MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
A thread for posting build tips and tricks of the masters.
Tips n Trix
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MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
This is the best seatpost shim I've ever saw. From wadsy at retrobike dot co dot uk
"Just cut the can to rough size; scissors work well. Then bend as many as fits best around the seat-post to fit in-between it and the seat-tube.
I then bonded (metal-two-part adhesive type stuff) the two 'shim' pieces together and left to set wrapped around the seat-post, wrapped tightly with rubber bands!
You can then anneal the top and 'bend' it over a bit to give a lip so it doesn't drop down."
*of course they used a syncros post
"Just cut the can to rough size; scissors work well. Then bend as many as fits best around the seat-post to fit in-between it and the seat-tube.
I then bonded (metal-two-part adhesive type stuff) the two 'shim' pieces together and left to set wrapped around the seat-post, wrapped tightly with rubber bands!
You can then anneal the top and 'bend' it over a bit to give a lip so it doesn't drop down."
*of course they used a syncros post
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
Can't remember where I found this one:
"Cleaning: Been using the same thing forever...learned it back in my motorcycle shop days, wash with dishsoap and a soft brush, dry, and then coat it in lemon Pledge and wipe with a clean rag.
Pledge does miracles on scratched, dry paint. Used to buy it by the case to clean the used motorcycles we traded in...works great on faded MX plastics too"
"Cleaning: Been using the same thing forever...learned it back in my motorcycle shop days, wash with dishsoap and a soft brush, dry, and then coat it in lemon Pledge and wipe with a clean rag.
Pledge does miracles on scratched, dry paint. Used to buy it by the case to clean the used motorcycles we traded in...works great on faded MX plastics too"
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
This one is an @OddJob nugget that I don't want to lose when the Build Off is over
"A couple years ago, one of our astute builders spotted a spray bottle hidden on my work bench that had the words "Rust Maker" scribbled on the side.
This one actually does make rust. It's a 50/50 of hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar. Shake well before using. Rough up the surface of your victim with a heavy grit sandpaper, where you want the rust to 'grow'. Then spray with 'Rust Maker' generously. Then sprinkle table salt ( sea salt works the best) and cover again with a light spray. Set in the bright hot sun for fastest result
Repeat for heavier and crunchier rust effect"
"A couple years ago, one of our astute builders spotted a spray bottle hidden on my work bench that had the words "Rust Maker" scribbled on the side.
This one actually does make rust. It's a 50/50 of hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar. Shake well before using. Rough up the surface of your victim with a heavy grit sandpaper, where you want the rust to 'grow'. Then spray with 'Rust Maker' generously. Then sprinkle table salt ( sea salt works the best) and cover again with a light spray. Set in the bright hot sun for fastest result
Repeat for heavier and crunchier rust effect"
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
@Swampthing has a process involving swamps and such
"The patina is a process.
After stripping, a quick acid wash with vinegar Or hydrochloric.
Add some Florida heat and humidity and watch it form.
When I like the look, I treat it (mixed with water in a spray bottle) with phosphoric acid, and rinse with the hose after an hour or so.
That kills most of the patina, But it will come back.
Once it’s regrown to where I like it. I do the phosphoric acid again, in the evening when it’s really humid so it dries slowly. A bit stronger this time, but no rinse. In the morning wipe everything down with BLO mixed with turps, or paint thinner. It doesn’t seem to matter. Wait a couple hours. Wipe it off. Put some more on.
Every few months (possibly weeks in the rainy season) wipe it down with a rag and BLO. I’ve never had a BLO rag spontaneously combust like a drummer, but have felt the heat of the oxidation process, so I get them wet and dispose of them.
The other bike shows what it matures into."
"The patina is a process.
After stripping, a quick acid wash with vinegar Or hydrochloric.
Add some Florida heat and humidity and watch it form.
When I like the look, I treat it (mixed with water in a spray bottle) with phosphoric acid, and rinse with the hose after an hour or so.
That kills most of the patina, But it will come back.
Once it’s regrown to where I like it. I do the phosphoric acid again, in the evening when it’s really humid so it dries slowly. A bit stronger this time, but no rinse. In the morning wipe everything down with BLO mixed with turps, or paint thinner. It doesn’t seem to matter. Wait a couple hours. Wipe it off. Put some more on.
