Homemade Carbon XC Frame – pics and details as promised!

So some of you may remember back in june time I came on here and asked if anyone had attempted to build a carbon frame themselves, it turned out nobody had but I was given a selection of links to people around the internet who had. 😀

So I thought “How hard can it be…” 🙄

So a few months on I realised I haven’t done a write up on what happened. 😳

So I started the build with some pieces foam on the shape in the frame…

Now this is the bit where it really got a bit hectic, I forgot to take photos and within a few days (maybe more like 12 😳 )I had someting resembling a frame…

a few more layers of carbon, some paint on the rear triangle where I had reused the dropouts and about 20cm of frame from an old carbon/alu Giant Cadex (1991)

How the bike was durring 2 weeks of intensive testing in the alps… (note the taped on bottle cage + it survived 😀 )

And how it is now…

The total weight of the frame is about 1440g ( I know not exceedingly light – but built for strength – but it’s about a kilo lighter than old frame) and the total weight of this build is 10kg dead on! I know the geometry looks p****d in both these photos, both are taken from an odd angle in reality it matches very closely to other XC frames – but I really need a straight post (I built the bike to fit me – but only had a setback post available so will swap out when I can)

It really does ride well and was great fun to make! (and satisfying to defeat everyone who said it couldn’t be done in a garage)- any questions feel free to ask – I do plan on doing a step by step for building it if anyone is interested?

Impressive!!

If I had a hat it would have been taken off to you. Top stuff.

😀

Full step-by-step would be ace, really interesting stuff this.

Looks good, missed your first posting, otherwise I would have helped. Here’s mine:
Home made frame

Amazing! I’d love to see how you managed that.

are you sure you didn’t just wrap some black tape around an old alu frame? 🙂 Did you take it off any kind of jumps or drops or purely XC wheels on the ground testing?

oliver what do you do when your not up to your eyeballs in electrical tape

richmars – I had been given the link to you photos, no idea you were on STW though!

rs – probably would have been easier, I have done a 1m drop off, and quite a few small jumps, I also have done some very very fast off road descents, enough to knock a wheel out of true – but the frame still held up 😀

compositepro – not sure never been in that situation 😀

A few close ups now…

The internal routing

The rear disc mount (no points for guessing how I did it 😉 )

double post 😳

it was a serious question is your background in composites,or a career outside this project you don’t have an email

Post of the day.

compositepro – sorry – email now added on profile 😳 I’m a second year student studying automotive engineering at loughborough Uni, I have no formal background in composites, but for my A-level D&T project I build a Carbon and Bamboo bike trailer, where I basically spent an entire year trying different methods, from electrical tape compression (works great) though to cling-film and expanding foam (DO NOT TRY ❗ ). I had orignaly wanted to make a bamboo/carbon bike frame but my teacher said it wasn’t original enough and my supply of bamboo was pretty crappy so wouldn’t have stood up to bike like stresses. so for the year between me finishing A-levels and starting this I spent most free nights (when not riding) researching and self teaching methods on how to do it!

I will do a full “step-by-step” but basically I made the three main tubes and a rear subsection and bonded them together, if I were to do it again (tempted to attempt a full suss ~100mm travel bike) I would probably use the same method as if I messed a tube up i could do it again without ruining the whole frames strength

Jamie – thanks

Nice 🙂 I do always like to see people doing things like this I know I should be able to do, but probably never will. Still very tempted by the idea of a bamboo one though when I have some spare time to waste (when I’m retired most probably).

The rear disc mount (no points for guessing how I did it )

With a spoon?

Brilliant thread bud, let’s see more! This is how mountain biking started with guys just building there own bikes in garages etc. Very impressed. That seat tube does look like its at a crazy angle though. Do you have the exact dimensions there?

Wow and Wow. Great thread.

Not only is this how MTBing started, but this is how many great British manufacturing started….you’ve got a bright future ahead!!!!!
I’m embarrassed to say I sat on my arse whilst several (probably Mexican) slave labourers melted down used coke bottles in California in order to charge me a fortune for my, imminently arriving Tallboy ( did I mention!!!;-)))))

I salute you

fair play. does it have a name? 🙂

So if i’m right in thinking you cut the foam to the right shape and wrap like hell!

off to google foam bikes

This is great!

