I could use some help

[duct-tape]

I am doing away with the seat tube on my 50something middleweight schwinn.

I have been looking for a suitable replacement, I would LOVE to find a stronge piece of steel channel that was curved to match the rear wheel like a fender, but was structurally strong enough.

got any suggestions where I could find a piece of channel that was bent?
If I can't find anything, can someone bend me a piece of pipe?

 

[KZ1000]

I would think a piece of spring steel, many old car bumpers (30's-40's) used a flat style bracket, Rick

 

[ArtGeco]

I would think a piece of spring steel, many old car bumpers (30's-40's) used a flat style bracket, Rick

That's a brilliant idea, I may use that myself.

 

[duct-tape]

that IS a good idea.
I'll have to look around, any other thoughts?

 

[duct-tape]

well, theres a leaf spring manufacturer down the street from me and he said that I could come by and take anythign out of their scrap. I mentioned that I wanted to braze it to a frame and he said that you can't braze or weld spring steel.

can anyone verify that it would be a bad idea to braze it?>
I am willing to give it a try but I don't want my braze to crack. should I figure out a way to bolt it?
I could bolt it to the fender brace and lower bracket.

 

[Schwinnspastic]

well spring steel is tempered so any heating will destroy the spring

 

[Primrrdc]

used to heat springs to "ghetto lower" coil spring cars...
it will ruin the temper, sure, but never saw one break.
you would probably be ok to weld it... i imagine it will
still hold your weight on a seat

 

[duct-tape]

well, I tried the leaf spring, I didn't like it and I'm looking for another option. Once I cut the leaf down to fit in the frame, it didn't look right, there wasn't enough curve.

back to the drawing board. I need to find a curved piece of channel, like a fender but a bit stronger.
any ideas??

 

[fast eddie]

its not much to have a section of steel tube cut and bent at a machine shop, the only problem is the outside diameter of the end that inserts into the seat tube is usually larger than the outside diameter of the end that goes into the seat clamp, on some older bikes its not always a problem though, worth looking into at least, i use bent seat posts on alot of my projects.
fast eddie outty

 

[duct-tape]

i was actually going to not use the seat post-bb connection point. I am planning on running a channel along where the fender would mount.

I could easily bend up some pipe and put it in the other place. I'd like to come up with a bent channel