I didn't think it possible !

HolyFrijole

HolyFrijole

Member
#1
#1
I didn't think it was possible to make a mini bike without a tubing bender that would look worth a crap.
I was searching the web and came across this very tastefully done bike, what a great job of building a mini bike without a bender.
Anyone know this builder? My hats off to them, what an excellent job. :thumbsup:
Will

Homemade.jpg
 
HolyFrijole

HolyFrijole

Member
#2
#2
I've had 30 views so far and no commits. Am I the only one that thinks this person made a great looking bike with basically all straight tubes?
Good lines, clean welds and not much in it I bet. All he has to do is explain to his wife what happened to the edger. :laugh:
 
Outlaw Ace

Outlaw Ace

#5
#5
It looks like a proper minibike but I didn't see it being built so I cannot say how well those joints are really connected. Unless there are slugs inside the tubes there will be breakage at the joints eventually. Looks good but I'd be afraid to ride it.
 
J

JKautoFab

Active Member
#10
#10
you dont need a bender. just a hacksaw, a welder, and a grinder. start cutting 85% thru the tube a few mm apart, pull the gaps closed and weld it. grind off the excess. bends with no bender.

if you know what you are doing with a welder theres nothing unsafe about the way the frame was made. but frankly if you can get a welder, you can probably afford a bender


i dont have a big enough bender to do more than minibike size tubing, so anytime i do need a bend, i find one, and cut and splice and use slugs. ive got a great go kart cage you would swear was designed the way it looks, but it was designed by what scrap pieces of pre-bent i already had!


side note... i want one of those harbor freight tubing roller benders.....
 
massacre

massacre

#11
#11
Being afraid to ride a frame that wasn't made from bent tubing seems awfully paranoid to me lol.

I have been welding since 1986 and believe me as long as proper methods were followed that frame is as safe as anything on the road.
 
bigrob

bigrob

#13
#13
Nice looking little bike

As for the bender / mitre debate there are welded joints on every mini I have seen
Its more about good welding procedures
 
HolyFrijole

HolyFrijole

Member
#14
#14
I wouldn't be afraid to ride it, looks well built. I have seen several bikes made with just straight tubing and they all looked weird and awkward. This is the first one I have seen that I like. I didn't at first notice it was a lot of straight tubes, not a mandrel bend one, then I realized what I was looking at and I thought wow.
I have thousands of dollars of equipment, Pro bender, roller to make gentle curves, welders , torches ,but that doesn't mean I can make a good looking mini bike.
I built V Twin choppers for years and it's not easy putting thought to metal can't tell you how many times I cut something off and started over.
 
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