The board is MDF (medium density fiberboard) and will provide a flat surface for checking the alignment of the frame. Ideally I'd have a nice flat slab of granite, but that isn't going to happen. The MDF is cheap, relatively flat, and most importantly I can pick it up and store it out of the way. I simply don't have the space, or budget, for a granite table. Attached to the board is the post for the bottom bracket shell. This will hold the frame in a plane (relatively) parallel to the MDF and will allow me to see if the frame is close to straight.
I also received a couple cones in the mail this week. The jig is now complete! I only need one cone for the seat tube, but they'll be doing double duty by also holding the head tube (which will use two cones). Due to the design of the jig there is no need to hold the seat tube and head tube on center at the same time. The tapered washers on the right are used to hold the bottom bracket shell. The cones and washers are all attached to 80/20 brackets for mounting to the jig.
And finally, I skipped out on the Friday Night Ride because I got caught up in a rack project. I spent the evening cutting, bending, and mitering the tubes of a custom rack for the 1x1. I had a good time working on it, and the rack pieces turned out awesome, but I have to ride more often... I'm getting really out of shape.
The rear rack is roughly 5"x 11" and will be brazed directly to the 1x1's frame. The two small pieces in the bottom of the photo will connect the rack to the brake bridge, and the longer curved pieces will attach the rack to the seatstays. I'm excited to see how this turns out... this is my first real bike project, albeit a small one compared to building an actual frame. Unfortunately this is a busy time of year (both at work and at home), so I'm not sure when I'll actually be able to fire up the torch. Although I am considering taking a personal day soon to get some projects done around the house, and this just might be one of them...
2 comments:
Where did you get the cones from?
Adam - Blogger thought your comment was spam, and I just found it. I got the head tube cones from Alex Meade, and the BB "cones" are tapered washers from Paragon Machine Works.
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