Berk PROTO-TYPE 3

[pritchet74]

Freakin' incredible....

[...]

Thanks!

Also the seat-tube will be soon finished...and then I'll make the most specific part - dropouts. Will keep you updated

[...]

Seat-tube

All the tubes are already made




810mm (for 34.9mm Stubby)


169.6g


Rough tube, UD look:

Still some work to do on the surface - the "parallelogram pattern" won't be seen after I'll make some more work on the surface (it's just the product of the procedure). The surface will have at the end a pure UD look (like I made it for the saddle&seatpost combo).

The seatpost will be integrated and I'll use Ritchey Stubby (34.9mm).

I still have to make the dropouts, hopefully I'll manage to make them next week,...And after that I have to cut all the tubes, shape them, some details,...I just can't wait!

[skimons]

you might have mentioned in your earlier threads, but what kind of molds do you use or how is your procedure more or less? it looks all industrial made to me, i.e. i tried making something of carbon myself, but that was WAY from the cleanliness and with MUCH more resin/epoxy left overs.. not even to mention the tolerances... RESPECT!

will the drop outs be like the former ones or are you planning to make them from carbon as well... cool if it works out..

[dunlinii]

Again amazing stuff. We are trying to do some CF stuff at work (not me personally) but it is amazing how you are achieving so much when hundreds of highly paid engineers can't make our project work!!

[...]

you might have mentioned in your earlier threads, but what kind of molds do you use or how is your procedure more or less? it looks all industrial made to me, i.e. i tried making something of carbon myself, but that was WAY from the cleanliness and with MUCH more resin/epoxy left overs.. not even to mention the tolerances... RESPECT!

will the drop outs be like the former ones or are you planning to make them from carbon as well... cool if it works out..

First of all thanks!
Maybe the biggest "secret" of my procedure is that I don't work with any excess of the resin (!). So all the work is pure precision - from the proportion of the epoxy mixture (very important - I use top-quality epoxy, the same as two big companies here in Slovenia, maybe you know them: www.akrapovic.com/ & http://www.pipistrel.si/), very important is also the proportion between the weight of resin and carbon fibre. And finally also the precise carbon work. Not everytime is everything perfect, so you need also a lot of patience and endurance. But unfortunately I'm financial limited with my projects, because I have A LOT of interesting projects on paper but can't start with them at the moment (also because my free time). I mainly work with pressure and the moulds are made with two halfs. It also depends for wich tube etc.,..


The drop outs will be 100% carbon fibre!

Except the "hanger" (I'll use the same as Scott does):

Again amazing stuff. We are trying to do some CF stuff at work (not me personally) but it is amazing how you are achieving so much when hundreds of highly paid engineers can't make our project work!!

What can I say, really thanks a lot! Probably I'm the only one who knows how exactly I make all the stuff, but I want to show that it's possible (!). A lot of people said to me that I'm mad and that I can't make a frame by my own...but hey, I made it, rode for 3000km without any problem and even raced with it on one race . And the next one is in process, this time even lighter, improved, better,...I sure won't stop with my work, somehow I'm addicted to it ...and I just can't wait that I finish this project...to test it, research it,...and start a new one

[FAQinc]

@ dunlinii no offense but I find comfort in the fact that hundreds of engineers are trying to make carbon bits for jet engines(or is it?) rather than one very highly skilled neo pro in Slovenia

P.S.due to your current employers name do you guys get any discount on Royce hubs I've bin dreaming for one for ages?

[dunlinii]

Yeah it is the jet engines, and its probably a good thing that there are hundreds of them. To me its just a funny comparison, even though I know the two applications are very different. And no, we don't get a discount I think they are nothing to do with us lol but having just looked them up they sure do look sweet.

[skimons]

well, for that matter, none of the guys at our engineering dept (heavy duty GT's) is allowed to touch my bike, but the guys in the workshop are

[FAQinc]

@dunlinii I had a hunch you might not but you never know what's possible in the jet age, I was lucky enough to ride a wheelset with those hubs and open pro rims on a old Hetchins it was just a lap of Richmond park but I think I was gliding plus feeling supper cool

@... since you mentioned your previous prototypes ride a bit like track bikes have you thought of using different dropouts for your next build? If you put a silly low gear ratio you will look cool on the streets of London riding around brakeless

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It would be interesting ...



Some news about PROTO-TYPE 3:
I already started with the design of the dropouts - first I have to make the mould for them, so I'm first working on the model.

I calculated that the final weight of them should be just cca. 50-55g. On my previous frame (PROTO-TYPE 2) I used ALU dropouts from Deda and the weight of them was 112g. Quite a nice weight saving here...will keep you updated, hopefully I'll soon manage to continue with the work!


Just one more photo of all the rough tubes, the "dropout hanger" and stubby:

[philolson]

what ratio of resin to CF do you achieve??? I am just about to start on a TT frame for my daughter

[BMANX]

With such craftsmanship it almost pains me that you have to use a Ritchey Stubby. I would think that you could come up with something more innovative but I do understand why you are using it. As mentioned before I would love to see the seat bonded to the ISP or at least make the top of the post scalloped and then make your own cradle like you did for the Cervelo posts (which by the way is still working amazingly well) and buy some yokes and make your own integrated post. You could re-enforce the top of the tube and put the horizontal section through the ISP and have a very cool and very light set up. Just my thought.

[dunlinii]

A guy at work just machined himself a seatpost out of a solid block, which is pretty cool. Could you do something like that but obviously just the top bit?

[BMANX]

Would love to see a pic of that.