# Atlas Bike Making



## Smudgemo (Jul 30, 2013)

Maybe since it's summer, it's kinda slow around here.  So offered for nothing more than pure entertainment value is my current bike project and my Atlas lathe's role in it.  Here I'm making a custom stem (the part that connects the handle bars to the steerer tube.)  This version is a threaded, quill stem (old skool for you folks in the know...)

Drilling out the extension tube for the quill:



Another shot:



Brazed up with a cap.  I broke my parting-off blade making that one.  Live and learn, I guess.  Still have all my fingers, so I'm good.



Nearing completion with the cap, wedge and the binder that still needs a home.  The center tube is for the brake cable, silver-soldered in place.  The lower portion is stainless, and the upper part is bored-out 4130 large enough for a cable end to nestle.



Shot of the cleaned up cap.  Yes, a few pin holes, but otherwise not bad.  The bottom half of the quill was turned down on the lathe to make room for powder coat.  A grind-job would be better, but it works okay w/ HHS.



The intended recipient.  Hand-built frame, fork and rear bag support.  It's like a monster truck of commuting bikes, but it sure is fun to ride.  Paint to follow this winter when the rains come back (I'm in the SF area where summer is dry.)



Should you want to see the progression of how a bike is built (at least how I do it, right or wrong), the set for this rig is here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/smudgemo/sets/72157630427305830/.  Having a lathe is honestly an excuse to make parts way more involved than you'd ever need, but that's the fun of building custom stuff, right?  Any excuse to bust out the lathe.

-Ryan


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## wa5cab (Jul 30, 2013)

Nice work.  How did you break the parting-off blade?  I've broken my share of the miniature 0.032" and 0.064" wide by 1/4" tall solid carbide ones but the 1/8" wide by 1/2" tall ones typically found on an Atlas I always thought were basically indestructible.

Robert D.


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## churchjw (Jul 30, 2013)

Nice bike.  I want to make some parts for mine, Like a new stem, as soon as I get a chance.

Jeff


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## Smudgemo (Jul 30, 2013)

Thanks, I do like building bikes.

This is the broken blade:



The work got forced out of the chuck, so it could have been not tightened enough I suppose.  Or fed too fast, or low quality blade, or any number of things.  I guess I'll grind the long piece down and have another go at it sometime.  

-Ryan


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