DIY forks update 2.

codename;hopethisworks.

righto,all bits are now together as they need to be and are now resembling
useable forks.i have drilled through metal to install steel pins to act
as 'pegs' plus a blob of epoxy resin b4 nipping it all up.all in they're at
755g.without paint.
i have pulled ,pushed, twisted etc and they seem rather sturdy.afterall
its 2mm thick so,i suppose its the real-time forces exerted on em that will decide integrity and fatigue implications(which any off- the -shelf thing can suffer).
pace research will probably gain £35 quid from me for the v/canti mounts as i cant find a cheaper alternative.
just though id keep you all in the loop.paint finish will be a simple or even mono coloured outlook.
have a butchers' at the pics at the roughley fitted forks,have i got away with this? im not sure what geometric circumstances are at work but they look ok and have good tyre clearence.
test date is set at the great yorkshire bike ride 2010 weatherby to filey as this is road and less stressing on the forks.off road will be......well... lets not get too excited marc!

Now this is interesting...

Can we have some close ups of the drop outs please?

DIY forks

et voila!
until my new camera arrives this is the best i can do im afraid.

cheers.

How are those held on?

Can you look at a set of rc30s and replicate their dropouts on steel?

All looks good but the dropouts worry me a teeny bit, sorry!

D.I.Y forks.

see those silvery grey dots about 15mm below top of dropout?
they be steel pins that run left to rght,end to end,cross section.
all resined up,the residue will be filed down.

marc.

the dropouts look as tho the internal diameter is much larger than the legs of the fork they are fitted to. The steel pins will be taking a LOT of force and in soft aluminium this will not transfer well. The suspension fork legs that you have chopped to make your drop outs were not designed to take the sort of forces that will be passed through those pins. Infact I would have been slightly more comfortable with it if you hadn't fitted the pins and just used the epoxy, at least then you wouldn't of added new stress points to the fork legs.

I would really think twice about giving them too much stick. Make sure your health insurance is up to date.

oh dear :?

Do a frame or a welding course at night school.that way you will see how potentially dangerous your design is.

I repeat though ,i think its a good idea but a bad design :?

Looking at it again, and my initial reply, I would just like to beg you dont try them. I am really quite worried about them, and your health if you try them.

Since your in Leeds, take them along to Bob jacksons or Woodrups (on Kirkstall road- not far from the cinema complex) and get their view as frame builders of some repute as to the safety of the forks.

I just keep asking myself why you would be trying to do what your doing :?

It just seems like an excercise in how to smash your face into the ground as hard as you possibly can :shock:

My advice is to bury them in a very deep hole in your garden and forget you even had the idea

I don't like to tell anyone not to try something but there are some things you should just leave to the experts

Go and buy some RC30s, if I had some here I'd sell them to you for the £35 your going to spend on canti mounts just to stop me wincing at the thought of you actually riding those in anger