y chook and i have been a bit distracted lately, after he let me ride his dads pennyfarthing .
its a rather addictive thing to try , and eversince ive been toying wuth and trying to find the bits to build one.
firstly there was the mini farthing
then chook put me onto a few links that had people building impossibly beautiful machines.
hes gonna slap up those links shortly
this led to chook starting to build rollers and stuff to make a rim, whilst im bashing my head into brick walls trying to make a 12 guage spoke for that rim. most of the links we found were to cycling forums where it was a pain to up[load photos or the threads were rather old and the creators had moved on.
so we thought we'd make a spot where they could come to us , and meanwhile we could make stuff and maybe get some ideas from our brilliant set of landyacht engineers
after the minifarthing i started on my pennyfakething
just after the pic was taken I was hit by a lack of oxy and acetylene,which has just been resolved,so this weekend it was back to the ultrathin discs and brazing discs and into it. The whole thing is getting a real "steampunk " feel to it.
the rear shocky did happen
I Finished the day with the collar for the front forks tacked in place, and both grinders with dicky cords
Hi yes, I have a fascination with the penny farthing
and my Dads bike is a replica that was built in South Australia in 1983.
The biggest hassle with it, is that nearly every time I ride it, I manage to break spokes in the front wheel. They are made out of 1/8 stainless steel welding rods and threaded into the bronze hub.
The stainless is too hard and they have a stress point at the end of the threads. Also the spoke pattern is radial so at any one time all the weight is supported by one spoke. This is compounded by the torque of pedalling applied to the centre trying to wind the wheel forward and loading the spokes fore and aft as well.
So in short I'm not game to use it for fear of more damage.
Paul (Landyacht) said we should build a couple of new ones. 
The rim of the front wheel seemed to be the main stumbling point in the construction of a farthing.
I spent too much time roaming round the bike forums trying to work out the methods used to build a wheel.
There were lots of different ideas and each one presented a different problem.
I reckon I could make some dies to reverse roll pipe to make a double walled rim out of 25mm ERW tube.
So it has got me off my bum to finally getting my tube roller build back on track.
I had machined up the dies many years ago, snuggled up next to my diesel fired workshop heater. It was during those freezing winter days I worked on them doing all the radiuses freehand on the lathe.
So a lot of scribbling on cereal packet cardboard, head scratching to get the parts laid out as close as I could and away I went.
I was setting it up to drive both outside rollers with chain but after rolling this ring so easily I will stay with the top roller drive only.
Starting to roll my first ring. I used the small magnetic spirit level on the bench in the background to keep the ring upright and from spiralling while rolling it. It took 6 passes to achieve this final ring. I cut the straight ends off the pipe as I rolled it so it would ease through the frame better as it tightened up.
This is a 26" bike wheel (landyacht wheel) inside the finished ring.
This 25nb galv pipe ring, will be used as the hand wheel to power the top roller.
Today I started making the dies to do the reverse roll so the cross section of the rim will look hopefully like this.
Here are some links to the better sites I have found.
If you have any that would be of assistance to us please chime in and share.
madmodder.net/index.php/topic,3504.0.html
aaronsbigbikeblog.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html
pennyfarthinginbruges.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/penny-farthing-backbone.html
Finally some spoke info.
www.goldenoldy.org/wire.htm
I'll keep you all posted on my progress.
Chook
fascinating project. you are a damned clever guy Chook.
Paul are you related to Frankinstine (lots of cut of parts there)
this can come later
ha ha!!!!! lil stig has been practicing those tricks and has 4 of them down pat.
I can only do two
But on the skate park Im finally getting some air in the half bowl. now that is fn scary fun.
my part of this mad scheme seems to be creating the spokes.
The biggest problem seems to that regular bike spokes are to thin and Motorcycle spokes are to thick.
the right size is 12 gauge. i thought it would be easy after I realized I had 500m of 12 gauge HT wire in my shed, but the bike shop die would only do 14/15 guage.
for the last month ive been trolling the web trying to find a jig AND matching die but the 3 makes all seem to have some reason to only have one or the other for thier machines.
I am making progress though.
meanwhile back in the franken cave Ive managed to get the gooseneck welded and all the gussets in( made from a dead crank)
also the important foot peg base is on and braced
I must say I really have missed bronze welding. i just love it. last week i upgraded from D size to E size bottles. and te new bottles just feel like they belong in the shed.
YesI should be off building a new yacht of some kind , But I put that off till Barry ,Vic or Andy give me a good flogging
I really enjoy bronze welding to kinda fun. Problem is I can only find those flux coated rods now. I like the ones that are dipped into a flux pot.
Select to expand quoteaus230 said..
I really enjoy bronze welding to kinda fun. Problem is I can only find those flux coated rods now. I like the ones that are dipped into a flux pot.
