The BSA A7-A10 Forum
Technical (Descriptive Topic Titles - Stay on Topic) => Frame => Topic started by: jachenbach on 31.10. 2015 00:23
-
I need to make some fender stays. Thinking that I can buy a length of stainless steel tubing, cut to whatever length I desire and drill holes in the ends. Fairly inexpensive, and I can be sure they are the correct length. My question, having never worked with stainless steel..........
Is it malleable enough to flatten the ends without splitting? I've found a source for seamless 316 with varying wall thickness. I'm thinking 1/2" o.d. with .035" wall. Anyone have experience with this sort of thing?
-
I did it and it worked ok; pilot holes, cutting oil and Cobalt drills are the g-oh (but I still somehow burn them out)...intended to keep the seam in the middle of the flats, but the ends are at 90˚ to each other... *conf*
Making it neat went west, I just beat the crap out of them with a 4lb lump hammer- I'll take a piccie or two if I remember...
-
Why not just use carbon steel? Much easier. You can even work the end to a nice curve as it flows down to the flat. That's what I did, at least.
Richard L.
-
Why not just use carbon steel?
**BLING**
(Chromers aren't easy to find around here, and they ain't cheap)
-
Yeah i made mine easy as, don't need to use hammer you can squash in the vice using a piece of flat bar to extend one side of the jaws so as to squash one side of the stay only, cheers
-
316 (A4) is very corrosion resistant, often used for boat fittings. 303 (A2) and 416 are so-called free-machining grades, easier to work and not so hard on the tools.
-
I also did the mudguard stays and the rear too in stainlees. The lifting handle was a little difficult in bending but it also works.
I have made a special tool for pressing the tube in a vice. The tube is 12mm with 1mm wall.
-
Thanks for the excellent replies. I'm thinking stainless because the fenders are stainless. I considered mild steel, but figure the shiny bits will go better with the fenders. Klaus, thanks for the picture of the flattening tool. I was thinking of how to make one. I like that. Not sure how to get that nice taper in the "v". I'll talk to the machinist down the road about that. I'll see if I can get the seamless tubing in 303 or 416 for the easier machining qualities.
-
Hi,
Go for the softer SS materials, the 316 can crack with vibration
I used 10 x 8mm for the front stays, I sleeved the ends with a couple of inches of 12 x10 before flattening
run a 10mm drill throught the larger tube first and it will tap on
This was so it looked similar to the way the originals were made, also stronger!!
When making plain stays from tubing I put a piece of flat into the tube before its fully squeezed *ex*
This gives it a lot more strength.
I use two pieces of alloy with a semicircle cut out of the sides and squeez the tube between them to put a radius on the transition , this prevents cracking at that point
HTH
John
-
OK, Klaus' work has convinced me that stainless might be worth the trouble.
Jeff, the taper at the transition appears to have been made by the grooves of similar shape toward the bottom of the plates.
Richard L.
-
There's bit coming back to me now, like I was planning the process, but then one day I just went and did it... may have even used seamless tube, I know I have some, but not sure which grade maybe 304(?) have a few bits of various grades. I also made head steadies- that was challenging *work*
When making plain stays from tubing I put a piece of flat into the tube before its fully squeezed *ex*
This gives it a lot more strength.
Yes I remembered I used some stainless washers to do similar, maybe had to grind flats on opposing sides *wink2*
-
I made fender "tubes" in OD 12mm x 1,5mm. AISI 304 (A2) quality.
Fabricated a tool for the hydraulic press, to crimp ends.
Tools made in manganeze bronze.
Works well with stainless. Lubed tool with synt marine grease. (high melting temp. type)
Presse in a 25 Ton hydraulic press
Ends TIG welded.
Look like done by the factory.
Job done in 1994, used 30KMiles. No defects....