9/10 – 1 point deducted for lack of spoons 😛

Seriously, great effort. How many man-hours?

I had orignaly wanted to make a bamboo/carbon bike frame but my teacher said it wasn’t original enough

blimey! I managed to get an A all those years ago making a cabinet! Did have a bike obsessed chap who built a chop shop recumbent in my class.

Fabulous – post of the day!

Keep up the hands on stuff – combined with a decent degree, the best graduates / placement students we get at work are often the ones that did “projects” in their own time.

Also stay in touch with Compositepro – he is a very useful guy.

Jamie – thanks

No, no. Thank you. Just a shame you got carried away and only got a couple of pictures.

I found making the frame is easy, but you need some metal bits (brake mounts, drop outs). This is what stops me doing more, now I’ve moved on from working for a company with mill and lathe.

Having been inspired to google… I found this http://www.instructables.com/id/How-I-built-a-carbon-bike-frame-at-home-and-a-bam/#intro
Does that kind of follow what you guys did – new house with a garage on Friday so maybe time for a project (sold to the missus along the lines that she wanted a carbon 29r race frame)

Wow. Impressive effort on both of those.questions I have are
Does carbon not need some sort of oven or vacuum?
And second do you really trust it?

I wonder if you could 3D print a mold?

This what got me going, way back in 1995:
old carbon frame link (first?)

Jamie – yeah – I’m really annoyed with myself over that, but hindsight is a wonderful thing

richmars – yeah – I cannibalized and old giant cadex for parts, probably wasn’t the best option, but was definitely the cheapest! do you mind if a borrow a few of your pics in my “how to guide” – I’ll credit you of course 😀 That link from sheldon was definitely one of my inspirations pieces (shame I was only 1 year old at the time of that being written!)

mikewsmith – he uses a similar concept – bike he build the whole frame out if foam, and then carbon wrapper it, I made tubes formed around pvc piping, and then bonded/carboned them together – mainly so if one of the early bits went wrong in wouldn’t wreck the whole frame

mikey-simmo – yep carbon for full strength does normal need a vacuum, but i wrapped mine in electrical tape (as did mr meres in the link, no doesn’t need an oven – that’s only prepreg carbon, I used wet lay (clicky)
do I really trust it… not sure I think is the honest answer, but now I don’t think I’t stopped me from running anything, other than the fact it’s an XC bike – I’m happy to do rock gardens as fast as others in the club and drop off stuff no problem (other than my nerves – but that would be on any other bike too) – TBH I forget I’m on a homebuilt bike 99% time I’m riding it!

do I really trust it… not sure I think is the honest answer, but now I don’t think I’t stopped me from running anything, other than the fact it’s an XC bike – I do rock gardens as fast as others in the club and drop off no problem – tbh i forget i’m on a homebuilt bike 99% time i#m riding it!

Have you got it out of the lufbra flatlands yet?

I’m assuming based on your course you had a easy access to some of the materials or was it all internet based? Tempted to have a go seriously though just for some fun, might have to learn to weld properly and perfect the jig with some steel bits

I do like your garage.

It reminds me so much of my own one.

The frame’s good too 🙂

[quoteI wonder if you could 3D print a mold?[/quote]

Simple answer is yes moulds can be printed

Problem arises if you need to cure at 200 degrees…theres a solution to that also

When you consider its a pretty much self taught job most impressive

I like that, a lot.

Nobby Jr was only talking about this the other week & asking whether it could be a long term school project for him. I’ll show him this as both inspiration and a reference point for his tutor if he does get to argue his case.

Brilliant – love garage builds of anything mechanical, very impressive project. 😀

This is amazing – well done OP!

Seriously impressive stuff.

Why not just build your own bike?[/url]

I witnessed him taking it off that last photo of the large drop… couldn’t believe it to be honest. Not that he did it on a home made bike, but that he did it on a bloody hardtail, its a huge one!

Chapeau!

Nice work!

I am always very happy to see people have a go. This provides you with some great hands on experience if you choose to have a career in this area. Incidentally, your area of study (automotive) is getting very big in composites so its all good.

With respect to your wrapping method you tried tape and cling film? Well for the future you should be aware of a product called shrink wrap. Wrap this material on like tape and heat it with a heat gun and it will apply good compression to your part.

Cheers!