How To Make Plastic Battery Boxes

Fun to watch.

He pulled the sheet over a really tall, unpainted, not exactly smooth buck with no separating powder, wax or anything. Battery boxes won't be much taller than the length of the batteries themselves. His system also didn't allow for the plastic edges to flow into the area around the buck, so I'm sure there are thin spots, especially around the corners. Still, it's a great little gadget. Would be a good starting point for anyone wanting to make plastic ebike battery boxes.

Yes, I'll be making plastic ones for their value price, as well as the carbon fiber. I will be able to use the same five piece bucks for them both with the Lexan I mentioned in the previous post. This ain't the first video I've ever seen on making these tables over the years. Adam always has to overdo it a little I think.

Duke's Custom Battery Box Manufaturing Processes

Working my butt off today researching ways to make battery boxes to fit into frames quickly and as inexpensively as possible to save on manufacturing costs. 

 Above: The Sondors "Thin" battery box. 

While I respect what Sondors has done by providing a cheap entry level ebike for people interested in them, and probably superior to some of the cheaper Chinese ebikes flooding the market, they are still cheap Chinese bikes. I only wish I had as much customer support for a specific model, that I could manufacture boxes like this outsourced like he does to keep the cost down, but I would rather make them myself here 100% in the USA for not much more.

This is not something I ever want to outsource to an overseas company. I want to be the only guy making them 100% USA built. At least until other bike builders start reading my blog and discover for themselves how easy it is to do!

I know what to do with carbon fiber. That's easy, but I'm also thinking plastic, sheet metal and aluminum. More than one way to float a boat.

Considering that I will need to modify battery boxes as regularly as manufacturers change frame styles, I need to have an inexpensive way to make new molds, and follow threw with whatever forming process works best, or the customer prefers. One day not too long from now, I hope to have at least my own beach cruiser frames, and maybe a few others like a classic Mixte, where I can make a more expensive long lasting die set because they won't change over the years.

Other than the above, I will expect customers to come in with bikes I don't already have forming molds made up for. I need to be able to manufacture the mold to make the box in house ASAP (under three weeks) whenever a custom order comes in. This is not something anyone can outsource overseas. It would (if you're lucky) take three months to outsource a custom order, and cost a small fortune to do. I need a way to do it even if only for one box, that it's affordable to the customer who brings in the bike!

I'm sure some of you have seen dies made for hydro forming or at least in the pre preg carbon fiber bike frame manufacturing post I published a while ago. These expensive dies are not an option for the quick and inexpensive turnaround time I will need to make most of the boxes in. Let alone custom building the battery to fit in the box!

I HAVE A SOLUTION!

Something many of you have in your kitchens. LEXAN. This stuff ain't cheap, but counter top cutouts for sinks can be had for pennies on the dollar as scrap material. It's easily glued, sanded, polished, and would make an excellent and quick mold die to make for custom battery boxes. Even small scrap cuts can be used in between full cut sheets in the mold making process to save a bunch of money for the finished product!

Everyone always talks about how green ebikes are, but nobody talks about it in the manufacturing process, or how it keeps the money local. I think I've just killed two birds with one stone.

Buy quality, or pedal home! Buy Duke's Moto Electric!

Basic bike labor for assembling most electric bike kits on your own bike is $350 including lacing new spokes to one new rim, and professional tension on those spokes unlike what you get with cheap overseas kits.

It even looks like a spider!

46.78925 MPH With 1500W Motor

Haha, you don't need spandex to go fast on an ebike! 

You could pass everybody wearing a 

Wile E. Coyote costume if you wanted to!

SOMA Mixte

I think I'm going to drop Schwinn from the available Mixte list. These frames from SOMA are so much lighter (Frame: 5.6 lbs, Fork: 2.35lbs) and stronger, there is no comparison. They offer 5 different sizes to choose from for a perfect personal fit. I'll just keep the (one size fits all) Fuji as the low end offering.

 A true mixte frame with the double top tube/stays. Obviously offers lots of standover height and style as well. You'll find the geometry is more sporty, than upright-comfy. Though it can be built up to suit either demeanor. Drop bars? Sure. Moustache bars? Of course.

