# BB30 reamer



## scooter916 (Jan 2, 2006)

Just wondering if any of the builders in here have done a BB30 frame yet? I am having one built now and understand that even with a heat sink and TIG welding there is a chance the BB shell will be pulled out of proper tolerance and will need to be re-machined/reamed prior to final assembly. do any of you know if there is a reamer available to do this task or is better to use a milling machine?


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## dbohemian (Mar 25, 2007)

scooter916 said:


> Just wondering if any of the builders in here have done a BB30 frame yet? I am having one built now and understand that even with a heat sink and TIG welding there is a chance the BB shell will be pulled out of proper tolerance and will need to be re-machined/reamed prior to final assembly. do any of you know if there is a reamer available to do this task or is better to use a milling machine?


I have not built one yet, but at the San Diego show there was a seminar I attended about it.

Welding will distort the BB enough that it should have a post weld/heat-treat finishing. Normally this is done by a mill with a boring head on it. FSA is coming up with a hand reamer that can also do this and it should be available soon but it is not a common thing one can buy yet. A few builders have their own. I spoke with form cycles.

http://www.formcycles.com/FORM_cycles/FORM.html

He has the equipment.

Dave Bohm
Bohemian


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## scooter916 (Jan 2, 2006)

My builder purchased the BB30 shell from Mark at Paragon, he mentioned he will machine it for me after its built, I am leaning this way I don't see my builder doing very many BB30 frames


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## Jamenstall (May 18, 2004)

Scooter

I don't think very many builders are doing this either. Here's a few shots I pulled from Steve Potts flickr site. I believe he machined his bottom bracket from solid stock at the time. In the second picture you can see post weld reaming on a vertical mill.

Dave - do you know if the FSA reamer is going to work with Park tooling?


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## Clockwork Bikes (Jun 17, 2006)

The Park rep. told me they were making them for FSA. So I'd hope they work with their existing handles.

-Joel


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## Clockwork Bikes (Jun 17, 2006)

SoftButt-

I didn't find Steve Pott's Flikr site, could you post the link?

Thanks, Joel


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## dbohemian (Mar 25, 2007)

I am kind of torn on the BB 30. 

I am worried that the tool that will be provided will be good for taking off a little material but if warpage is at all significant it could be a lot of work. Especially in a 17-4 stainless shell that is provided by paragon.

I am also torn on the BB30. I am maybe building a neato bike that will go to interbike and BB30 is new and improved but I am hard pressed to see a drastic benefit in using it. Add in the extra weight of the big shell and the post welding machining and it may work a lot better for big manufacturers where they can implement this no problem. 

What I do like is that the shell allows one to fit up big tubes more easily due to it's size. What are other builders thoughts? Anybody used one of these for a long time?

Dave Bohm
Bohemian Bicycles


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## smudge (Jan 12, 2004)

dbohemian said:


> I am kind of torn on the BB 30.
> 
> I am worried that the tool that will be provided will be good for taking off a little material but if warpage is at all significant it could be a lot of work. Especially in a 17-4 stainless shell that is provided by paragon.
> 
> ...


I haven't heard any feedback from my customer since he first built his BB30 bike up so I assume that it's still working well for him (about a year now).

Fitting up big tubes isn't so much easier that I see the BB30 being an advantage in any way. If you're using a 1.75" DT you don't have to smoosh it to fit the BB shell, but you still have to miter for the ST.

I just don't see a real advantage there. If I could get the C-Dale Hollowgram cranks I'd be tempted but I can't get excited over FSA or SRAM cranks at all.

The post-weld boring process is a PIA. After orienting the frame in my vise, I used a coaxial indicator to line up the shell, correcting for BB distortion as well as I could and took about 20 passes with the boring head, checking the I.D. after every pass. It seems like overkill, but it was a heckofalot of time and materials clamped in the vise and you sure don't want to go too big on the I.D. after you build a frame.


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## Jamenstall (May 18, 2004)

Joel

Sorry it's not Steve's site, but here's the link to some build pictures http://www.flickr.com/photos/pecka/sets/72157600121421859/

Thanks for the heads up on the Park tool as well. I also like the Cannondale crank set, but it's soo f'n expensive, even on a whole sale level. I can't brink myself to put out the coins for it.


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## Walt (Jan 23, 2004)

*Thumbs down*

I hate pressing bearings into things, I see a lot of reasons that it's a lot more work, and I don't see any weight or performance advantages - in fact, if anything, I'd say it's a net weight disadvantage.

Of course, I've never built a bike with one. But my interest in clamping frames in a mill vise post-weld and post-paint to use my boring head on them is pretty minimal.

The current crank/bb standard works really, really well. Unless there is a massive groundswell of interest in the BB30 option, I have no plans to ever use them. And if there was, I'm confident I could talk pretty much anyone out of it anyway.

Bah. Humbug. Grunt. Let's talk about canti hangers or something, eh?

-Walt



smudge said:


> I haven't heard any feedback from my customer since he first built his BB30 bike up so I assume that it's still working well for him (about a year now).
> 
> Fitting up big tubes isn't so much easier that I see the BB30 being an advantage in any way. If you're using a 1.75" DT you don't have to smoosh it to fit the BB shell, but you still have to miter for the ST.
> 
> ...


