Assembling and Welding an Aluminum Bicycle Frame
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- Опубліковано 15 жов 2024
- This is the final video in the series on building the revolutionary Monolith aluminum bicycle frame.
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![[A's BMW vol.5] Aluminum fuel tank making process.アルミタンクの製作 BMW R100RS](/img/n.gif)
I've been a frame designer for forty plus years. This video blew my mind. You're the Michelangelo of metal work.
I'm very glad you liked it!
Great video! Awesome job of welding too!
yer i had to double check i had this vid in my fav tab as this guy has some smart tips i am a decent joiner/dry linner but i am gathering tips to turn my hand to building my first MTB frame i can normally get away with a few mill but when working with metal i will have to make sure to bring in my usual tolerances a fair bit
I wish you the best of luck on your project!
@@RonCovell thanks i was going to get my dad who a was a engineer to weld my steel frame but think i will braise it myself for the full satisfaction of saying i designed it and built it myself but i will still ask for his input as he understands working with metal more than me
i love your practical and logistical approach to even the smallest of tasks. it makes it seem accessible to even the beginner fabricators. thus pushing everyone forward. great work.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Watching you fit and build brings me serenity.
Thanks, that means a lot to me. Do you know the Clickspring channel? I get that feeling watching Chris's incredible work:
ua-cam.com/users/Clickspring
Incredible planning, tooling and craftsmanship. The jigging alone is a masterpiece as well as the internal slugs supporting the thin walls. Outstanding!!
Glad you liked it!
As I am an aluminium fabricator myself, all I can say is your attention to detail is 2nd to know. Very, very well done my friend.
Thank you very much!
Great video as always Ron. It is amazing what you can build when you just break it down into the simple steps.
Thanks a million!
Hey, I just discovered YOUR UA-cam videos. I'm surprised that I hadn't seen them before, but they are excellent!
Ron Covell thank you very much. That means a lot coming from you.
Your experience shows in every step you take. We have a lot to learn from you good sir.
I appreciate that!
The most intricate bike frame build i've seen so far.
I'm so glad you enjoyed this video!
Beautiful craftsmanship, thanks for sharing!
Thank you! Cheers!
WOW! Craftsmanship at its very best! What I will not give to have your knowledge!
Thank you sir
I'm very glad you liked it, and the reason I make videos is to pass out as much of my knowledge as I can!
this is beautiful work Ron! :) glad i subscribed to this channel. greetings from the netherlands.
I liked watching this video.Explaining how you layout the work from square dimensions into cubic is really insightful and inspiring.
Thank you for sharing your work with us!
I'm very glad you liked it!
Great video series! The whole reason I ever learned to weld and machine was to make bikes. Ive finally got my aluminum welding skills up to speed and an it's time to move onto a full aluminum bike. The advanced TIG DVD sounds interesting
Tim - I'm very glad you like my UA-cam videos. I just sent you an email - let me know if you have more questions.
Excellent series, as a fabricator of 27 years making all manner of items in that time I'd say your skills are amazing , the real deal :-) :-) :-) I've made my own downhill frames over the years and now you've made me want to have another go at some of my more updated ideas with this video. Lol you just cost me a thousand dollars hahaha, cheers mate, New sub! :-)
I'm glad you enjoyed the video, and thanks for subscribing!
Well, what's money for if you can't get some enjoyment from spending it!
Superb craftsmanship!
Thanks!
Awesome video!!! I gotta get your DVD’s so I can take the next step in my fabrication career
Don't forget that you can stream or download videos from my website, which is instantaneous, and avoids shipping costs.
one mean bike frame ,,,,, stunning detail , thanks for showing the details ,,
Thanks, and I'm very glad you liked it!
Fantastic!
Congratulations!
Gedsonguedes from Brazil.
Thank you for being the first to comment on my new video - I'm very glad you enjoyed it!
I just imagine Fabio Lanzoni rocking this bike with a bandana and white Nike Airs. Great work, I just love that jig you made. I think 3D-printing shapes to form aluminium around could be a great life hack
WOW - I never thought of printing hammerforms - that's a sensational idea! Have you done printing like this?
Ron Covell not yet, I have done a lot of bodywork and metal shaping when I restored my car, but this was before I got a 3D-printer. I dream of building a Maserati A6G Zagato, this would be a pretty doable project if someone did a 3D scan of the car, shaping aluminium around the more reasonable filaments should work pretty well, you can probably make it work with cold rolled steel as well
Lazze Jansson recently posted a video showing a cool way to make a buck from wire: ua-cam.com/video/KRewIG-Bw7o/v-deo.html
Håvard Johansen great idea !! Even the metal 3d printers could be an advantage:-) :-)
Breathtaking.
