Transcript
“Just dropping by to say Hi from Indiana. ” ~ Jacob K., Indiana
May 16, 2012
NEWS
Poor Man’s Lathe By Brad Graham, AtomicZombie.com
AZTV
T
here are times when you need to modify a part in such a way that you need the use of a lathe or CNC machine, but the cost of such a job or the wait time may not be worth it. I like to spend the day in the garage and get things done right away, but I have only the basic hand held tools, not a lathe or even a drill press. So what is a Adding the 3rdtoloop to theafour garage hacker do when part loop needssection to be turned down on a lathe and you lack such a tool or the patience to wait for the shop to do it for you? Simple - make an impromptu lathe from your hand held drill! I was working on this massive autonomous robot project and needed to adapt the axles from a pickup truck rear differential to take a set of bearings and sprockets. Sure, I could have sent them to the shop and paid $150 to have them machined on a lathe, but I did not want to fork out the dough any more than I wanted to wait a month to have this done, so I decided to pull a "MacGyver" and machine down the axles without needing a lathe. Impossible do to the precision needed? Heck no! I even added a keyway to each axle using an angle grinder and the end result was a perfect fit. Let me show you how I adapted the axle shafts shown here to fit onto the 1 inch diameter bearings and sprockets. (Continued on page 2)
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“I love getting your newsletters. It’s the highlight of my week.” ~ Patricia M., Ohio
NEWS
May 16, 2012
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A lathe in its simplest terms is a machine that spins a part so that a cutting bit can remove metal a little bit at a time. So, I knew if I could get the axle to spin, then I could just use my grinder to carefully remove the metal around the end of the shaft until it was exactly 1 inch in diameter. At this point, the axles were about 1.25 inches in diameter and tapered. To spin the axle, I welded a bolt to the center of the hub flange and then placed it in the chuck of my hand drill. The axle was then placed into a simple wooden jig and greased so that it would spin freely. I found the drill spun the axle a bit too fast for my liking, so I needed a way to reduce the speed of the drill to about 120 RPM. Trying to tie wrap the variable trigger in place did not really work out so well, and then I remembered something about the series wound motors in drills and saws - they work with both AC current and DC current. My idea was to just reduce the voltage to the drill motor. Going from 120 volts AC to 24 volts DC slowed the drill down to the perfect speed, yet gave it enough torque to spin the axles as I held the grinder disc to them. To power the drill from 24 volts DC, I just took two of the four robot batteries (marine batteries) and wired them in series with the drill power cord completing the circuit. I didn't even use wires for the plug; it was just sandwiched between the two battery terminals and held there by friction. My machining process required shortening the axles and then turning them down to exactly 1 inch in diameter at the last 2 inches on each end. Cutting the axle short was easy; I just spun up the drill and then held the zip disc on the axle until it cut all the way through the axle. I did not need the splined end piece, so it was tossed in the scrap bin. (Continued on page 3)
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“Hello from your bike friends in Indonesia.” ~ PJ., Indonesia
NEWS
May 16, 2012
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To machine down the axles, I ran my grinding disc back and forth along the 2 inch section while the drill spun the axles at about 120 RPM. I did not push hard on the grinder, and tried to keep a constant pace as I moved it back and forth along the area to be reduced. After about 50 strokes, I would stop the drill and check the axle thickness using the bearing I intended to install. Once the axle was just slightly larger than necessary, I switched from the grinder disc to a sanding disc so the final machining could be done more accurately. The last 16th of an inch was machined away using the sanding disc, which produced a very smooth and accurate final result, much like a lathe would have done. Considering how this was done, the final result was quite impressive, having only the slightest variations along the surface of the machined area. The bearing slid on tightly with almost no play, so now I only had to do the other axle and then figure out some way to add a keyway along the length of the machined section. The sprocket flanges were the friction fit type requiring a keyway to be used. Because I was going to drive these axles with a lot of torque, the keyway was absolutely essential, but once again I wanted this project done now and done cheap, so I decided to keep on rolling with my hand tools. A keyway after all was just a slot in the axle, so why not hack it out with a zip disc? Seemed logical! I marked out the area I wanted the keyway and then attacked it with a 3/32 diameter zip disc using my (Continued on page 6)
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“Hi Brad and Kat. Nice to see the summer background in the newsletter. I’ll bet your yard looks very nice with the green grass, flowers and trees in bloom.” ~ Kelvin L, Calgary
