these... probably once my kids are all old enough I can commute by bike consistently....

so never.

 

[kjdhawkhill]

one of these days i'll convince my wife to let me replace my caad10 with one of these... probably once my kids are all old enough I can commute by bike consistently....

so never.

I can't imagine spending that much on a commuter, and I even have semi-secure parking... now on a recreation bike/toy/race thing.... I can ONLY imagine until my 3 munchkins are guests of the corrections department, DOD, or just maybe, making it on their own .

My earlier penny saving for either a 44bike or a bike from Shamrock Cycles... well, that's gone down the drain by purchasing my current home.

 

[cderalow]

I can't imagine spending that much on a commuter, and I even have semi-secure parking... now on a recreation bike/toy/race thing.... I can ONLY imagine until my 3 munchkins are guests of the corrections department, DOD, or just maybe, making it on their own .



My earlier penny saving for either a 44bike or a bike from Shamrock Cycles... well, that's gone down the drain by purchasing my current home.

When I commute now, my bike lives in my office during the day, so it’d be difficult for it to be stolen by anyone other than a coworker.

I figure it’s less than a 3rd car.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[anth]

Re: Slow Progress

Finally found some time to remove the remaining parts of what was left of the horse stalls behind the shop, remove/clean what remained of the R11 insulation and prep things so I can begin insulating and building out the back of the shop for a small wood shop space. I don't even want to tell you what was hiding behind those boards...

Next step is insulation and removing the door which will become a window.

While there's no denying how jaw-droppingly beautiful these hand-made bikes are, I'm looking forward to some updates on the actual space they're built within.

 

[fortyfour]

Re: Slow Progress

While there's no denying how jaw-droppingly beautiful these hand-made bikes are, I'm looking forward to some updates on the actual space they're built within.

Thanks. I'm currently working on that!

Next few weeks I should have some improvements to share.

 

[wannabridin]

Next few WEEKS??? WTF, this is 'MURCA, and we want progress NOW!!!


but for real, re-digested the whole thread over the last week and fell back in love with you work. You're certainly an inspiration to many of us, so keep up the great work!

 

[LutzTD]

Re: Slow Progress

Finally found some time to remove the remaining parts of what was left of the horse stalls behind the shop, remove/clean what remained of the R11 insulation and prep things so I can begin insulating and building out the back of the shop for a small wood shop space. I don't even want to tell you what was hiding behind those boards...

Next step is insulation and removing the door which will become a window.

In other news, the first client titanium bike to leave the shop doors...









And a shot of my personal Ti mountain bike built up as a singlespeed.

that's beautiful, how often does someone try to buy your bike from under you on the trails?

 

[plain2car]

ok...ok kristofer, I agree that your talents are waaaay beyond us normal mortals... !!! BUT, what I want to know & what everyone is afraid to ask is......

HOW DO YOU GET THE PICS OF THE BIKES OUTSIDE & NOTHING/NO-ONE HOLDING THEM UP!!!!

LOL!!!

seriously .. your talent is top notch & I am willing to bet that you could out perform the top "brands" in quality & workmanship!!! can't wait to see more art in the coming time.....

 

[dr_clyde]

ok...ok kristofer, I agree that your talents are waaaay beyond us normal mortals... !!! BUT, what I want to know & what everyone is afraid to ask is......

HOW DO YOU GET THE PICS OF THE BIKES OUTSIDE & NOTHING/NO-ONE HOLDING THEM UP!!!!

LOL!!!

seriously .. your talent is top notch & I am willing to bet that you could out perform the top "brands" in quality & workmanship!!! can't wait to see more art in the coming time.....

If you look carefully, there is a small black prop stick. Good photography hides it most of the time.

 

[fortyfour]

Next few WEEKS??? WTF, this is 'MURCA, and we want progress NOW!!!


but for real, re-digested the whole thread over the last week and fell back in love with you work. You're certainly an inspiration to many of us, so keep up the great work!

Thank you! It's coming along and I've got things cleaned up (which took some time). We ran into a week of hot and humid conditions and that part of the building gets particular smoldering since it's not insulated so I had to wait till that heat blew out. Ordering materials in the coming week or so to tackle the insulation and build out. Hang tight!

that's beautiful, how often does someone try to buy your bike from under you on the trails?

HA! Well, that's actually never happened yet. My short answer would be: "Unfortunately this one's not for sale but I'd be happy to build one just for you."

ok...ok kristofer, I agree that your talents are waaaay beyond us normal mortals... !!! BUT, what I want to know & what everyone is afraid to ask is......