Glad you liked it!
You are the metal artist! I can only learn from you! Greetings from Italy
Thank you so much!
Your so great sir thank you for the beautiful vedeo, have a nice day
Thank you for your interest in my videos, and for taking the time to comment! I have several other videos about bicycles on my channel.
once again; great work RON, I always look forward to watching
Thanks!
Поражает точность подгонки деталей, очень профессиональная работа!
Я так рада, что тебе понравилось!
Very interesting work with professional engineering. Congratulations 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🖖🖖👏 all 3-Links, I have see.
I can imagine the stability from your bike frame. Greetings 🖖
Thank you very much!
Very nice work.
Thank you - I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
We had a super time.
Great!
Thank you... awesome awesome awesome :)
You're very welcome, and I'm glad you like it!
You mister got some skillz !!!
I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
beatiful design, amazing work...
I'm so glad you liked it!
Old fashioned frame, but outstanding work!!!
Many thanks!
Thank you for beautiful work!
Glad you liked it!
Thanks for your amazing videos .
I'm delighted that you enjoy them!
Great job continue please and make other videos like that
I'm glad you liked it, and I promise to post more videos!
Great work as usual Ron 👍
Thank you so much!
Ron Covell i learn something every time i watch your videos too
Amazing work! Does the bike go on to be heat-treated, since welding aluminum makes it a bit weaker, or is it still strong enough to be rideable right away?
John - Pretty much all high-performance bicycle frames are made from high-strength material, and the welding anneals (softens) the metal in the weld zone. It is imperative that these frames be heat-treated after welding, to restore the strength of the metal in the heat-affected zone next to the weld. Thanks for asking for clarification on this issue!
@@RonCovell how did you retreat the frame after welding? Do you have your own oven and water hold to temper it and age it?
Very nice, do you heat treat the frame after? Or it’s not absolutely necessary? Thanks
Heat treating is essential for any aluminum bicycle frame. The heat of welding anneals the metal near the weld, and heat treatment is required to restore the necessary strength.
great channel. great fab work.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
wow incredible
Glad you liked it!
That furick cup used on welding alloy disturbed me a bit, I'd like to know what purpose does it serve, visibility ?
Yes, the clear cup allows you to see through it in some instances, and it lights up the welding area in general, making it easier to see the action.
@@RonCovell Understood. Remarkable work and skillset Ron. Every now and then at work I have to use hand metal shaping procedures and I always remember your videos and advices. Although this craft takes a lot of time and practice to master so my work is nowhere near the quality like yours. Thank you for educating me and others. I wish there's more skilled craftsman like you.
Really cool!
Thank you!
@Ron Covell
Thank you very much friend. I appreciate your kind reply. In the case of small workshops that do not have heat treatment, what do you recommend for welding, what filler rod? ER 4043 or ER 5554 or 5356?
Many greetings friend. From Mexico City. 👏🙏
Most bicycle frames are made from aluminum alloys that are heat treated to provide strength. When you make a weld on heat-treated alloys, you lose the heat treatment, and you have made a weak point in the structure. That's why heat treatment is always recommended for any welded aluminum bicycle components.
5XXX series filler material can be strengthened by heat treating, but 4XXX series filer material can not.
I would guess that somewhere in, or near Mexico City, there must be some companies that do heat treating.
@@RonCovell Thank you very much friend. I greet you with respect and admiration.
You sir are a fabricating GOD!
There are very very few people that can truly understand what they saw happen here.
Thanks for the very kind words!
This has been a great little series, and you do beautiful work. Are you going to build the bike and ride it? There are some great trails in your area. Thanks.
Thanks for asking, but I'm not really a bicyclist.
Thank you sir! :)
You bet!
Was Your choice of Ceriated vs Thoriated a personal one ? I use 2% thoriated for Aluminum and want to know if the latter is a better choice for some reason ? I missed Your visit to Minnesota due to family health issues, I was sad I had to but family comes first. Hope You felt welcome in Minnesota and hope to someday catch one of Your shop classes/demos.