- Tange Prestige heat-treated CrMo steel main tubes
- Sport touring geometry
- Horizontal dropouts
- 132.5mm hub spacing to fit either road or MTB hubs
- Matching sloping-crown CrMo steel fork included. Features low-rider pannier mounts.
- Rack and fender eyelets
- 1-1/8" size headtube
- 27.2mm seatpost size
- 42, 50, 54, 58, 62cm (Center to top of seat collar)
- 50-62cm models use 700c wheels and 57mm reach brakes. Max. tire width with those brakes: 33c(28c with fenders)If you must have wider tires, consider a 650b build, then you could fit 38c with fenders. - 42cm model uses 26" wheels and 73mm reach brakes (like Tektro 556 or Rivendell Silvers) Max. tire width: 1.5" with fenders
- Weight: Frame: 5.6 lbs(50cm) Fork: 2.35 lbs (350mm uncut steerer)
- In Tiburon Blue (with limited stock in Pearl White)

Now if I can only convince SOMA to make them for disk brakes! They offer a nice front fork with disk, and you don't really need disk brakes in the back, but it would be nice to have front and rear. I can offer them with the more powerful Cyclone motors with disk breaks!

Sandworm Fat Bike Frame (26" or 27.5"+)

Check out the slick looking rear drop outs on the mountain bikes. These would be awesome on these Mixte frames!!! I'm going to have to make some phone calls.


 http://www.somafab.com/archives/product/buena-vista

Tektro Hydraulic Ebike Brake

Tektro Dorado HD-E710 hydraulic electric bike brake

  Priced from $140 to $165 depending on availability.

 

 It's a good idea to have a motor cut off in the brake lever. If someone or something were to jump out in front of you so you need to brake hard and fast, the motor is automatically cut off when you hit the brake for a quick stop. 

 

 

 

It's a nice enough setup that having one on both the front and rear would be nice, but the front brake is the most important because it gives you 85 - 90% of your braking power. 

 

 

 

I'm thinking that I'll use these on all disk brake bikes I sell for the front brake, and leave the rear brake as an upgrade option. 

 

 

In addition to the motor cut off, what really sells me on these brakes is the thicker rotors. Both are really nice features for electric bikes.

 

 

Product description

Tektro Dorado HD-E710 offers the ultimate in stopping power for electric bikes.  The HD-E710 is specially designed for the higher speeds and increased weight of electric bicycles.  The standard rotors of bicycles are 1.8mm thick, but Tektro's rotors are beefed up to a 2.3 mm thickness to handle the extra stress and dissipate heat.  Brake levers have EU approved ball ends and a sight level gauge that shows fluid level.  Built in Reed switches dis-engage the motor's power when brakes are applied.  Massive 203 mm rotors (also available in 180 mm) provide necessary caliper clearance for hub motors and ultimate stopping power. Hydraulic disc brakes are self-adjusting and easier to maintain compared to other bicycle brake types.  The HD-E710 pads are also larger and more durable than standard bicycle disc brake pads and last much longer.

The Dorado is equipped with a two wire Reed switch, for e-brake cut off.

The Competition / Caveat Emptor!

I just used this photo in the below post, but couldn't stop thinking about it. Let me point out that:
1. The bike was new and cost $2500. It could be built for half that. Nothing like a 120% markup!
2. The bike itself without electric kit or battery is imported for $65 if you buy 10 or more.
3. Hub motor brand unknown from 250w - 500w, and I would be surprised if it was at least 500w.
4. Unknown battery cell's and unknown cheap battery pack manufacture overseas. This is one of the aluminum cased packs that mount to bike rack and look ugly, add weight to the rear wheel, and are usually under powered for any sort of long life or range.  I wouldn't be surprised if it was only a 10P 3S pack. Pathetic! 

Companies who make bikes to this quality level should be ashamed of themselves. As far as I'm concerned, they're nothing but crooks! Companies who sell this junk usually have real nice websites to make their junk look good to the consumer. Your still buying a pig in a dress at more than 100% markup for that bike that looks reliable on some fancy website. The same companies who make this junk will tell you that they make these bikes because that's what the consumers want. Wrong! Consumers don't want to be conned into buying worthless and dangerous garbage that breaks down in under 5o miles of use while on it's first charge.

It's worth pointing out that this pack was not the more troublesome Lipo batteries. Most likely the fire was caused by sloppy cheap manufacture. The aluminum cases everyone likes hide a lot of cheapness inside.