HOW DO YOU GET THE PICS OF THE BIKES OUTSIDE & NOTHING/NO-ONE HOLDING THEM UP!!!!

LOL!!!

seriously .. your talent is top notch & I am willing to bet that you could out perform the top "brands" in quality & workmanship!!! can't wait to see more art in the coming time.....

Thanks for the kind words. There's definitely some tricks of the trade going on here. No balancing acts! Although I've had some tip over on me! Imagine that one. 7-10k bike on it's way to the floor unexpectedly LOL.

In the studio, I use a silver .25" rod of aluminum with padded ends. I then do some work in post (Adobe Photoshop) to get rid of it and make any corrections. You can see that aluminum post in this photo:

Before:



Zoomed in / After:



For framesets, I have a bit of a special set up that mounts in a vise and can be rotated. Basically is an expanding collet on a part that's been painted matte white.

Before:



After:



Outside, I actually found a pair of Realtree arrow shafts at the dump a few weeks ago that I've been using in my outside photography. In the past, I just used a stick. These are nice as they really blend in with the background and I can use a little bit of a special tool in Photoshop called the "Clone Stamp Tool"... So that basically allows you to clone background OVER what you are looking to get rid of. And with a bit of practice, it completely gets rid of those arrow shafts. This one has been cloned out. See if you can tell me where it was holding the frame:

 

[plain2car]

kristoff,
thank you for the answers... even in medial tasks of posting to a "hobby" forum you take the time to go above & beyond us mortals.... as said previously I thank you for your time & knowledge in supporting this top notch forum... always looking foward to your posts...

take care!!

 

[cash68]

Try content aware fill instead of clone stamp, if you haven't already. Content Aware Fill changed my life.

 

[fortyfour]

Weekend Update 7.21.2019

Despite the heat, this weekend was get that last remaining door from the shops days as a horse barn and replace it with a window.



And it's not really a "real" job unless the SawZall comes out, right? Got to put this one into service.





With door and frame removed, I could take some measurements, make a drawing and figure out what materials I had on hand and how it would all work. The shop's constructed of dimensioned lumber. That fine but it makes mixing and matching with modern lumber which isn't circa 70's tough at times. I had saved and could salvage just enough from previous projects and the original frame to make the window frame almost to spec. The way the building is framed, the load isn't on these walls (it's on the walls facing North/South, no East/West -this one faces West) so I think long term everything will be AOK.

Quick sketch:



The question mark is how high do I want the window above what will be inside the space. I'll figure that out when I get there. And it's done!





Lunch break, off to a local hardware store to pick up some wedges for leveling the casement window and back again and the window and space is buttoned up. Now I can order all the remaining materials to finish this space and insulate it. It will be a small Wood Shop.

 

[fortyfour]

Try content aware fill instead of clone stamp, if you haven't already. Content Aware Fill changed my life.

Thanks for the tip. Looked it up and ok, that's next level with the use of a clipping path. Will try it out next time I need to get rid of something...

 

[fortyfour]

Finally, last weekend I buckled it up and got the stud wall completed that will separate my Wood Shop space from a closed air space for 4 wheeler and garden implements:



Looking through from the Metal Shop side of things:



This weekend I dug into insulating and sheathing the walls of the back room of the Metal Shop that will become my Wood Shop. Always wanted side by side dedicated spaces for wood and metal.

Materials arrived Friday:



Raw space...



Dug in early Saturday morning and finished up the West facing wall first. Had to go meet friends for dinner and had to bake an apple pie... Apparently, I was on dessert duty. So that meant quitting a bit early.



And managed to get some sheathing up.



And that apple pie just before it went in the oven. Apples were from our garden too which was cool.



Sunday, I was up and at'em early again. Made good progress and got 2 walls fully insulated and the bulk of the sheathing completed. Just need another hour or so to finish the last wall's insulation and a few odd sized OSB sheathing cuts.



And from the Metal Shop side. My Bridgeport is to the right of the picture for anyone wondering how this orients with the front space.



More as things come together.

 

[fortyfour]

Took some time after work to mount the wall brackets for a long benchtop/wall storage unit and got one of two wood racks hung. The far end of the bench will have an inset for the drop saw so it's level with the benchtop. To the other end will be a small coffin door so when long pieces need to be cut to length I can open the coffin door and poke the long end through. Just need to figure out where the inset should be for the drop saw to optimize everything. I'll probably work with it for a while before I modify the tabletop and create the inset. Just a little closer to having everything buttoned up.