NEWS
May 16, 2012
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angle grinder. I used a small worn out disc to keep the length of the keyway short and just took my time, trying to cut out only the section indicated by the black marker. Eventually, the key stock fit tightly into the keyway, so once again my hand held tools saved the day. The keystock fit perfectly between the sprocket flange and the axle once the keyway was cut out using the zip disc. The slot wasn't perfect, but it was certainly as good as it needed to be in order to secure the flange to the axle for high torque use. Now, I had only one more keyway to cut in order to complete the massive robot drive system. Total cost of machining so far was about 50 cents in electricity! Here is the completed gear reduction system after adding the sprockets and bearing to the hand (Continued on page 5)
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“Hello my fellow zombies from Great Britain.” ~ Andrew W., Liverpool
NEWS
May 16, 2012
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machined parts. The modified axles drive a set of large transport truck wheels through a huge 10:1 reduction system powered by a set of large 2000 watt DC motors. This transmission system worked perfectly and required only hand held tools to make. I have reduced several car differentials this way, and each time, the "Poor Man's Lathe" did the job perfectly. In one project, I even cut a decent spline using nothing but a hand held grinder and a zip disc. Never underestimate what can be done with basic hand held tools in combination with a small budget and a lack of patience! If you are like me, you want things done right now and for minimal cost, so don't be afraid to "wing it"!
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“I’m new to this bike building thing, but I’m liking it a lot so far. Cheers.” ~ Damian G., New Zealand
May 16, 2012
NEWS
d ilan a h T
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My first tadpole trike, MkI. ~ FrankCrank
Australia
Big Daddy, built by Don Trimble, USA
I've made a hitch so I can attach the boys’ trailer to my Warrior and take them along the tracks where I live. They LOVED it. ~ Mitchthor68
You can now upload your own bike pictures to the gallery! Go to the AZ forum and join us.
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Blue stiletto built by Salvo
“Yahoo! You’re making parts! Great!” ~ Brandon O., Maine
May 16, 2012
NEWS
Atomic Zombie head tubes & bottom AZTV
brackets for your bike projects
A
ttention DIY bike builders - we hear
you loud and clear! Since we originally stated our intention to manufacture some of our trike parts, you’ve told us that you also want the basic building blocks needed for practically any human powered vehicle.
A salvaged bottom bracket
Of these basic building blocks, the two that are most often used are the bottom bracket and the head tube. In fact, you can build many of our DIY bikes and trikes without requiring any other frame parts besides a
head tube and bottom bracket. We understand that in some parts of the world it may be difficult to salvage several frames for chopping when taking on a project that requires several similar head tubes or bottom brackets such as a trike or quad, so we are actively pursuing the manufacture of these raw components. If you intend to pedal your creation, then without a doubt you will require one or more bottom brackets, as they are necessary for holding the crankset and bearing hardware to the frame. It's easy to simply chop one out of a steel parts frame and then grind it clean as long as you have a frame. A tandem bike or trike requires two bottom brackets, and often matching crank hardware, so the process of salvaging these components can take some time. (Continued on page 8)
You can now upload your own bike pictures to the gallery! Go to the AZ forum and join us.
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“Some of your projects will be used in villages I am volunteering in. I will send pictures.” ~ James M., South Africa
NEWS
May 16, 2012
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As we were looking at the technical drawings for some other parts we intend to manufacture, I realized how simple a part a bottom bracket really was and took a drawing to our local shops for pricing. Thanks to those who chimed in regarding our intent to manufacture in our recent newsletters, we have decided to push ahead on making bottom bracket and head tubes available to our community and possibly bearing hardware in the near future as well.
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A complete bottom bracket and hardware
Our bottom bracket shells will be mild steel and take standard threaded bearing cups or a complete bottom bracket cartridge. These shells will be unpainted and ready for welding, so you will not need to spend the time cleaning or salvaging these parts. If we can locate a reliable supplier for the bearing hardware, we will also offer complete sets so you won't have to remove them from a donor cycle or wait to order them from your local bike shop. With a length of metal tubing and the parts shown here, you can carve out practically any kind of human powered vehicle. Our goal is to supply as many building blocks as we can so that you can spend more time building cool bikes and less time digging scavenging and digging through scrap piles for donor parts.
