Ride, Wrench, Swap, Race
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Northern California
Posts: 9,181
Bikes: Cheltenham-Pedersen racer, Boulder F/S Paris-Roubaix, Varsity racer, '52 Christophe, '62 Continental, '92 Merckx, '75 Limongi, '76 Presto, '72 Gitane SC, '71 Schwinn SS, etc.
Mentioned: 132 Post(s)
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Duplicating dimensions is very different from conforming to design specifications, which requires material selection, processing, testing, quality control, you get the idea.
So of course one is on their own in terms of first establishing the design specifications, and that's just for starters. Sourcing suitable material and performing needed processing is daunting to the point that it can only be justified for a large production run.
A LOT of hard work goes into manufacturing a decent freewheel, freewheel cog, or almost any other part on a good bicycle.
A well-developed process and production line then may make it look easy!