By Scott Schwebke | sschwebke@scng.com | Orange County Register

March 21, 2017 at 7:56 am

NEWPORT BEACH – An electric bike caught fire Sunday, shooting battery parts as it burned, authorities said.
The incident was reported around 4:30 p.m. at the end of an access ramp on 18th Street.
A man and woman had parked their newly purchased electric bikes on the beach and were sitting next to them when the battery on one of the bikes malfunctioned, said Mike Halphide, lifeguard battalion chief for the Newport Beach Fire Department.
“Lifeguards on scene reported that the battery was popping and sending projectiles dozens of yards from the fire,” Halphide said. “It’s something I’ve never seen before.”
The couple were not injured and firefighters used a dry chemical to extinguish the blaze. One bike was destroyed and the other was damaged, he said.
The couple bought the bikes, that each cost about $2,500, last week, Halphide said.
“I hope they get their money back,” he added.


Yeah, good luck with getting your money back from one of these professional looking junk dealers! 

Like I always say, buy quality or pedal home. (if you're lucky)

Introduction To Lithium Batteries

I think everyone has done a video on exploding Lithium batteries by now, and as usual, a lot of it is hype. The ones to stay away from are Lipo's. Let the RC car guys keep their Lipo's. For ebikes, it's best to stick with the safe 18650, 2070, or 2170 format for now. Lipo can be used safely on ebikes, but it's not for people (most people) who like to set it and forget it. Safe to say that I won't be selling any bikes with Lipo batteries.

 Don't buy cheap ebikes built offshore! Even if you don't want to build your own battery pack, the video's below will help you to make a more educated decision about battery selection so this doesn't happen to you. This photo from the Newport Beach Fire Department. 

So here's some battery video's you may enjoy. 
You know you're hooked when you get excites seeing a couple cases of battery cells about to be made into a battery pack! 

First video is from Damian Rene. I have his Youtube link on the side bar if you want to see more of his work. Also, if you're in Europe and need a new battery, you might want to contact Damian first.

 

 The second video is from our friend (ElectricBike) Bruno Bari Buccianti. You can find his link on the side bar as well. He's in Australia. If you're on that side of the world and need some ebike stuff, try giving him a shout first.

.






 The third video is from Micah at Ebike School. Micah has a ton of good video's on everything ebike, and even has published a couple books on the subject. If you're just starting to learn about ebikes, then Micah's Ebike School is an excellent place to get started. He's in Israel, so if you're in that part of the world, give him a shout. Link on side bar.







That's it for now. This would be too long of a post if I added everything battery related to it. Some of the other stuff I want to cover in their own posts are:
Exploding batteries.
Lipo.
18650
20700
21700
Chinese fake cells.
Plug ends for charging and discharging.
Chargers.
Fast charge vs slow charge. 
The future of battery technology.
Why you want a 20s 8p pack over a 10s 3p pack, and how to read those numbers and letters.
Etc.

BBSHD Video

This is the same motor that 

Luna Cycles 

sells for $679.00

The battery used is 14s4p.

What 7000w Looks Like!

Ebikes For 18 & Up Only?

Yeah, selling electric bikes to anyone under 18 is probably a bad idea.

If you're under 18 and want one, I'll build it for you but only with parents signed consent.

 When I think back to all the stuff I did on gas bikes as a kid, I'm lucky to still be alive.

Brackets, Brackets, Brackets

These look cooler than Fonzie jumping a Triumph motorcycle over a shark tank on lake Michigan in January!

I'm considering adding some high end motors to the lineup. This motor puts out the same power as a BBSHD but is set up like a Cyclone with primary drive chain. Personally I like the chain. A chain won't melt on you like a plastic gear when abusing your motor.

I'm thinking about how cool this setup looks, then I look closer to see that all these fancy brackets are still using a hose clamp to attach the motor to the frame. Wow, all that R&D and C&C work, and they use a hose clamp. Then I look at the price tag of $3500.00 and I'm thinking, that hose clamp better be made of some super rare and expensive metal.

In any case, this motor kit does look bad ass! If you need to be the coolest kid on the block, and have the money to spend, send it to me and I'll build a bike for you with it. I'll even throw the hose clamp in the junk drawer, and fabricate a nice bolt on motor mount for you! 

