I have finalized my modified design for straight bamboo tubing and completed the switch to bamboo as my material. After hours of research on the various ways bamboo can be used for a bike frame I felt comfortable that I could execute a design I would be satisfied with that will meet my intentions for the project. Thusly, I placed the order for the bamboo of appropriate lengths and acquire hemp twine for all the joints. I also ordered a head tube, dropouts and various other bicycle components I don’t already have that will work with my bamboo design. I am still researching epoxies and searching for the correct one at the right price which will accomplish my goals.
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It’s good to hear that you’re making solid progress. Are you using different diameters of bamboos for different sections of the bike or are you sticking with a constant diameter? If you’re looking for a safe place to apply your epoxy, I know there is a fume hood in the basement of the ITLL, I used it last year when we worked with epoxy. It might be a tight squeeze once the frame starts to take shape, but it could be a good place to start.
This looks like it is going well. I looked at another bamboo bike project and apparently an epoxy resin/hardener that worked well for it was “10 minute pot life”. You could also use furan as an alternative to epoxy, it is stronger, but harder to work with. Also note that epoxy is toxic so be careful.