A salvaged head tube, bottom bracket, and supporting hardware
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"My next project will be a velomobile. I hope you do one in the future. The Warrior (tadpole trike) is perfect for this.” ~ Hendrik F., Switzerland
May 16, 2012
NEWS
StreetFox vs. Marauder
Hello from Thailand “Hello all. My name's Frank and I'm a British expat living in a small town called Banglen, about 70k north west of Bangkok.
AZTV
Just finished building my trike and been out riding it last few days - great fun. Hope the pictures load OK, will get back with some more chat later (no point without More>> pics). Cheers, Frank.”
“I'm a new hopeful getting ready to learn welding and start my first build. The two bikes I'm most interested in are the StreetFox and the Marauder. Which would be easiest as a first build? Thanks in advance for your advice!”
More>>
Head tubes & bottom brackets
“We're working with a manufacturer to also make head tube shells and bottom bracket shells weldable-ready. They will have slightly thicker walls so they won't distort during welding.
Colorado
Since our plans call for head tubes and bottom brackets and some people are having problems salvaging useable bike parts for their projects, we think that offering these two parts for sale makes sense. If you are interested in these parts, please add your name here so we can gauge interest.” More>>
From our Facebook Fan Page:
“I’m pretty impressed with the bike plans you have. Now, if only I had a welder and a place to build ‘em! Keep up the great stuff.” ~ Barney H., Pennsylvania
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Terri’s quad bike
Advertise in the weekly AtomicZombie newsletter. Affordable rates, high visibility. Contact KoolKat for more information.
“Get ‘em early and give them something to do and be creative with Dad. It’ll pay off in the long run.” ~ Paul P.
May 16, 2012
NEWS
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Head tube and bottom bracket shells are at the top of our inventory list, and we hope to add more as we move along on this new venture. We are also going to make our head tube shells slightly thicker than normal so that there will be less distortion in the round tube after welding it to your frame. Parts manufacturing is a new adventure for us, so we have to work out many things such as shipping and packaging, but we are working hard to get these parts ready to deliver. Our local machine shops are working out a price for large quantities of head tube and bottom bracket shells and we will be taking preorders as soon as we have a firm price for the first run. Please let us know if you want to be on the list for these parts as this will help us determine how many to manufacture at a time, with prices being lower for larger quantities. Thanks to everyone for the feedback! Kyoto with 26 rear wheel for better gearing also shorter frame for handling and transport
Built by ducky47
Feedback “I haven’t been a part of the community for quite some time due to health issues. But, a couple of issues ago, you had a message from a fellow who started bike building while recovering after a heart attack. That’s motivated me to get back to this fun hobby a bit at a time. I’ve missed it. Thanks for still being online. ” ~ Walter G., Tennessee
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“Your new chopper build is looking way kewl. Glad to hear you got it back.” ~ Mark M.
May 16, 2012
NEWS
Special extended to May 31!
AZTV
Building custom bicycles is a great hobby that can be learned by anyone with a desire to create. The skills needed to dismantle, alter and repair bicycle components can be easily learned, and the parts and tools you will need are quite inexpensive.
o t n i g n i r p S g n i d l i u b e bik
Discarded or worn out bicycles offer many good parts and can often be found at local scrap yards, city dumps, or yard sales for a few dollars. Even if you plan to build a custom creation using all new parts, this hobby will seem inexpensive compared to many, as you can purchase a brand new bicycle at a store for less than a hundred dollars. The great thing about hacking and welding bicycles is that you will be working with all steel components, which are much stronger, more common, and much less expensive than high grade aluminum or carbon fiber bicycle parts. If you have never torn a bicycle apart before, then this basic introduction will show you all you need to complete a total bicycle autopsy in minutes, stripping an entire cycle down to the individual parts using only a few basic hand tools. You can build your own recumbent bike, tadpole trike, chopper, velomobile, electric scooter, delta trike, quadcycle or tandem trike from our easy to follow plans. All of our plans are easily modified to suit your own needs and you can work with the materials you have on hand. Combine the ideas presented in several plans into a unique home built recumbent bike, or create your own racing trike based on one of our DIY plans. The possibilities are endless!
Join the Atomic Zombie family of bike builders Send us a picture of your completed handmade bike. Each picture less than 2MB in size, please. JPG preferred.
