The machining of a custom bike hub

A more detailed and updated version of this video is now online:
• Step by step machining...
This is a time lapse video showing most of what I did to machine a new custom front hub from an aluminium blank.
Also I am well aware that it's a bad idea to have either loose sleeves or gloves on, so please stop posting comments about this.
It features 28 holes and will adapt to a mini motorbike rim and a mini motard type tyre to act as a replacement for my current suicide scooter. Forks will be custom made to suit.
Machining was mostly performed on the filmed Lathe which was made by the Australian company Hercus in the early '50s.
Not show in the video was where the hub was removed, taken to my local night school where I used a dividing head to drill the spoke holes, the disk mounting tabs and sculpt around the mounting bosses.
Questions and feedback welcome.

[@MrFuchew]

Oversized your bearing bore should be .0005" press

[@Samqdf]

in this video it's a vintage Hercus Lathe. I suggest clicking on the link in the description for the newer extended version of a hub build video

[@seniorjohnl]

what lathe are you using, and how did you drill the spoke and brake rotor holes? very cool.

[@Samqdf]

@sgtfoxhound I know what you mean and I agree with you. However I only had them down when I was doing the bulk material removal, any time I was anywhere near the moving parts I had them rolled up, same goes for the gloves. Unfortunetly with this old lathe the handwheel is inline with the chuck so I get the bulk of the swarf thrown in my direction.

[@kiarra00]

Nice video man! I wish I was that good machining custom parts! :)

[@glenndavis2762]

old vid but .... this guys's wearing gloves, loose bracelet, long sleeve wool sweater while operating the lathe - turning with a live center while holding the other end of the part in the chuck, drinking Pepsi - all no no's - geesh

[@skyhacker6]

He'll understand this when an accident finally happend to him ! I know what I'm talking about unfortunately ...

[@vegas34162]

not sure if you have seen the motoped bike but I'm looking to make a hub that looks like that. Pretty much the hub you made in this video but with another solid mount on the opposite side for a motorcycle sprocket. Will take a 14mm axle and be 135mm wide

[@Samqdf]

@stef1696 theres a section missing from the video just before cutting the middle out where I put it on a milling machine and drill them out with a dividing head. Same goes for the disk brake mounts and the spaces between the mounting tabs

[@lezbriddon]

wow that is very nice work...

[@Samqdf]

@PaFirePhoto thanks but it's more patience. This is not as hard as it looks and could be made with some basic training. Although getting the bearing recesses right is tricky, this I am still improving on..

[@Samqdf]

@sunndrac Ideally a hub should be rolled as that way the grains follow the shape of the contours. However I am probably making up for it with the material I am using which is 6061-T6. It does not need follow heat treatment as I don't get it hot enough to change the properties of the metal.

[@Samqdf]

@calvinxtodd would you like me to make a video in the future showing all steps such as the hole drilling?

[@JamesGarwood]

that is beautiful! well done

[@Samqdf]

thanks

[@Samqdf]

In theory yes but practically not likely. This is a very labor intensive job so it would be expensive. If you want to run your idea by me then I would be happy to listen

[@Samqdf]

hey nice work, that thing is solid enough to survive anything

[@Samqdf]

@kiarra00 well this is a time lapse video so the real time to make this hub is over 12 hours, not so fast! Anyway I really suggest you buy a lathe, most of it's use is common sense.

[@kiarra00]

@Samqdf I did learn machining at school, but it's a few years ago... I should buy myself a lathe, and I think I could remember the basic things, but it takes practice to do it fast and good like you do....

[@Samqdf]

@axmayaynerray well I doubt it would be under enough shock force to have any initial stress fatigue cracks. That said though that is a decent surface finish, much smoother and with less grouves than many of the hubs I have seen on mountain bikes.

[@vegas3416]

You make custom hubs for anyone else? I need one made

[@Samqdf]

@llamafur not on this lathe it won't, I have low belt tension so it wouldn't be able to hurt me much. Although I do know it's still not a good idea.

[@Samqdf]

sounds good, I look forward to seeing it

[@Samqdf]

@Menga666 there is a missing stage in this video of before I bored out the middle section where it was removed from the machine and drilled in a milling machine with a dividing head. As with lightweight parts you keep less than 10% of what you start with. If you want to make it strong and light you without hot metal spinning then it's the only way.

[@Samqdf]

@ubernasch416 I will let you know once they start making parts not intended for road use.

[@Anil-009]

Super Idea

[@georgecarra]

Thank you for this video Sir. You are a very skillful in your craft.

[@Samqdf]

Thanks for the kind words, it's been quite a while since I machined something up, I miss doing it.

[@georgecarra]

The pleasure is all mine. The little ripple which you have started, via this video, has caused a wave in my soul. Thank you kindly.

[@Samqdf]

@TheJeromesoda the hub pictured at 4:00 is a rear hub that I made however I didn't take a video of it. It suits a threaded freewheel. I will send you a message on some information that that help

[@Samqdf]

@sgtfoxhound actually I take that back, at the end I do polishing with my sleeves down, this is a bad idea and I shouldn't of done it

[@Samqdf]

@yamaha04rider well very much so had it not be for the fact that I can't buy one, they don't exist. I want a super light weight 36 hole hub with sealed bearings and a hollow non threaded axle.

[@Samqdf]

@ivonahumpalot12 I do a lot of things people don't think of! You should see the bike the second hub is going to be fitted to.

[@Samqdf]

@706jim1 yes I know, please see the comments under this one

[@tbylit]

I, for one, would very much like that!