 

[DPG]

Nice to see you posting again. You are a talented fabricator/welder/photographer. There is a very talented blacksmith (junebuggy) that posts once in awhile also. I like seeing projects from both of you.

 

[dchance]

Good to see the progress before the weather turns.

Dwight

 

[Grizz1963]

Again, I have nothing of value to add, just admiration for all the work you do.

Right up to apple pie.

 

[fortyfour]

Thanks for the replies, fellas. It seems every time I'd dig into this project, something would strike and months would pass before I had time again to pick up where I left off. But despite those setbacks, I've been slowly chipping away at this one as there are many house projects I really want to start rolling my sleeves up and get done. Having a dedicated space for wood related projects would be ideal. I noted it would take me about an hour to set up everything (and then break it down for the night) whenever I started a project on the house. So this should save some time on that front.

This past February I put in some time to make more shelving parts similar to what I have in the Metal Shop. These are for a work bench / drop saw bench. Some shots of the work stop to machine all the holes and parts being assembled/tacked:









Monday after work I turned the welder up to 150 amps and marched through all those welds finally.

Here's a shot as I was removing the last of the 2x12 dimensioned lumber that lined the old horse stalls (this was a horse barn again for everyone's reference).



Here's one of the walls before I installed the window:



About 40 years worth of critter activity was in between those walls...

I also got a vinyl cutter for anodizing titanium (used as a masking system for logos/designs) but I've been using it for other fun stuff like window dressing...

Metal Shop!



Wood Shop!



And if anyone is wondering, here are some samples of what I've been doing with Ti anodizing. If you're not familiar with the process itself, it's not like aluminum anodizing where the material is dipped into a heated bath of dye. With Titanium anodizing, you use an electrolytic bath and when combined with specific voltages, you grow an oxide layer on the surface of the titanium workpiece. That oxide layer's thickness is determined by the voltage set (typically colors range from 10 Volts through to 100-110 volts). And that oxide layer thickness then determines what interference colors your eyes receive. Otherwise, the oxide layer is completely transparent for lack of better terminology. It's quite fascinating and it occurs instantaneously. The vinyl is simply used as a resist to mask off what is exposed to the electrolytic solution.

Here's the full color spectrum starting at 15 volts (First "F" of Fortyfour") and ending at 105 Volts in 10 volt increments in the "R":



And some designs / fades on frames I've recently been doing. This group is for a Fat Bike hence some winter themes:









This one's on a mountain bike:







And here's a more defined color spectrum in 10 Volt Increments:



Here's that Mountain bike masked:



And a test in 17 Volts which produces a bronze-ish copper color:



More on the Wood Shop as things progress. Going to insulate that last wall this evening.

 

[Mike.ASC]

Very nice sir!

 

[polexican23]

I have the same material wall rack. I like it.

 

[fortyfour]

Through the Metal Shop looking into the new Wood Shop Space:



Got my fireproof box hung and did a bit more insulation this evening. Little by little getting there...

 

[Pressingonward]

That titanium anodizing is sweet! Thanks for sharing.

 

[BoilermakerFan]

Very cool on the Ti anodizing! I prefer the 25V-35V based on the samples you shared. A purple to navy fade would be sweet.

 

[Guster]

Superb work on the Ti anodising. Do you have a commercial adjustable powersupply or did you just whip up something using a variac or something?

I've just recently picked up a Specialized Turbo Levo to add to my fitness regime. The e-bike feels a bit like cheating but I have some serious hills around the place and still come home felling puffed so it is better than not riding because of the hills. More than 20 years since having done some serious road cycling and the bug has re-awakened and bitten hard. So much has changed and find myself turning my head and looking at every bike around me for some strange reason. Worse is that building urge to build or even rebuild something.

Now I'm re-reading your entire thread to pick up on your technical fit out and brand preferences because my interest has attuned my point of view and looking at the bikes rather than the machining content.

 

[fortyfour]

<SNIP>

Superb work on the Ti anodising. Do you have a commercial adjustable powersupply or did you just whip up something using a variac or something?

Thanks. I have the SMT Micro Anodizer and purchased via Reactive Metal Studios.

 

[wout]

Stunning shop AND work as allways.

Wout