villaveloframes
Tool of the week: tube block
This week we look at one of the most useful tools in a frame builder's repertoire: the tube block.
(Most) tubes are round. All conventional vices have flat jaws. There needs to be some sort of medium to hold the tube in the vice for tasks such as cutting, filing, sanding, brazing, i.e. anything that requires the tube to held stationary.
This is where the tube block comes into play. It consists of a block of material split into halves, with a half-round channel milled/bored into opposing flat faces on each half block. The diameter of the half-round channel corresponds to the size of the tube being held, e.g. 25.4mm, 28.6mm, etc.
With the two halves of the tube block clamping around the tube, the two half-round channels meet and form the full round recess for the tube to sit. The clamping force of the vice jaws presses the block against the tube without crushing it due to the correct diameter being used and thus the tube will not move during work.
As it can be seen, the square tube block pictured fits both 25.4mm tubes (holding the steerer) and 28.6mm tubes (holding the seat tube). Our other tube blocks hold head tubes (31.7mm), chain stays (22.2mm) and a range of seat stays (14-16mm).
Tube blocks can be made from a variety of materials, such as aluminium, wood and cast iron. Some can be hinged to keep the two halves together or in different lengths/widths to clamp a longer section of tubing.
Tool of the week: tube block
This week we look at one of the most useful tools in a frame builder's repertoire: the tube block.
(Most) tubes are round. All conventional vices have flat jaws. There needs to be some sort of medium to hold the tube in the vice for tasks such as cutting, filing, sanding, brazing, i.e. anything that requires the tube to held stationary.
This is where the tube block comes into play. It consists of a block of material split into halves, with a half-round channel milled/bored into opposing flat faces on each half block. The diameter of the half-round channel corresponds to the size of the tube being held, e.g. 25.4mm, 28.6mm, etc.
With the two halves of the tube block clamping around the tube, the two half-round channels meet and form the full round recess for the tube to sit. The clamping force of the vice jaws presses the block against the tube without crushing it due to the correct diameter being used and thus the tube will not move during work.
As it can be seen, the square tube block pictured fits both 25.4mm tubes (holding the steerer) and 28.6mm tubes (holding the seat tube). Our other tube blocks hold head tubes (31.7mm), chain stays (22.2mm) and a range of seat stays (14-16mm).
Tube blocks can be made from a variety of materials, such as aluminium, wood and cast iron. Some can be hinged to keep the two halves together or in different lengths/widths to clamp a longer section of tubing.