[@axmayaynerray]

Shouldn't a finer surface finish be used to resist fatigue?

[@forever24658]

sir , how did you precisely mark and drill holes for the spokes ? also how did you create the "flowerpetal " design for the disc mounting ?

[@Samqdf]

+Reetu Dev Hi, I used a milling machine and a rotating table with a chuck mounted to it. I have a second video that I go into much more detail that explains that. I suggest having a look at it, it's in my channel.

[@axmayaynerray]

Correct me if i'm wrong, though shouldn't a finer surface finish be used to resist fatigue?

[@sunndrac]

Awesome job. I'm a machinist myself on CNC milling machines and like to do small things on a lathe for bikes and bicycles. I'm currently on a rear MTB/BMX hub project. You use aluminium for your hub, does it hold the spokes and disc brake stress correctly ? Or is it heat treated ?

[@stef1696]

how did you do the spoke holes.i like

[@Samqdf]

@kiarra00 judging from what I have seen you have the ability to learn without too much trouble. It's really not that hard to do. Have you considered doing a night course in machining or the like?

[@aryesegal1988]

@Samqdf yes!!!

[@TheJeromesoda]

do you have a video for a rear wheel bike hub? :) I'm going to make one and I'm planning to use a clutch bearing. Can I get some tips? :)

[@Samqdf]

what sort of hub where you after? I can only make provision for wind on freewheels, nothing cassette

[@Samqdf]

@hock3ydud3 thanks but arn't they readily available already?

[@pavel1809]

I know there are different hub how do you call the screw that goes inside the hub that grasping the disc for the for the Rear disc

[@Samqdf]

@MikronGroup some interesting videos on your channel, thanks for sharing

[@Samqdf]

I found out this is on Stumble, so welcome anyone from there.

[@Samqdf]

would you like to see an updated version of this video? I made a nicer looking hub with every step explained, I just never edited it and uploaded it.

[@MinneapolisBMXrider]

should make me a custom hub... would you actually do that and if so how much would you charge to make it?

[@yamaha04rider]

that seems a lot harder than just buying the new hub

[@Samqdf]

@feihya111 yes I know the sleeves, I will pull them up next time

[@Samqdf]

I used 6061-T6 and I see no reason why it wouldn't hold unless you have the grain of the metal going the wrong way. Easy way to avoid it is to start with a solid round- not a block. Send me a message on here if you want to know about the finer points of hub design.

[@philhunt1442]

I would like to know everything. Is it possible to start with 7075 t6 and add a titanium flange ring with custom spoke attachments, along with the conical splined freehub style similar to tactic racing's 200g hub set?

[@MinneapolisBMXrider]

im just wanting a front hub haha

[@Samqdf]

@hock3ydud3 ah I see, well because this time lapse video shows about 10 hours of turning alone I would instead get them CNC machined

[@llamafur]

@MrLYNDON56 You should never wear gloves or a long sleeves when operating machine tools. Gloves and sleeves can get caught in moving parts and rip fingers, hands and arms off your body.

[@Samqdf]

the new video is now online

[@bicyclist2]

The gold rim is very small its almost the size of the brake rotor! Looks beautiful anyways.

[@Samqdf]

I didn't end up using that rim in the end but regardless thanks for the kind words.

[@Samqdf]

I answered more in depth in my other vid- it's 6061-t6

[@mattyfromlondon]

hi how did you countersink the spoke holes on both sides? thanks

[@Samqdf]

If you mean countersunk them on the inside between the flanges then I may of done it a little by hand with a drill bit on an angle or a scraper, otherwise it can't be done.

[@MrFuchew]

this is the question that has always got me. Clearly it can be done because it is done. Some sort of oddball back side countersink tool I'm sure.

[@robertostman2075]

hey I have been looking for a left side freewheel with matching left crank, do you know where to get a heavy duty one??? could you teach us how to make some, in case the manufacturers are trying to make them scarce so to play with price of unit?

[@Samqdf]

+Robert Ostman Left hand freewheels are available, ACS for example offers one, but the one I saw needs the wider heavy duty BMX chain. There are also the more modern type with a built in driver that are available in LHD. As for how to make one I suggest looking at the other hub video located in my channel.

[@robertostman2075]

+Sam Quad hey thanks for your fast reply, could you provide more data regarding the ones that you know are out there, as I am not familiar with LHD nor with ACS... (they sound like pot derivatives)... hehe ... I will look into your channel also as suggested thanks

[@user-wz6ur9rr1g]

is amazing

[@Samqdf]

@aryesegal1988 ok next time the oppertunity comes up I will

[@damienwinkle3679]

would love u to make me a 14mm x 160mm rear hub for my bike

[@Samqdf]

Sorry I can't help you with that one, these days I have a business making custom car parts and it keeps me way too busy for even my own projects

[@ubernasch416]

So, better than Campy or no? ubernasch416

[@MrLYNDON56]

souldent yu be whereing gloves? you know health and safty

[@Samqdf]

@AzwellazAutomotive I think for the sake of the rest of society we better not ever team up or stay in the same place for too long, hehehe I would be obligated to change my buisness name to the Whoop-ass factory.

[@706jim1]

Yikes! Gloves on a lathe. Take them off!

[@Samqdf]

could you go to my website shown at 4:33 and go to the contact page to organise it

[@Samqdf]

@Axbent huh!? I did? look at 0:40

[@Samqdf]

@ivonahumpalot12 hey I will send you a message to give you a head start

[@Samqdf]

I will send you a private message