Ok Call Me a Fool

Well to understand this latest plan, you have to know something about me. I am both a technique junkie and someone who believes that I can do just about anything if I put my mind to it. The first sea kayak I ever paddled I built from scratch. A longtime ago when I decide that the wood carving tools I wanted were too expensive, I found and anvil and a forge and made them myself. Same with bronze casting. I figured, that if Paul Grandlund (a sculptor who lived in my home town) could cast bronze, so could I. So began and extended period of trial and error where I built a foundry and taught myself lost wax casting.

Soooo when the money that we were setting aside for Kathy's new carbon fiber road bike went as an added contribution to this year's taxes, the old-- maybe I can do it myself mantra kicked in. After all I have been making composite kayaks for about 10 years now. The internet is such a great resource for someone like me. I actually found a couple of guys who have DIY'ed composite bike frames already: How I Made a Carbon Fiber Bike in my Garage and How I Made My Carbon Frame at Home. Now It usually takes me a couple of trials to get what I am looking for and in this case something that I am confident enough in to ride. I am starting with a MTB frame for myself first. (I would much rather have a frame fail under me at MTB speeds than have a road frame go under my wife!). So we will see, the jig is underconstruction, The dropouts, bottom bracket shell, and the headset tube are on the way. The foam for the core is ready to be cut.