Thoriated tungsten has been used since the 1940's, and I have welded plenty of aluminum with it, even though it is not recommended for aluminum welding with the old, transformer TIG machines (which cause it to split at higher amperage settings). Nowadays, Ceriated, Lanthanated, and 'Tri-mix' tungstens have largely replaced the older Thoriated style. In addition to having better current carrying capacities, the newer tungsten alloys are less likely to become contaminated from accidental touching the rod, or base metal. Additionally, thorium is (slightly) radioactive, and some people are concerned that it may be hazardous to inhale the dust created when sharpening Thoriated tungsten.
I didn't see anything about normalising the heat affected zones near the welds and realignment of the frame post welding/heat treatment. Is it not required in this fabrication?
Yes, you are absolutely correct that those steps are essential for aluminum bicycle frame construction.
Now you just have to wait for this old Tony to make the right handlebar
Cool idea!
Your a master!!!!!!!!
Thanks for watching, and for the kind words!
That was great getting to see your approach to making this. I thought this was an old video, but that clear cup with lens I thought was pretty new. Thanks.
The original bicycle was built almost 20 years ago, but I went through the process again to make this video, since I thought other people might be able to use these techniques for many different projects.
the DESIGNER of the Frame is SPENCER OWANG
Yes, Spencer Owyang is the designer of this extraordinary bicycle, and I give him full credit for his design in each of the three videos I made!
Dear Ron. What alloy are you using here?
6061
@@RonCovell ok that wos what i wos afriad of- impossible to get in my country:(
6061 is probably the most widely used of all the aluminum alloys. Where do you live?
@@RonCovell i live en denmark, and i even work with metal and tig welding for a living, so i have contact to every metal dealers in my country, and i have talk to everybody about it with no luck. Somehow 6061 and 4130 crmo is no where to be found here:(
I did a very quick web search, and found this possible resource:
AlmexA A/S
Egelundsvej 17
5260 Odense S
+45 63 13 01 78
info@almexa.dk
Also, Germany is just south of you, and someone there surely must have 6061 aluminum sheet.
How were these monocoque pieces made? Hydroformed tubing? Black magic?
You can see that in the first part of the series:
ua-cam.com/video/d76PFjH1SJA/v-deo.html
@@RonCovell thank you! Very helpful. The wall/skin thickness must be very consistent using that method. You are one of the greats and thank you so much for sharing your projects!
hey Ron! I had an idea for a video that I would really like to see your opinion on. Have you heard about people DC welding with helium? could you please break this down for us? your professional opinion is needed.
Adam - Thanks for the idea! Have you heard the term 'Heli-Arc' welding? When the process that is now called TIG welding was first being developed, helium was used as the shielding gas. I have never tried DC TIG welding with helium, but I'm sure it would work fine, because both helium and the much-more commonly used argon gasses are both inert.
Helium, or a helium-argon mix is sometimes used for AC welding of aluminum, to get more heat into the base metal. The heat for TIG welding comes from the plasma arc, and every gas becomes plasma at a different temperature.
When DC welding on common materials like steel, I can make a puddle on metal of virtually any thickness, so it's hard to understand why more heat would be needed. Certainly, helium could supply more heat to the puddle, but it's a lot more expensive than argon, and I don't much benefit for adding more heat for DC welding.
you are so awesome Ron, so I left out a huge detail which is that they are saying you can use a hobby dc welder to Tig aluminum if you have helium as your gas. That was what I was asking but I didn't properly express it
Adam, I wish I had an answer for you, but I have never experimented with this. I haven't kept a bottle of Helium in my shop for a long time, (and it's expensive) so I can't check it out right now.
oh ok, well maybe someone you know has one that way you wouldn't have to buy a bottle. thanks for answering back. best wishes
Hi, very nice video, I want to create my frame (for downhill). Where I can buy the aluminium ? I find a lot of steel but nothing in aluminium.
The frames for the Monolith were made from 6061 alloy aluminum, which is fairly easy to source. If you live in the US, you can buy small quantities from aircraft supply houses such the Aircraft Spruce company, or Online Metals.
@@RonCovell Ok thanks but I am in France
I'm sorry, but I don't have any contacts in France. 6061 is one of the most common aluminum alloys, so I would think that any large metal supplier could ship this material to you.
Please, tell about oven for treat aluminium for this frame.
Here's an old video that offers a good overview of heat treating aluminum:
ua-cam.com/video/yB7YoTEUbPw/v-deo.html
@@RonCovell Please tell us how You did it. Do you have a stove at home?
*!TOP!*
I'm very glad you liked it!