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## Thylacine (Feb 29, 2004)

SOFTBUTT said:


> I also like the Cannondale crank set, but it's soo f'n expensive, even on a whole sale level. I can't bring myself to put out the coins for it.


How much are they Wholesale? Some wanker on eBay wants 900 bucks for a pair.

I could make a pair from scratch for that.


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## coconinocycles (Sep 23, 2006)

Walt said:


> I hate pressing bearings into things, I see a lot of reasons that it's a lot more work, and I don't see any weight or performance advantages - in fact, if anything, I'd say it's a net weight disadvantage.
> 
> Of course, I've never built a bike with one. But my interest in clamping frames in a mill vise post-weld and post-paint to use my boring head on them is pretty minimal.
> 
> ...


+100%........an awnser looking for a question.........Steve.


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## scooter916 (Jan 2, 2006)

I guess it makes more sense on carbon frames since you can CNC an aluminum shell than insert it into the carbon during the baking process.

I guess I just want my bike to be different. I'm also going belt drive and know a bunch of you guys have negative thoughts about it as well


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## bent steel (Oct 24, 2005)

scooter916 said:


> I guess it makes more sense on carbon frames since you can CNC an aluminum shell than insert it into the carbon during the baking process.
> 
> I guess I just want my bike to be different. I'm also going belt drive and know a bunch of you guys have negative thoughts about it as well


Add a Rohloff for the trifecta!


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## Jamenstall (May 18, 2004)

i don't know...i guess i see it as an option for the end user. as far as builders go i think you either have the capacity to offer this option via machining or you don't believe in it and don't offer it at all. 

personally i still try'n to decide where i sit with them. they say they are lighter and stiffer, but i don't know for sure. i know the cannondale made cranks are lighter. i personally can't tell all that much difference in part stiffness...unless its really lacking in material. i'm no fly weight. 

also note that cannondale does offer this in their aluminum frames which i'm assuming would need some post weld reaming vs. their carbon frames.

Thylacine - i will need to go the shop to verify the price of one these.


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## Feldybikes (Feb 17, 2004)

smudge said:


> Fitting up big tubes isn't so much easier that I see the BB30 being an advantage in any way. If you're using a 1.75" DT you don't have to smoosh it to fit the BB shell, but you still have to miter for the ST.


You don't even have to smoosh a 1.75" DT with a regular, 1.5" diameter BB. Just offset the miter to be flush with the bottom of the shell. The ST miter will take care of what otherwise would be overhang.


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## Thylacine (Feb 29, 2004)

The question is "how can we as a large company differentiate ourselves while at the same time have a process that's specific to our abilities and materials?"

I think BB30 answers that pretty well, as does split-size headsets. A waste of time in steel, but reasonable in carbon.

There's a compelling argument for us not promoting the trend because it has nothing to do with the materials and processes we use, and at the same time makes us look like we're following the majors rather than making them follow us.


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## smudge (Jan 12, 2004)

Feldybikes said:


> You don't even have to smoosh a 1.75" DT with a regular, 1.5" diameter BB. Just offset the miter to be flush with the bottom of the shell. The ST miter will take care of what otherwise would be overhang.


Of course you're right. I should have learned a long time ago to be more explicit when writing things on the web but usually opt for brevity.

However, I do find it difficult to weld the spikes left on the *DT*/ST/BB miter when the DT isn't smooshed without them keying open to some degree.


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## Feldybikes (Feb 17, 2004)

Check. The bike I made like that was brazed, so I didn't have that issue.


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## p.doering (Aug 1, 2008)

I use em. Precisely for the very same reasons Thy cites. He's right. If I built steel bikes, I'd ignore it too.

For my materials & proc, it's much easier, cheaper, less wasteful, & it suits the design intent just fine. Not a fan of the cranks tho. But then I have a thing for my own cranks.


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## marylnsky (Aug 28, 2008)

bb30 is outdated and stupid. Why would anyone use it over the shimano system?


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## marylnsky (Aug 28, 2008)

oops. It's pvd on mary's phone


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## BeatAFool (Jan 14, 2008)

I know very little about the bb30 but the mid bb and spanish bb have been around for a while in bmx.


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## scooter916 (Jan 2, 2006)

BeatAFool said:


> I know very little about the bb30 but the mid bb and spanish bb have been around for a while in bmx.


BB30 is a Mid/Spanish BB on steroids

that is exactly why I considered the BB30 for my new bike, those BMX guys punish their bike more than any MTB rider I know, Have yet to see a guy do a 15 foot drop to flat on a hardtail but have seen it done on BMX many times


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## pvd (Jan 4, 2006)

I've seen 12 foot drops to flat on regular hardtails mtb's. Square taper I belive. It's a measure of rider skill more than component strength. If you don't do that kind of stuff just right, you will be crushed before any of your parts.

Really. Forget the BB30 and focus on the Shimano press fit system. It's better in every way.


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## jncarpenter (Dec 20, 2003)

pvd said:


> Forget the BB30 and focus on the Shimano press fit system. It's better in every way.


I couldn't agree more. :thumbsup:


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