I picked that up from an old body man i used to work with. It’s one of my favorites.
Seriously though, who the hell am I that im gonna notice if something is .5* or a millimeter or so out of whack? I’m not some world beating racer guy, don’t try to be. I’m pretty sure i haven’t built a frame yet that wasn’t crooked somewhere, didn’t make any of them any less fun.
Perfect is the enemy of good enough.
this is my kind of absolutely mental.
so here for it.
thanks for posting!
I appreciate the hell out of it, thanks!
Since I’ve already started building, I decided to make a couple changes. Every time i make a bike shorter (reach) and taller (stack) I like it better than the previous version.
That being said, I pulled the reach in to 470 (was 490), left the cs at 390 and moved the main pivot up a little to play nice with a 36t chain ring (was 34), still right at 100% anti squat but more gear options and a 36/13 is almost the same gear ratio as the bmx 25/9 so that’s…something.
I am really loving this 44mm down tube. Turns out, the id of the down tube is the same as the od of the head tube so it really wraps around the rhe head tube rather than being just stuck on the back like a 44/38 head/down tube combo. I dig it.
Also got the tt coped. 35mm 1.2 600mm bmx down tube. Good times.
Pictures. And, yes, that is a picture of my monitor. Technology as bad as my slang. Groovy.
Man, I had a whole-ass thing about this cool service called “Stay-Drill-Stay” where you stay home and make your own parts for a fraction of the time and cost and quality of those other places…then my $7 step bit died on the 1- 1 1/8 step. Shit. Okay, this is less funny now, but whatever. Harbor Freight isn’t too far away and that step bit has been beaten harder than the red headed step child of a rented mule, time for a new one anyway…
The brand new step bit then proceeds to shit the bed in the SAME GODDAMN SPOT! New bit, new hole, same spot. I mean, really, what are the chances? I now own 2 shitty, harbor freight step bits that won’t drill past 1" 
I actually think they’re close enough I can finish them with the reamer or I might step up to the 2nd worst step bits at the discount store and see how that goes.
Professional. As. Fuck.
It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. Drill gets dull, apply more force, drill rubs, material work hardens, use new drill, material is now hard, drill gets dull quicker… It sucks.
Right. Thats why i started a new hole with the new bit and it happened again anyway. You are right about the sucking, however.
So, if you’re a dumb shit like me, and you’ve ever managed to work harden the plates you’re drilling and wipe out 2 drill bits, youre gonna wanna check this out.
I actually managed to file out the hardened part and make the hole just big enough to get the bit past the wasted section and ill be damned if I wasn’t able to drill that out and make 2, actually round, holes of the correct size. I can’t believe that actually worked, but that the phrase that pays lately.
I’m considering a theme, maybe space? So I scribbled a space x rocket on the plate. I dunno, I actually really hate space x, so maybe not. 
Anyway…
Don’t be a Dick! If you can draw a frame, you can draw a dxf for the laser cutting advertisers
You’re fun. 
Seriously though, I really can’t. I’m not being obtuse, just cant do it and haven’t wanted to put the time in to learn, probaly could, but currently can’t. I appreciate the encouragement.
Nah, you can do it. I’ve given up on burning up hole saws and uni bits in your style,btdt as the kids say. If’n you (or any other kook trying to build a dirt bike) could use a little drafting or design help, send me a message here. Seriously… this means you
Pete
I like my style. If we all did the same shit, there wouldn’t be any need for more than one of us.
I appreciate the offer and if i ever smarten up, ill let you know.
Choosing a manor of fabrication could be analogized to which medium an artist uses, as far as hobby bike makers go. Some are drawn to certain types of tools, others to some type of eye/hand thing Some see their plans as an exploded diagram and others see only one step at a time.
As long as the results are workable and safe I don’t think it really maters how one goes about this stuff. Andy (who is an exploded diagram type guy)
One of my favorite things about framebuilding is seeing everybodys different style. I’m of the opinion that most people start out loosely immitating something they like and personal style doesn’t start growing until they’ve made a couple versions.
Making half a dozen frames isn’t unreasonable so i feel like you can develop your own flavor much quicker than building something huge and silly, like cars.
Im definitely an exploded diagram kinda dude but i like to make shit with my paws. I sometimes like that a plan or a part changes as i go along. Thats my bitch with CAD, its like once its drawn in the computer and sent off to be made, that’s your part. Full stop. It feels like, personally, I lose a lot of creativity and flexibility that way. “Be water, my friends.” Or something.
Also, I’ve decided I’m taking this pile to the bike park the first week of June. So, I guess, it’s on now.
Scooped some dropouts for this thing. I wasn’t (still not) totally sold on the UDH idea, couldn’t say why, just wasn’t. I found these and figured i can keep a spare hanger in my toolbox but if things go completely pear shaped, the bike shop at the park is more likely to have one of these than just about anything else. I really hate getting a couple laps in and having some strange component break and just ruining a whole bike park trip (I’m looking at you, Can Creek lower headset cup) Hopefully, this will help prevent that problem.
These came from Framebuilder Supply, first time using them. Ordering was super easy, really fast shipping and these would have still been a deal at twice the price…
I have used these on two different builds, they’re nice!
One thing that might be a bit tricky: If you build a Boost spacing (148mm) rear, the axle needs to be 177mm with M12x1.0 thread pitch. This dimension doesn’t exist at all the usual suspects (DT Swiss, RockShox, Burgtec, you name it…).
I bought a 180mm axle at amazon from some dodgy chinese “brand” that had a very long threaded section and cut some of it off.
I should have machined down this cylinder on the NDS a few mm instead, but that’s difficult with the rest of the bike already attached 
Thanks for the heads up! My rear is 12x142, that’s what i could find in 26 without getting silly. I gotta measure, but i think i can find something, im definitely not above a little butchery if its needed. Thanks again!
Since I needed to finish weld the bottom bracket/downtube/seat tube area before I bury it in plates, I pulled this turd out of the jig and welded as much as I could before I ran out of argon.
I compared this current guy to my first trail bike (purple) and the previous park rig (the other one) and it’s silly how little it looks sitting next to these absolute dump trucks. Current frame is 70mm shorter than the purple bike and 45mm shorter than the old park rig. It’s closer in reach to my 21" tt bmx than it is to either of these frames. This is gonna be a riot to ride.
That 44mm downtube is just bananas, I love it.
