Mill VS lathe or something else?

[daedalusminos]

The big holes of 100mm or so make me think mill

What size sheet?

 

[RHam]

What size sheet?

Up to 10mm for aluminium is what i have laying around. The main front "triangle" 2.5mm aluminium

 

[RHam]

Hopefully this won't come over the wrong way but I think you need to actually decide what your trying to do before buying the machines.
If you are trying to build a bike then a lathes not the best tool and likewise a mill isn't either.

People build bikes out of bamboo so tool room accuracy isn't what you need. Bikes are all tube sections with a few flat bits for joins and the metals thin. The thickest bits (and only flat bits) are probably the drop outs and you could cut them with a hacksaw and file quicker than you could set up a mill.

You'd be better off investing in a decent vice, some decent files, basic measuring and marking out tools and holesaws and making a jig to hold the tube at the right angle on your pillar drill to cut the tubes to the right profile with a hole saw.

The BB and headset threads can be cut with a die and faced using a facing tool. have a look at frame building on you tube. You could end up with an expensive tool that won't help you do what your trying to achieve.

It's mostly a fun experiment really and a focused way to continue tig practice but it'll be for a custom electric bike so i can house the motor and electronics inside the frame.

Initially i was thinking i could buy the headtubes and bottom bracket but finding them in aluminium is proving tough right now so either I'll have a go at making them or just cutting them out of an old bike and re using them.

It'll kind of be like an orange patriot single pivot swingarm bike to keep it simpler but with a box as the front triangle with some mounting hardware for the motor etc..

Making a custom mounting bracket to hold sprockets would be excellent too though.

 

[DanZac]

It'll kind of be like an orange patriot single pivot swingarm bike to keep it simpler but with a box as the front triangle with some mounting hardware for the motor etc..

Making a custom mounting bracket to hold sprockets would be excellent too though.

Ahhh, I'm with you now. I'd got the standard push bike idea in my head. In which case it's over to the experts in the e bike / lightweight motor bike field for better advice.

 

[RHam]

Just watching a mill beginners series on YT from "blondihacks". I'm learning a lot so far