Homemade panniers

[yorkie_chris]

Go look at second moment of area for some tubing vs. solid of same cross section area. You will find huge difference, like 10x or more as you increase the OD.

I would be looking at maybe 3/8" stainless tubing and some bits of random sheet to stiffen the corners since you'll probably end up mitering turns rather than bending.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Go look at second moment of area for some tubing vs. solid of same cross section area. You will find huge difference, like 10x or more as you increase the OD.

I would be looking at maybe 3/8" stainless tubing and some bits of random sheet to stiffen the corners since you'll probably end up mitering turns rather than bending.

Unless its lightweight tubing i havent got the capacity to bend the stuff anyway, only got a copper pipe bender upto 22mm, mild steel would be easier for me cos i have the stuff to weld it.

I get your point on the tubing.
i would have webbed the critical joints anyway, especially where they are gonna take high loads.

[DavieSV]

Photo's at last

Panniers fitted to brackets



Underneath shot showing the wide aluminium strap, with the notch for the rear seat, that connects the two cradles and the forward mounting plates that connect to the pillion foot peg bolts. You can just make out the tubular steel frame that carry the panniers, would suit hard boxes even better



The aluminium strap bolts to the grab rail mounting, lifted up by two aluminium spacers to allow the strap to clear the plastics both sides, prevents the plastic mounting lugs being crushed and notched for the pillion seat to hook onto



Aluminium strap with seat fitted, holding tha cradles away from the plastics



With panniers extended, will I get it out



I felt no movement from the panniers when loaded full of paper files, had to wind the preload up abit tho'

Originally Posted by DavieSV

Lots of piccies'

That looks good mate, thanks for that.

I like the aluminium strap too, the ideal mounting point for the SV, unfortunately the XT600 doesn't have anything quite so convenient, so I will have to bolt into the rear subframe at the grab handle and use the rear pillion footpeg bolt or the bolt above holding the rear plastics, as the second mounting point, then brace the frames against each other under the rear subframe and above the rear wheel to stop them bending in-the-way with weight.



I'm essentially going to copy this design, if an expert has already done it, why re-invent the wheel?



Did you use stainless steel tubing or mild steel tubing? If mild steel did you just prime and paint them? I don't want to go to the expense of powdercoating when I could repaint once a year for the price of a can from Halfords.

[DavieSV]

3/8 mild steel tube, rowed coated by a mate me mine for the right money.

As you can see, the weather has got under powder.

Paint would be better as it does not chip and can be painted again

B & Q sell metre lengths of 15mm Dia mild steel tubing with a wall thickness of about 1mm. A plumbers 15mm pipe bending spring fits inside and then you can bend it without it kinking and collapsing. You'd have to be careful welding it, so as not to blow through the tube. If you got the finished rack grit blasted and gave it plenty of coats of paint it should last well and look ok too.

Originally Posted by madness

B & Q sell metre lengths of 15mm Dia mild steel tubing with a wall thickness of about 1mm. A plumbers 15mm pipe bending spring fits inside and then you can bend it without it kinking and collapsing. You'd have to be careful welding it, so as not to blow through the tube. If you got the finished rack grit blasted and gave it plenty of coats of paint it should last well and look ok too.

Would I need to heat it before bending it, would I not essentially fatigue the metal bending it without heat? Would a plumbers pipe bender for copper do the job?

Thanks for all this everyone.

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Would I need to heat it before bending it, would I not essentially fatigue the metal bending it without heat? Would a plumbers pipe bender for copper do the job?

No heat is required (unless you're a wimp! ) and cold forming mild steel won't induce any undue stress. Any pipe bender with the right size formers will do the job. I bent my tube with the spring, using my knee as a former, but if you want consistent bends a solid former would be better.

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Would I need to heat it before bending it, would I not essentially fatigue the metal bending it without heat? Would a plumbers pipe bender for copper do the job?

Thanks for all this everyone.

I have a pipe bender col if you still want me to take a look.
The only problem with bending is you cant get the radii too small due to the standard formers.
A little heat never hurt anyone anyway if we could get enough into it.

Originally Posted by specialone

I have a pipe bender col if you still want me to take a look.
The only problem with bending is you cant get the radii too small due to the standard formers.
A little heat never hurt anyone anyway if we could get enough into it.

Yes, thanks, I would still appreciate your help with it mate, but I've just got back into work after the holidays and it's gone nuts. If I'm awake I'm either eating or working.

I need to go and see these aluminium LP cases to see if they are strong enough, and if they are buy them.

Until I have them, I can't figure out exactly the size of the square loop section of the frame which the panniers will mount to and how they will fix on, and whether I need to reinforce the back of the cases with some spars or plate, so don't know exactly where the bends, welds, etc will need to be in the tube until I can model it against the cases. I plan to use a bracket to hook over the tube at the bottom, and some cabinet door locks riveted to the back of the cases at the top, that will engage into a hole or slot in the underside of the tubing to lock the cases to the frames with a key.

In my experience you can't rush these things, when you are doing something for the first time, if you don't want the end result to look and function like a botch job.

Once I get a spare afternoon I'll go and see the cases, but it won't be in the next week or two.

Cheers

Col