Frame Alignment and Fixturing Table
Using a Bridgeport 9x36 milling table, bits of 80/20, and homemade parts to construct a bicycle frame tacking fixture and alignment jig.
The milling table was Brandon Ives idea and it seems like it'll be a good solution. I bought this one used for $40 (the freight cost 3x that). It's flat and the t-slots are very helpful for fixturing items in place.
Read MoreThe milling table was Brandon Ives idea and it seems like it'll be a good solution. I bought this one used for $40 (the freight cost 3x that). It's flat and the t-slots are very helpful for fixturing items in place.
Close up of some of the items. From left to right:
* Start of an alignment block. The dummy axle is 135mm.
* A piece of 80/20 (1020 extrusion) with a seatpost centering cone mounted on it. You'll see how this fits together once I get the rest of my 80/20 bits.
* Another cone, this will end up being used for the headtube.
* Dummy headsets. A 7/8" steel bar fits inside to be used for alignment purposes.
* Bottom bracket post for frame alignment. The same two handles can be used in the post or nut.
![This is an alignment cone which can slide on 80/20. I like the idea of the seat tube cone that is in this 80/20 frame jig[1], but I didn't like that it couldn't be adjusted for height. My cone will mount to the block, which then mounts to a piece of vertical 80/20 extrusion.<br />
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I made this mounting block, but I decided to just buy 80/20 "manifold" blocks for the rest of them. They are $11 each which seems like a lot for $1.50 worth of aluminum, but it saves me about 45 minutes of work per block and I need 4 of them total (two for the head tube, one for the seat tube, one for the bottom bracket).<br />
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[1] <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/SPHE0MXF1JZQZZZ/">http://www.instructables.com/id/SPHE0MXF1JZQZZZ/</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Bicycles/Fixtures/Frame-Alignment-and-Fixturing/i-BrqpLVB/0/f782b502/Ti/P1050151-Ti.jpg)