I will get the name and number of my packet tommorrow Vic. I bought a kilo of rods,and their half used up already. the last kilo i bought lasted 18 years!!!!!
starting to get to the fiddly bits on this baby .seat post needs to be just right so that it can fit a range of leg lengths
now its starting to look like the real thing. definitely not a penny farthing, but a modern interpretation
perhaps
Its actually rather comfortable, ,if not down right relaxing. It will need a good comfy seat,and a tought back wheel ,as there will be plenty of weight aft.
however we do have a problem with the handlebars.
what this needs is some "handlebar moustache " handlebars
with some volunteer bars from a shwinn girls bike and a BMX ,I ended up with these babies
after fitting the bike out and managing to raise 4 gears with the derailleur, i found that the bars could have been narrower at the start of the bend, but would be just right on a real big wheel as the hub is wider.
I rode the bike for a weekend,. managed to ride it to the top of klas highest hill, only fell off 0nce!. my fault,and only needed a minor tweek to ride it away from the traffic lights
My god there are lots of cameras around these days. its probably on Utube by now
looking for all the things that need tweeking, and planning where to mount all the cabling. i also got a feel for what it needed to really get a statement out of the bike.the bike has been stripped and sanded . the fork framing for the gears needed some major surgery,but thats cooling now. i thought Id leave you with this pic,as you wont see it until it rolls out painted
Gotta love it Paul!
Last time I brazedsomething at home was class 5 for Lytham '87
I'm without workshop for a while now, trying not to get antsy for new projects
Just have to watch you guys for a bit.........
Not much to report.
The ERW tube to make the rims and frame out of, didn't turn up and had missed the truck for the second time, so won't be here till next Wednesday.
I've mounted the hand wheel and turned up a handle as well.
I been using my "Chinese" 50 amp plasma cutter,($265.00, delivered to the post office.) I bought 6 months ago. So far it's been worth the money. It cuts 3mm at 36 amps at about 15mm a second and I've also cut some 12mm, at about 130mm a minute. Pretty impressive for something that's not much bigger than a large battery charger.
The frame/Air tank it's mounted on is from my old "CIG 30" plasma, as my compressor couldn't supply enough air per minute. So it is an extra receiver. It's not needed with the newer Chinese technology, but is still a handy wheeled trolley with a storage tray.
Consumables work out at $1.50 each. That's for the electrode (double ended with insert), cap, diffuser and ceramic cup. They cut about 30mtrs perfectly and another 20mtrs that needs a bit of a grind. Then turn the electrode over and away you go again. It does like the power though.
Got the base welded up and just sorting out the transport wheels, so I can shift it round easily.
I've got a 12g spoke, "thread rolling" head coming from Europe.
I'll make up the machine to use it in, to build the spokes.
I have got a rough setup I'm trialling, that does the mushroom heads on the other end and bends them.
Just got to track down some 12g nipples and make up my mind what to use for the solid tyres.
Air line, heavy duty heater hose, nylon hydraulic hose, thick fuel line or bite the bullet and go the proper wire cored solid tyre made for them at $7.00 per foot, plus $97.00 freight.
there is some good size wheels in the video. looked at them, but forget how they were made. black plastic water line and ?????? at 0:45
shoot chook ,your getting way ahead of me
12 guage nipples by the bag at Holmes Hobbies,or Holmes Bikes. they upgrade wheels to electric hub motors
the beast is on the road today.
21 gears working smooooooth as silk. snagged a big fat soft seat from targettt for $3.86. shes a cruiser with a view
herse the derailleur set up, basically a flipped normal setup. this has shimano 7 speed back end and a suntour 2 speed from an indi 500 retuned to a 3 speed on the top
back end has 750ft/lb shocky that takes the bumps out of the rear ride,and a lovely kick stand so you dont need to find a large tree to lean it against
Looks great!!!!!
Needs a "This way up" sign on it Paul.
Just in case you happen to be found in the wreckage, with some of the speeds you have been achieving with this mount.
Good things happen at heights.
Thanks "harleyd".
Nice find Vic, I just watched them with a beer in hand.
I made a jig to press the forks into an oval cross section shape today. The test length worked well.
How was your camping trip on the weekend eh chook. With that wind ya should 'ave gone sailin!
Matt dobbed ya in
TP1......... I can't slip away anywhere eh???.
Frazer Range, is as lush as I have ever seen the Nullabor. It's been destocked for almost 4 years now thanks to the dingos. Double gees 300mm high and onion weed over the bonnet. 1000's of rabbits with heaps of fat on them, just as many kangaroos and more drilling activity than I could believe, all looking for nickel and copper.
We came round a rocky outcrop on the north eastern boundary and there was 2 high track D10's and a Jetranger heli parked up at a 12 donga, single mans camp.
Yes, I'm sure I could have sailed the 100kms from Norseman to Frazer Range no trouble at all. 2 Canadian lady cyclists we past on the way there, said it was the easiest day that had had on the road so far, on their way Perth to Sydney.