You can check them out HERE.

Holy Cow!

I've just spent 15 hours updating this blog today just for one post, and have barely scratched the surface of what I want for content. I think I had about 6 posts on my mind this morning before I finished my coffee.
Off the top of my head, I wanted to do a post about ebike myths. Like, if they are so green, then how do you dispose of dead batteries? Yeah, that one kept me away from electric technology for a long time. Now I know it's ridicules with modern top quality battery cells. Look for that post in the near future.

I'm nowhere close to starting a web site with credit card or other payment options yet. That doesn't mean that I'm not ready to start building ebikes for customers. For the moment it will just be a local So-Cal thing. No shipping out, and local drop off, pick up, cash in hand sort of thing for a while. The way I see it, after time, my reputation for quality top notch builds and great service will have been built up enough to offer shipping across the lower 48. By that time, I'll have a regular website. The only way to do this is to make the bike to the highest standards.

For some crazy reason, when I first thought of building ebikes to sell, I was only thinking about quality used bikes with new kits and battery packs installed. That's why you see the old KHS and GT on the side bar. Yeah, that's still good for some bikes, and any used customer bike they want converted, but I've come to the conclusion that making ebikes out of new bikes is the way to go. Not only that, but to make each bike to order. Almost no inventory, and no old battery's sitting around on a shelf. Some of the vintage high dollar Mixte bikes for the ladies are about the only exception to that rule. You can find some really nice used ones if you look for them. Much nicer than anything offered in a new version.

Eventually I want this blog to show new stuff and do it yourself stuff only. For the moment, it's all about getting my name out, so I can start building cool bikes for people that are way better than they can get at any local bike store for way less money. People say it's a ebike revolution. I take it seriously, but probably for different reasons.

Introducing the Mixte X3

Three versions of the Mixte for electric ebike conversion.

The first version is from Fuji. 

 Nichibei Sport Single Speed Mixte Road Bike

* This bike is a nice light weight single speed model.

* This bike is only available with a mid drive motor due to the 120mm dropout spacing. Hub motors require a minimum of 135mm to fit. The two speed motor needs 145mm. Even though this is a steel frame, and can be adjusted, this is too much adjustment for safety sake. Mid drive motors are much better than hub motors anyway.

* Motor Bafang BBSHD 750-1000w Mid Drive Motor  $679.00

* With the Bafang motors, you can get a three speed internal geared hub installed as an upgrade.

* An optional Mini Cyclone 2000w Motor  $419.95 is available for more experienced riders, but will require changing the front forks and wheel to a hydraulic disk brake setup. Rim brakes shouldn't be used on bikes with more than 1000w of power! I also recommend changing rims to double wall, and getting better quality stainless steel spokes with a Cyclone motor upgrade!

* For the Cyclone motors, I will install with my own proprietary mounts to frame for a clean look and stable untwistable solid motor mount. I do not use the cheap supplied hose clamps.

* Your choice of traditional ebike battery shark pack, or a hand stitched old world quality leather bag to hold the battery pack. These will fit inside the frame to keep the weight centered and as low as possible. With the leather bag, the largest battery that can fit inside the frame is an option (20+ amp hours for long range trips). With the shark pack, the largest battery size is 17.5 amp hours. Seventeen and a half amp hours is still about twice what most other ebikes come with! With a bigger battery, not only do you get more range before having to recharge, but you also get a longer lasting battery life because they don't have to work as hard as a smaller battery pack.

* One size fits all from  5'3" to 5'11" riders.

* Light Weight Steel Frame. 28.23lbs.

* Red is the only color offered by Fuji, but custom paint or a tough rock and scratch resistant powder coat is optional. Just pick your favorite color!

* Tires 700c.


* Chain KMC.

* Brakes are traditional style V brake. All bikes with V brakes get the pads upgraded to Kool Stop brake pads for more stopping power in all weather conditions.
 https://www.citygrounds.com/products/fuji-nichibei-sport-bike-2017?variant=35228522956
 https://www.plentyofbikes.com/products/nichibei-sport-2017




The second version is from Schwinn. 

Schwinn Carrington Mixte City Commuter Bike 

* This bike is a seven speed model with Shimano rear derailleur.

