old trials fanatic Posted May 22, 2015 Report Share Posted May 22, 2015 Just come in out of the garage after wrestling with the rob Homer frame i bought thinking i would save myself a bit of money. OK its CDS not T45 like those Alan Whitton ones but with my level of inexpertise it wont make much difference. Well after spending hours and hours over the last week or two trying to get things to fit i am beginning to wonder if the saving was really worth it. I have had a DRR frame supplied through Alan before and everything just fitted together as it should. No re drilling, no reaming out, no filing etc etc. Plus the welding / brazing is to die for and it seems a shame to paint over it. Is it just me ? Do i just happen to have a Friday frame ? OK it's been powder coated, note to self NEVER EVER get a frame powder coated again, which has in itself caused loads of problems. Well time to have a serious think as i know there are 3 frames left of the current batch unsold. Do i bite the bullet and buy one and sell the one i have on e bay to recoup some of the money back or do i continue re-engineering the damn thing to get stuff to fit ? OK the DRR ones Alan sells do cost a lot of money but so did this and the amount i saved ? well i think i would have been better spending the extra and reducing my stress levels and blisters. What does the team think ? spend and be damned or persist ? Have to make my mind up soon though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy m Posted May 22, 2015 Report Share Posted May 22, 2015 Msgd you on FB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie prescott Posted May 22, 2015 Report Share Posted May 22, 2015 Hi Guy's. Hi OTF. Look Mate it as got to be you? The BSA B40 "Otter" frame you had you said was a Friday night one. and the spindle holes were different on each side of the swinging arm, The paint would not stay on the frame because of the bronze welding, brackets were in the wrong place ETC, and a lot more. But you did a Blo**y good job on that bike and some of the work was outstanding, and I can't find anything wrong with the bike. Bessie Story on the "Otter' site. We know the Bantam frame's that Paul builds for Alan are great, but any frame that the late Rob Homer made can not be that bad, the bloke never did a bad job in his life. Just read the above and get on with the frame you have. You know it makes sense, If the frame is good enough for Wrighty and Colin Dommett I can't see that there can be a lot wrong with the one you have. Let me know how you get on "mate" . Regards Charlie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trialsrfun Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 I have often wondered if a frame made from T45 offers any real advantage over a similar one built using CDS tube. Is T45 used throughout the frame or just for the main loop, would the T45 version have that tubing used for the steering head tube as well as the swing arm pivot, surely ordinary grade steel would be used for all the brackets on both so no gain there so what might the weight saving be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon v8 Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 Just come in out of the garage after wrestling with the rob Homer frame i bought thinking i would save myself a bit of money. OK its CDS not T45 like those Alan Whitton ones but with my level of inexpertise it wont make much difference. Well after spending hours and hours over the last week or two trying to get things to fit i am beginning to wonder if the saving was really worth it. I have had a DRR frame supplied through Alan before and everything just fitted together as it should. No re drilling, no reaming out, no filing etc etc. Plus the welding / brazing is to die for and it seems a shame to paint over it. Is it just me ? Do i just happen to have a Friday frame ? OK it's been powder coated, note to self NEVER EVER get a frame powder coated again, which has in itself caused loads of problems. Well time to have a serious think as i know there are 3 frames left of the current batch unsold. Do i bite the bullet and buy one and sell the one i have on e bay to recoup some of the money back or do i continue re-engineering the damn thing to get stuff to fit ? OK the DRR ones Alan sells do cost a lot of money but so did this and the amount i saved ? well i think i would have been better spending the extra and reducing my stress levels and blisters. What does the team think ? spend and be damned or persist ? Have to make my mind up soon though Serve you right for going over to the stinkwheel darkside. Should have left them for the GPO to scrap ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie prescott Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 Hi Guy's. Hi TRF. Look if you build a frame using T45 tubing, you need to use the same material for the gussets, swinging arm pivot and every thing else on the frame or you are wasting your time buying the expensive tube in the first place. I must say for a trials frame I do think using the tubing is a bit over the top. But for security on high speed frames it does make a lot of sense.for a more positive feel to the ride. Having said that the tubing and the surrounding material needs constant checking for cracks etc. This is just a nature of highly stressed material. Yes I do use T45, and try to use a similar material for the rest of the build but unless this is checked by a metalolagist I could be getting some of it wrong? I do turn the steering head collets out of en 9 steel, and use T45 for the steerer tube has this is the most important part of the frame. Has I have said, the one advantage of T45 tube and simular is, it does give a more positive feel to the machine. So you pays your money and takes your choice.!! Regards Charlie. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy m Posted May 24, 2015 Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 One thing we did work out the frame is a Rob Homer style frame ( not Robs frame) . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie prescott Posted May 24, 2015 Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 Hi Guy's. Hi Andy. There is the explanation then, Thanks. If it were one of Robs frames there would have been no need to re adjust anything. I must say OTF if you have a frame powder coated you do have slight distortion, but this seems to come back to original dimensions after the frame has settled for a while! No I am not being stupid this does happen. Holes should be drilled slightly over size before sending a frame for powder coat or even spraying with paint??? Why? Because the powder or paint will coat the dimension of the hole, and then if you have to re drill it you take the coating off and create a rust pocket. It is just a matter of thinking outside the box before creating these masterpieces. Dont despair OTF. I am sure you will do a better than average job on your build, and good luck. Regards Charlie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old trials fanatic Posted May 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2015 Thanks for those words of encouragement Charlie i will try as after looking at the old bank balance it doesnt look like i have much choice other than to persevere with the sows ear project. Trialsarefun. The difference in weight between the two frames is around 5 kgs however i was not bothered about the weight as i am 17 stone so saving a few kilos on the bike wont make much difference when there's the equivalent of two riders riding it. To me it was all about the engineering. Pauls DRR frames are more of a precision product which you would expect from his race background. some of his alloy race swing arms are a delight to behold believe me. Whilst the frame i have is far more agricultural in execution and THAT more than anything annoys the hell out of me. Only became obvious once you start delving deeper. Things like seemed tube used when seamless would have been far more appropriate. Ruddy great bolts where stainless fasteners and alloy finishers would have been more appropriate. Fabricated headstocks instead of turned from one piece etc etc etc and dont even mention those damn metalastic bushes. Grrrrrrrrrrrr hate those bloody things. I suppose for the money i expected more Lotus than Land Rover, I drive a Landie BTW before John V8 starts, and what i got was more of a fergie . Oh well as i said live and learn and hopefully one day i will. Suppose i could always get a new swing arm made ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
90vanman Posted February 29, 2016 Report Share Posted February 29, 2016 Hi, I am seeing lots of names of frame builders in this thread, I was looking for a Bantam rigid frame, but Drayton, I am told are not in production at the moment, so where else can I try? Many thanks for any info. Incidentally, I tried twinshockshop with no luck. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin350 Posted February 29, 2016 Report Share Posted February 29, 2016 You could try Steve at http://progressiveclassicproducts.co.uk/frames.html I have no conection with this company. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smelling123 Posted February 29, 2016 Report Share Posted February 29, 2016 You could try BSA, think they made a few ? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john b Posted February 29, 2016 Report Share Posted February 29, 2016 Just bought a frame kit from progressive. Very helpfull, looks well made, would definitley recommend cheers John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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