Smokinapankake

I've got a NOS fork crown and steer tube off an old Tange Switchblade fork.


I've also got a great Wicked Fat Chance frame that would look so good with a Switchblade fork. My trouble is that I can't find any blades to go with the crown. Looking at Framebuilders Supply, I see there are straight tapered fork legs available. I need someone willing to build me some legs to fit my crown.
A couple caveats, however. The legs available at FBS are too small diameter to fit the crown, so I have made some decorative stainless shims to braze the legs into:




Additionally, I would like the dropouts to feature dual eyelets. I would like the legs to feature mid leg lowrider rack mounts.
I had a local guy lined up to do this work for me but he's kind of flaked out on me.
Is there anyone here willing to take this project on? I'd be happy to ship the original fork along with the crown/steer tube to you. Or is this a silly endeavour?
Pic of a Tange Switchblade for those not familiar:

Thanks for any input!

Andrew R Stewart 

The uncycle frame I am waiting for warm enough weather to paint (its going down to single digits to for a couple of days here) has somewhat the same idea for its blades. I used 7/8" straight 4130 (.049") for the majority of the blade length and stepped the upper section diameters to 1" (x .058"). Burley and Bike Friday did much the same on many of their bikes too.

Are you looking for someone to do the work with your step down top inserts? Or do you really only want the bare blades and you will do the torch work? Andy

79pmooney

You could try TiCycles on Portland, OR. They are known for doing one-offs. They've built me 3 very nice steel forks for me (all traditional road) and i see all sorts of MTB, hybrid, touring , etc forks when I go there out of welded steel and ti. I don't see anything here that would phase them if they felt it could be done properly and safely.

TiCycles and unusual? Well, they'll make sure you actually want it but if you can convince them that you do and they feel it can be done (and you are willing to pay), they'll do it. That ti fix gear of my avatar photo has dropouts I designed that were unlike anything I'd ever heard of. Horizontal with a down-turning "L" shaped slot. The entire slot is usable and you can run the rear wheel so far forward the tire nearly touches the seat tube and the wheel pulls out easily for wheel changes and flips.

Smokinapankake

Andy,

I sent an email to the address you PM'd me. Thanks. I need the blades to be ready to clamp into the crown and ride. I can handle painting but I have no brazing equipment, either in my garage or in my head/skillset.

duanedr 

The switchblades I have on an old Bontrager are 1.130 (with paint) diameter at the clamp. I like the sleeve you've made but would turn them to the same diameter/wall thickness for the whole sleeve. It will remove the stress riser, will look more elegant when complete and be easier to braze. 25.4mm round track fork blades should slip fit into there and then use silver to braze the sleeves to the blade. Then it's just adding dropouts and brake mounts. Any builder should be able to do that. Whether they'll take it on or not is a different story.

Smokinapankake

Why would the step, which is intended as a hard stop to prevent the blades from sliding up in the crown, create a stress riser? The ID of the sleeve is constant, requiring the fork blade to be brazed all the way up to the end (top) of the sleeve. This puts the blade fully into the crown, just like the originals were. The tangs are intended to be oriented inside/outside, just like a traditional road fork. I could see if the tangs were oriented front/rear the point would definitely create a vicious stress riser. Perhaps I'm not seeing something you are seeing. Further explanation would be greatly appreciated. I'd have to check to be sure, but I think the holes for the blades measure 25.4mm. I could not find any commercially available round legs measuring 25.4mm OD, so that's why I made the shims. Granted, I only looked at two places: Nova Cycles Supply and Framebuilders Supply, and they both only list 24mm OD round straight tapered blades. Probably the same blades at both sites.

It is important to me that the aesthetic of the original Switchblades be maintained, if not the exact details. IOW, I really like the clamp on crown and straight tapered legs, but feel that while the originals were intended to be a race bike minimalist design, the versatility can be enhanced with additional mounting points. Ultimately, this fork will go on a sort of do it all type bike, built on a Wicked Fat Chance frameset. The frameset will get some modifications to meet that end as well, such as moving the cable routing to the top tube, add some bottle brazeons to the bottom of the down tube, and add some rack mounts on the rear triangle since it lacks anything on the seatstays. But that all is the subject of a different thread.....

duanedr 

Sorry, I have some round 1" blades that I got from another builder who had them custom drawn for segmented forks. You are right track blades are 24mm. The stress riser comment may be the least of the worries in the list, I just would avoid the step there. I think when it's built, the thickness of the lug will look bulky. Typically lugs are around .040" of an inch thick. There is also the edge of the lug which is generally 90* to the tube. Just something to consider.

The blades on mine have a small rivet on the inside of the blade presumably to stop the blade from slipping up in the crown.

Show pictures when it's done!

Smokinapankake

I had a set of Tange Switchblades back in the early 90's that also had a brazed on nub; as you said, they were probably intended as a safety stop. The lugs themselves measure .050" thick; I wonder about the "heavy" appearance as well. I did not make these shim/lugs, rather, an accommodating machinist at work made them to my drawing. I had hoped that he would cut the lugs normal to the surface, but he programmed them and ran them on a CNC mill, and the tool path probably made sense to him, not being a bike guy. The edges do look thick, because they expose more surface area, and I wonder also what a fillet would look like there along the front/rear scalloped edges. But, nothing ventured nothing gained as they say..... Overall I think they'll turn out nice. Really, the only folks who are going to look too close at these are me and those of us on this forum... I do intend to keep the lugs polished, not painted.

Thanks for your comments and insight, I really do appreciate it as I don't really know what I'm doing. I'll definitely post up pics when they're done!

duanedr 

That will be a pleasing and interesting look with polished sleeves at the top near the crown. Good luck!

BLRider

I have a hybrid fork that has a Tange Switchblade crown and steerer and Bontrager legs. Your crown looks like either a Bontrager or Rockshox. I could sell the whole fork or just the legs if the right deal happens. I have photos but can't attach them till I have more posts.

Kurt

cb400bill

Pic Assist - https://www.bikeforums.net/g/album/30322612

Smokinapankake

I have fabricated fork blades in my hands; they are lovely and everything I'd hoped for for this silly project. Pics to come as I'm at work right now....

BLrider, PM sent.

BLRider

Cant PM yet, still a newby.

Fork is 1" and steerer is 155mm long. I prefer to sell as a unit.