* This bike can be had with either a single speed 500w geared hub motor, or a 1000w two speed geared hub motor. Both motors will climb hills, but the two speed motor is the one to choose if you live in a hilly area.

* Mid Drive Motor options. Mid drive is the best setup for hilly areas, especially with the 7 speed gear set. With this setup, and a big enough battery, you would have no problem getting to the top of Pike's Peak!
Bafang BBSHD 750-1000w Mid Drive Motor  $679.00

* An optional Mini Cyclone 2000w Motor  $419.95 is available for more experienced riders, but will require changing the front forks and wheel to a hydraulic disk brake setup. Rim brakes shouldn't be used on bikes with more than 1000w of power! I also recommend changing rims to double wall, and getting better quality stainless steel spokes with a Cyclone motor upgrade!

* For the Cyclone motors, I will install with my own proprietary mounts to frame for a clean look and stable untwistable solid motor mount. I do not use the cheap supplied hose clamps.
 
* Your choice of traditional ebike battery shark pack, or a hand stitched old world quality leather bag to hold the battery pack. These will fit inside the frame to keep the weight centered and as low as possible. With the leather bag, the largest battery that can fit inside the frame is an option (20+ amp hours for long range trips). With the shark pack, the largest battery size is 17.5 amp hours. Seventeen and a half amp hours is still about twice what most other ebikes come with! With a bigger battery, not only do you get more range before having to recharge, but you also get a longer lasting battery life because they don't have to work as hard as a smaller battery pack.
 
* One size fits all as long as you're 5'4" and up.

* Steel Frame. 40.63lbs. A bit heavy, but it matters less with a ebike, unless you have to carry it upstairs to your apartment.

* Schwinn offers this bike in mint green or purple. Custom paint or tough rock and scratch resistant powder coat is optional. Just pick your favorite color!

* Tires are 700c.

* Crankset is Standard Schwinn one piece.

* Chain KMC.

* Fenders.

* Rear rack. 

* Brakes are traditional style V brake. All bikes with V brakes get the pads upgraded to Kool Stop brake pads for more stopping power in all weather conditions. With all Schwinn bikes in addition to Kool Stop pads, the brakes themselves will be upgraded to a set of Tektro RX brakes.  The ones that come on Schwinn bikes are junk with plastic parts.

* Shifter. This is one part that Schwinn gets a lot of complaints about. Shifters will be upgraded to Schimano Altus M310 rapid fire shifter. This shifter has great reviews!

* Shifter and brake cables are also upgraded with stiffer high quality cables and housings for crisper shifts and stops. none of that squishy box store bike feeling.





 

The third version is also from Schwinn.

Schwinn Mifflin Mixte City and Country Bike

 Yes, I added "City and Country Bike" to the above name. I love this orange color! 

With a set of Cyclocross tires and the usual upgrades needed for Schwinn bikes, I 

think this bike is a real winner with the aluminum frame! Much better than any expensive 

entry level bike store brand after upgrades.

For the most part, this bike is the same as the other Schwinn above, except for the Aluminum frame and minus the rack and traditional looking chain guard. The chain guard on this bike is part of the front sprocket.

* Aluminum Frame.
* Three piece crankset. 
* Colors: Pink or Orange.
 * All parts and upgrades for the above Schwinn bike are the same with this version for the same reasons.
* Available motors are mid drive only because of the aluminum frame. For hub motors to fit, the dropout space needs to be adjusted to 135mm minimum. The two speed motor requires 145mm. Aluminum frames should never be adjusted in this way for safety sake.

As usual, every bike that comes threw my hands is taken apart 100%.
 Grease is not only checked, but replaced with marine grade. Wheels are adjusted, stressed and re-trued. Cheap bolts are replaced with Stainless Steel and reinstalled with the appropriate Locktight thread compound, and torqued down to the appropriate measurement.

Bike Thieves

 Apparently this just happened to the guy this past weekend. You should get the cash before letting anyone test ride, or at least some ID and car keys. I figured I would post it here as a reminder to everyone that there are scum bags that will take your stuff if you let them.

"Just a heads up!
Bike thieves called about my bike for sale. A nice girl showed up ..took it for a test ride and kept on going. By the time I got my keys and truck...she was long gone... probably her partner was around the corner with a truck... get the money first..no matter how nice she seems."