Flevo Racer Construction Journal

progress 20040831

2004-08-31T07:42:18Z

Major progress tongiht brought by about 7 hours solid work.
All 5 major frame pieces were rough cut and filed square and to size.
Next session will do the same for the 3 pairs of frame stay pieces.
after that its dropouts and support brackets.
Its time to order brazeons and bottom bracket shell
Ill try to get some pics but i think ill move off livejournal first.

update 20040827

2004-08-27T08:59:00Z

Been busy both with Bike and with work and education.
On the bike front I got a new crosswise table for the drill/mill press that works well.
I've set up a tolerable miter cutting jig for the steel tubes
I have had a devil of a time getting metric measuring devices and drills.
Bought a use Fox Shock FloatR for $60 also got some general bike tools today
A spoke Tension meter from Park Tools a chain cleaner a nipple driver and some wheelsmith spoke set goop.
Still trying to sort out photos and getting this site into a more palatable format.
On the education from Im loking into taking machining classes at DeAnza.

Report 20040812

2004-08-13T09:15:41Z

bleah, real work bogging me down and feeling a bit of burn out.
Lined up to get some scap stock from physics shop, this could be a huge help.
Bouth a new 1" abrasive disc for the pedistal grinder. Forgot to look to see where it was made.
Put it on the grinder and it spun 1/4" off true front to back. Looked to see where it was made.
China. damn. must alwyas rember to look before buying.
I guess its hard to implement quality control over political prison labor and in a
economic system so corrupt.
Fun researching Internation Standard for disc brake mounts...
still cant find the origionating body of said "International Stadard"
Any hints appreciated.
Flevo Bike mail list report that replace dodgy rear suspension wiht a hydraulic has been done by others.
Still need to get the photos sorted out, took alot more today.

report 20040810

2004-08-11T07:19:19Z

report 20040810

mostly reasearch and testing.
still some gear to buy
the metric drills and taps are on back orger, grr
looking for a small vise
mounted a wire brush on the pedestal grinder.
continued diagnostics on the drill press, wibrations are coming from the front pulley, which
seems to spin eccentrically.
deciding which digital metric/english calipers to buy... mityotoyo is in the lead.

flevo racer construction day2

2004-08-10T07:35:38Z

Report 20040809

busy day setting up the shop
the small steel bits came in
orginazed and comissioned the "shop"
started with a mess
ended looking pretty good
made some soft jaws for the vice
installed but didnt test the abrasive chop blade in the skil saw
ran the jig saw with new metal cutting blades

and the major item was refurbishing a x-y+rotary table and
bolting it to the drill press to make an inpromptu mill.
this took a long time. I had to work the play out of the ways, clean
and oil everything, work the play out of the screws. polish the foot and the
drill press table, mount and secure the table and finally tram it
the table is level and perpindicular to the drill presses axis of roataion
to about ~.0035. at least till i bump into it next.

dadaless @ 2004-08-08T00:45:00

2004-08-08T07:47:10Z

A flevo Bike Raceer Construction Journal

This page documents the construction of a flevo bike racer from the inital materials preperation to compleation (hopefully!)

The Flevo Bike is a Bike designed in FlevoLand a "county" in denmark.
Its unusual in that has center frame steering. You steer wiht your legs and body causing the frame to bend underneath you.

Basic Information about the Flevo and its incarnations can be found here. <Ref>http://flevofan.ligfiets.net/

the goal is to get something as cool looking as this <ref> http://www.zandman.nl/flevoracer/webfotos.html#
http://www.zandman.nl/flevoracer/images/flevoracer99.jpg

I started in July of 2004 to design a recumbent bicycle for a few obscure reasons of my own.
I quickly discovered the "already been done" phenonomon in my research.
During my research I discovered the Flevo Bike racer plans. <ref>http://flevofan.ligfiets.net/ch5/e-flevoracer.zip
I punted and decided to just build a bike first to see what it took. I'll design one later.

On 20040801 I comitted to building this beast and ordered the steel
I'll photograph it when it shows up.
Ive also assembeled a small set of tools which i'll photograph as well.
Ill get into the welding later but for now im going with the cheap sets metal forming school. Skil saw with abrasive blade, Drill press, hand files, drills and taps.

Alot of research went in before i comitted to construction. <ref>
I sorted out the steel standards (an amazingly complex mish mosh of international and national standards with cryptic, chemical, mechanical, arbitrary and confusing designations ), the results of theese sortings found me learning that i needed a "mild low carbon steel, which is all we sell anyway, why the hell are you asking me weather its 1018, I just work here" All in all metullurgy is very fun. I reccomend theese books <ref>

http://www.zandman.nl/flevoracer/images/flevoracer99.jpg