I plan on making poster size paper (24quot;x30quot; or so)I need the paper to be flexible enough to curl into a tube for shipping as wellI know mesh can't possibly be that much money but everywhere I look online says it is like 20 dollars for a 12x12 sheetWhere can I go to buy the mesh cheap?I've noticed there are different sizes and materials the mesh can be made out of (bronze, stainless steel, aluminum, etc)Which of these is least likely to degrade over time, warp, or loosen? And I've also seen different sizes of spacing for the small little squares in the mesh, is there a calculated best answer to use for paper making?
Sorry I accidentally answered the wrong questionDidn't you ask about the bike frame yesterday? Proposing magnesium alloy? If you really want to do something look at nature for the answersElephants and birds need bones that are both strong and lightThey use a honeycomb structure to achieve thisSo for your bike picture something that can make a tube with a thin skin and a honeycomb coreIf you can build it the result would be both stronger and lighter than a conventional tube frame as well as being more resistant to sudden catastrophic failureCompare corrugated cardboard with the same paper rolled into a tube for an example of the differenceThe tube fails suddenly by kinking but the cardboard retains most of its strength under substantial angles of bend.
You say front frame if you mean the front forks that hold the front wheel the forks are replaceable for a reasonable costOften there are people in the area that fix up discarded bikes that may have a used fork for cheapIf you mean the actual bike frame behind where the handlebars mount it is probably best to look for a different frame or a new bikeUsually it is just a fork problemGood luck! PS:hope you did not get hurt :(
Maybe you should make out the whole budget for your project because the mesh may be one of the lower cost things - especially if that $20 is for a framed 12x12To make the paper as big as you are talking about you are going to need a tank several inches (at least) bigger than that and about a foot or so deep to put the mesh and its frame intoYou are going to have to have a good sized pot to cook up the materials you will be making into paper (pulp, fabric, size, etc.) and you will have to have a place to turn the partially dried paper out onto to complete drying while keeping it flatNylon mesh would certainly require an adjustable frame to keep it taut.