I have just finished welding up the "tube rollers" base, but it will have to wait till after the Lefroy weekend for it's paint.
The "Road Worrier" was a complete success!!!!!!!!!
after getting it running on saturday,lil stig and I entered a 27km road race from broad arrow to ora banda.
they did say there was 7kms of dirt at the end but i wasnt prepared for how dangerous a penjyfakething could be on corregations. lil stig was a complete champion. her first long ride , on a regular bike and she almost beat 2 regular riders!!!!. we did the trip in 1hr30mins compared to the carbon bikes at 40-45mins.
the bike proved one thing , thata $3.86 target seatwill give you $3.
of comfort before reverting to a shear pain machine
Paul, it looks like you just pulled your bike onto the rear wheel and popped an epic mono the whole 27 km! Great going.
Well I am impressed!,,,,,, congrats to lil stig! great job...putting up with your dad for the long ride!
Got to give it to you Paul you will have a go at anything. its great the amount of time you spend with your girls
as long as they do what i want to do
yesterday i started on a 24' lighter ,better geared roadbike that lil stig can perform on. the bike shop was rather impressed that she rode her tip bike all that way ,and are helping with the design proccess.
Lyndon has supplied some maxxis bullet proof ex postie bike tyres.
I laced a 24" rim to a shimano racing cassete hub(apparenetly it cant be done) and that was trued today. ,
the start of the bike is now a rear wheel that would cost $150 built from scraps for $15
the frame is coming from a 24" and some old raleigh 27's,a bennett and some newish indexed shifters.
i reckon I'll get down to 12kg's
also an excuse to buy some epoxy and carbon
Well a wild weather day, so good to stay tucked up in the shed.
The tube arrived on Thursday, so back to this project.
I got the 415mm rear wheel, rim rolled in 25.4mm x 1.6mm ERW tube and welded up.
I removed an outside die to give me more room to work.
I then fitted a small roller underneath (that fits up into the drive die) that pushes the tyre radius onto the outside of the rim. I ran the rim round 6 times increasing the pressure each lap to form the profile of the rim.
It worked a treat and the rim ended up only 1 mm out of round and this was at the join. Where it was welded together.
Now knowing that the system will work, I rolled up the other rims.
My main wheel will be 48", 1220mm, in height and Paul want's one as well. So to standardise on the spokes, I've gone for the same size too. We just have to sort out a standard size drive hub dimension, and width.
I also have rolled two 36", 915mm wheels. (as I can get 2 out of the 6100mm length of 25.4mm x 1.6mm ERW tube.)
I'm going to weld one 36" rim together then profile it for the solid 1", 25mm tyre. I'll profile the second then join it to see if one, is any better than the other.
and... yes the purple paint, was 2 of my left over spray packs. So the rest of the roller will get painted all different colours, when I finish modifying it.
Now now!!!! Steady boy...
I was chuffed by how smooth the finish was.
Onwards and upwards from here.
Select to expand quoteChook2 said..
Well a wild weather day, so good to stay tucked up in the shed.
The tube arrived on Thursday, so back to this project.
I got the 415mm rear wheel, rim rolled in 25.4mm x 1.6mm ERW tube and welded up.
I removed an outside die to give me more room to work.
I then fitted a small roller underneath (that fits up into the drive die) that pushes the tyre radius onto the outside of the rim. I ran the rim round 6 times increasing the pressure each lap to form the profile of the rim.
It worked a treat and the rim ended up only 1 mm out of round and this was at the join. Where it was welded together.
Now knowing that the system will work, I rolled up the other rims.
My main wheel will be 48", 1220mm, in height and Paul want's one as well. So to standardise on the spokes, I've gone for the same size too. We just have to sort out a standard size drive hub dimension, and width.
I also have rolled two 36", 915mm wheels. (as I can get 2 out of the 6100mm length of 25.4mm x 1.6mm ERW tube.)
I'm going to weld one 36" rim together then profile it for the solid 1", 25mm tyre. I'll profile the second then join it to see if one, is any better than the other.
and... yes the purple paint, was 2 of my left over spray packs. So the rest of the roller will get painted all different colours, when I finish modifying it.
Chook do you line the ERW weld to the outside of the initial roll and therefore to the inside of the finished rim
Yes I have. You can see the darker blueing of the electric seam weld of the tube, on my last photo Wayne.
I marked the opposite side to the seam with a texta, to keep it upright when I first fed it into the roller to be sure.
Select to expand quoteaus230 said..
Dam its a long way down
dont worry Vic, what happens in reality is that you suddenly realize your getting off on the wrong side,or the spot where you were going to ride isnt going to happen.
I havent fallen off all week.well thats not quite true , i did bale once when a car in front decided to stop suddenly to have a look