>>
[email protected] <<
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“I’m still working on my Marauder. It will be done in the next month. It’s been a great project.” ~ Franz , Netherlands
NEWS
May 16, 2012
Atomic Zombie manufactured
AZTV
parts for your bike projects By Brad Graham, AtomicZombie.com
D
ue many, many requests, we will be manufacturing some parts that are used on our delta trikes and quads.
We will be starting with the wheel and transmission parts, and hope to add more to our inventory in response to the demand. We may even offer spokes, bearings, chains, and many other common bicycle parts that are used on practically every project. Here is a description of the parts we intend to offer and which plans they belong to. Some of the Delta Trike parts we will offer: Part (A) is a disc brake axle adapter, and it will allow you to install a standard bicycle disc brake onto a 5/8 or 3/4 inch diameter steel axle. The part will be drilled and tapped for standard disc brake rotor mounting and will include a set screw for connection to the axle. Part (B) is a threaded freewheel axle adapter that will allow a Shimano type screw-on freewheel to be affixed to a 5/8 or 3/4 inch diameter steel axle. This part will include a set screw for connection to the axle. Part (C) is a threaded freewheel axle adapter that also includes a disc brake mounting flange. This part is basically a combination of Part (A) and Part (B) so both a free hub and disc brake can be affixed in the same place using a single part. Part (D) is a hub flange that will allow a wheel to be laced directly to a 5/8 or 3/4 inch diameter steel (Continued on page 13)
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“Hello! I am from Poland. I got your Timberwolf cargo trike. It will be a great project. Thank you." ~ Tomasz D., Poland
May 16, 2012
NEWS
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Projects that require axle adapters and flanges.
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axle. These parts are sold in pairs and will include 18 or 24 drilled spoke holes for 36 or 48 hole rims. All of our DIY trike and quadcycle plans use one or more of these parts, and you certainly use these parts to design your own unique vehicles based on our plans or from scratch. Having these parts available means that you can shave days off your build time or possibly weeks if you have to wait in line at the machine shop for your parts to be made. Because we will be making these in quantities, we can manufacture them for less than what a machine shop would charge for a single unit. All of our parts are tested to fit on the axle and freewheel, so there will be no guesswork or problems when it comes time to install them. Our freewheel and brake adapter will allow standard bicycle components to be adapted to any 5/8 or 3/4 axle so that transmission and braking can be included. A threaded freewheel will screw on to the adapter and a standard bicycle disc brake rotor will bolt onto the included flange. With these two components mounted to the axle, you can use a standard bicycle rear (Continued on page 14)
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“I LOVE the Warrior trike. It rides great. My friends want one, too.” ~ Deimantas S., Lithuania
NEWS
May 16, 2012
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derailleur to add speeds and a standard mechanical bicycle disc brake to offer solid stopping power. All of our plans that include two rear wheels make use of one or more of these freewheel and disc brake adapters. With our freewheel and disc brake adapters, you can add a pedal transmission to practically anything with an axle. If you are interested in purchasing any of the parts we intend to offer, please let us know! We will start off with a small batch of parts and then base our inventory from the response. Here’s the list of possible custom manufactured parts again: A.
Disc brake axle adapter, and it will allow you to install a standard bicycle disc brake onto a 5/8 or 3/4 inch diameter steel axle. The part will be drilled and tapped for standard disc brake rotor mounting and will include a set screw for connection to the axle.
B.
Threaded freewheel axle adapter that will allow a Shimano type screw-on freewheel to be affixed to a 5/8 or 3/4 inch diameter steel axle. This part will include a set screw for connection to the axle.
C.
Threaded freewheel axle adapter that also includes a disc brake mounting flange.
D.
Hub flange that will allow a wheel to be laced directly to a 5/8 or 3/4 inch diameter steel axle. These parts are sold in pairs and will include 18 or 24 drilled spoke holes for 36 or 48 hole rims.
We are currently collecting names so that we can tell the machine shop how many parts to make in one run. That number will dictate the unit price, so the more people who are interested, the lower the price per unit will be and we can pass those savings along to you. In terms of shipping costs, those will be determined once we have the prototypes back from the shop, (within a couple of weeks). Once we have tested the prototypes, we will determine packaging and shipping costs. Stay tuned to the forum, newsletter , Facebook and AZ site for announcements.
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