After trying a couple without a jig I think it’s time to make one. A stem jig, that is. I’m aware of the Sputnik. What else is out there? What techniques have you come up with?
Here’s one from me and a friend yesterday using a preform of brass. Results were imperfect.
Alex Meade makes one. I have seen it in person and it is nice
I have seen the Sputnik and Alex Meade ones. They are good - pretty similar design.
Steelman had this one:
Konga:
Mike Flanagan:
These all seem pretty adequate. You have to figure out a way to keep the handlebar clamp where you want it, though you can also trim it after brazing.
It seems like a design that doesn’t use a lot of metal right next to the part you’re brazing might allow you to get up to temperature more easily. So cones might be better than a machined rod. Also cones let you build for 31.8, 26.0, 25.4 with the same fixture, as long as your cone is conical enough.
When I made one I just put the handlebar in there (a flat MTB handlebar), and then propped it up an even distance from the table at both ends. It’s good to have something with a long extension on it to magnify any errors (if you don’t have the tools to make lovely machined fixtures like those illustrated).
That solves the problem of the bar clamp being parallel to the table but not the one of the rest of the stem being perpendicular to the center line of the bar clamp.
Yes. I can’t remember exactly what I did for that part.
Cool jig, how does it work?
@Restless That is interesting.
I think the part circled in green is to keep the “neck” piece aligned with the clamp piece properly.
What does the screw circled in pink do?
The green circled part is used to keep the extension tube from slipping down the steerer clamp before tacking in place.
The other circled part can be used to hold the extension in place on the bar clamp before tacking.
Also, the brass piece is cone shaped and everything can be moved/angled for length and stem angle. The pink circled part could be used as a way to attach some accessory mount or decoration too. It can pivot out of the way
Tried a search on flickr? Always a good source for this stuff.
Of course.
Not really finding too much variation or any novel approaches, but maybe that’s because none are needed.
Mine is really simple, a big piece of cold rolled with a slot in it, a steerer held by the starnut and an interchangeable habdlebar dummy. I braze the clamp bolts first and use them to hold the clamps and add the main tube. The stem helps build itself in a way haha. Since its all massive and milled its pretty straight, the only thing i have to measure is the position of the handlebar clamp on the dummy but it takes a minute on the aligment table