А проводилась термообработка рамы после сварки ?
Да, термообработка алюминиевой рамы велосипеда после сварки обязательна.
@@RonCovell а видео есть или специальная организация делала?
Видео термообработки рамы велосипеда у меня нет, но посмотреть процесс можно здесь:
ua-cam.com/users/shortsbV4bwABlPVw
ua-cam.com/video/Q1QC2IBN02A/v-deo.html
@@RonCovell спасибо 👍
Добро пожаловать!
What are the ends that hold the rear wheel made of , they are too strong to be made of aluminum
The 'dropouts' are aluminum, as they are on nearly all aluminum bicycle frames that I have seen.
Wow , thanks . Didn't know aluminium was that strong
Some aluminum alloys have as much strength as mild steel.
Damn , that shit strong af
Can you tell me how do some brands make their aluminum welding frames seem smooth?
Here's a high-end example:
ua-cam.com/video/XyCIzC_01Jg/v-deo.html
@@RonCovell I didn´t know that kind of machines existed. Thank you
"grinder and paint...."
where are you located?
80 miles south of San Francisco
@@RonCovell ok thanks, I thought you wer close by I am in Illinois.
Yeah, that's a long bicycle ride!
@@RonCovell LOL
What work that plug would had been blowen away true pro , it’s a mod bike thanks Ron from nz
Wow, its nice to see furick cup at welding with AC, when its not recommended for welding with AC
Someone gave me that cup, and I did not know it was not recommended for AC. It sure lights up the welding area nicely - which is great for shooting video!
Yes thats true :) They are great for occasional welds, but in everyday use they seemed to me like not good investment... They also have Ceramic ones which lights up welding area too and they are pretty tough. If you are interested just visit Michael Furick website
rixogtr why do you say it’s not recommended for ac?
Welding Junkie the manufacture does not recommend using this cup with ac. Also aluminum doesn't require large amounts of shielding gas so a standard nozzle is more economical.
@@weldingjunkie Skeet described it pretty much in all it's glory. I might just add from my experience with AC, excessive gas coverage cools down the puddle a bit quicker which in some cases might have an undesirable effect.
Make a shopping cart bike
Stretch out with wide 12 speed in the back
Custom height for 26x3.00 or 26x4.00
That would be cool!
Any particular reason you used kerosene as cutting fluid?
Kerosene was recommended to me as a cutting fluid for aluminum many years ago, and it has worked well, so I rarely use anything else for milling. I occasionally use WD-40, or Gibbs oil. I use a cutting fluid with more body, like Tapmatic, for tapping holes in aluminum,.
Ммм good
Sounds like you enjoyed it - I'm glad!
I keep hearing on bike forms that aluminum bike frames can't be repaired because the weld area reduces the strength of the frame. How much truth is in this and does it really matter?
All high-end aluminum bicycle frames are heat treated after welding. If you weld on them after heat-treatment, the metal that is heated loses much of its strength, and is prone to failure.
You can re-heat treat the entire frame after doing a welding repair, which solves the problem, but it takes a specialized facility to do this, and not all heat treating houses will take on a small job.
ua-cam.com/users/shortsbV4bwABlPVw
@@RonCovell what about regular mass produced aluminum bikes
I have seen a few aluminum bicycle frames made of massively thick tubing, and it's conceivable that since those frames are so overbuilt, they might not be heat treated. Nevertheless, since most bicycles are built to be lightweight, thin wall tubing is normally used - and with aluminum bikes, it has to be heat treated after welding or it will not withstand the forces it sees. The first builders of aluminum bicycle frames learned this painful lesson very quickly!
mate, you would've been burnt at the stake if you built this just a few centuries ago. this looks a bicycle from 9,000 years in the future
Well, I'm glad I'm living now!
Магия..
Благодаря ти!
Interesting but definitely not a "how-to".
Adam - Thanks for watching, and commenting. I try to make my videos as instructional as possible. I would be interested to know what information you felt was missing.
I'm eating crow. I went back and viewed the whole series from the beginning and feel that it is in fact a good how-to. Please accept my apologies. PS did you anneal that aluminum tube prior to bending it??
Adam - no problem. I did not have to anneal the tubing, but I worked up a pretty good sweat running it through the tube bending machine!
Wtf is that frame shape???????
It's a unique design by Spencer Owyang.
god that design is horrible LOL
Are you referring to the function, or the styling?
@@RonCovell Styling
Well, I certainly understand that you don't like it, but many people do!