Every few months (possibly weeks in the rainy season) wipe it down with a rag and BLO. I’ve never had a BLO rag spontaneously combust like a drummer, but have felt the heat of the oxidation process, so I get them wet and dispose of them.
The other bike shows what it matures into."
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
Fork straightening!
Per RustyGold:
"A junk hub on the fork, spin the fork to face the frame, ratchet strap (or turnbuckle) from hub to seatpost (or through BB if you don't want to take a chance of hurting the paint), and tighten."
And Wildcat:
"I would make corrections little by little, to make just enough without going too far. It will spring back slightly after each pull.
The upper part of the fork legs should be in a straight line with the headtube, the steering axis.
When you straighten it while it's on the bike, make sure the cones are adjusted so there's no play in the fork. Off the bike, you can see right where the spot where the bend is and possibly straighten it that way. I use blocks of wood placed at the right spots and use my weight to make the correction. I just used that method with my kickstand. Forks might need more weight. I've also put an old wheel on the bike, turned the fork back ward and bumped it into a brick wall gently to bend a fork back."
One other consideration is the integrity of the fork. If it was bent once and straightened it won't be as strong as new, but will be strong enough. If it has been bent back a couple times then it's probably no good. A crack may develop right at the crown, where the lower bearings are housed. It's not visible when the fork is on the bike, on the inside the head tube. I always inspect that area when working on a bike. I take off the fork for lube anyway
Per RustyGold:
"A junk hub on the fork, spin the fork to face the frame, ratchet strap (or turnbuckle) from hub to seatpost (or through BB if you don't want to take a chance of hurting the paint), and tighten."
And Wildcat:
"I would make corrections little by little, to make just enough without going too far. It will spring back slightly after each pull.
The upper part of the fork legs should be in a straight line with the headtube, the steering axis.
When you straighten it while it's on the bike, make sure the cones are adjusted so there's no play in the fork. Off the bike, you can see right where the spot where the bend is and possibly straighten it that way. I use blocks of wood placed at the right spots and use my weight to make the correction. I just used that method with my kickstand. Forks might need more weight. I've also put an old wheel on the bike, turned the fork back ward and bumped it into a brick wall gently to bend a fork back."
Not my original idea. Saw it on RRB a few times in the past. I've done it myself since and I'm currently 3/3!
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MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
How about fitting a new axle in an old fork? Thanks to @The Renaissance Man
"First mark the center of the axle in four spots, left, right, fore and aft. Make sure your marks line up across from each other on both sides of the wheel. I used some tape and marked it with a sharpie so that it's easy to see.
The tape was placed away from the inside nut just enough to visually match the thickness of the fork. With the tape guide to go by, I then proceeded to take just a small amount of material off of each side (90 deg. apart) with a cut off wheel until it matched the fork width (keeping both sides equil). A vernier caliper comes in very handy here.
Done! As a bonus the axel doesn"t spin around in the nice unaltered X-53 fork!
"
"First mark the center of the axle in four spots, left, right, fore and aft. Make sure your marks line up across from each other on both sides of the wheel. I used some tape and marked it with a sharpie so that it's easy to see.
The tape was placed away from the inside nut just enough to visually match the thickness of the fork. With the tape guide to go by, I then proceeded to take just a small amount of material off of each side (90 deg. apart) with a cut off wheel until it matched the fork width (keeping both sides equil). A vernier caliper comes in very handy here.
Done! As a bonus the axel doesn"t spin around in the nice unaltered X-53 fork!
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
@Walter Zoomie with a tip for dropout alignment:
"After redistancing your rear forks a tool to check for parallel drop outs is easy to make and use. I use threaded rod very close to the rear axle diameter, cut it into two 10" pieces. You want the rods to be as big as will fit into the drop out slots. Thread on two nuts with fender washers on each rod. Install the rods on each drop out and tighten them down with the two nuts and washers. They should come together but not touch on the centerline of the bicycle. Trust me you will see any non parallel bends to your drop outs. Use the rods to bend the drop outs parallel. The rods should perfectly match and look like a single straight rod after you get done bending everything true. This can only be done on steel frames and drop outs. This is a simple cheap way to get good results with redistancing rear drop outs."
"After redistancing your rear forks a tool to check for parallel drop outs is easy to make and use. I use threaded rod very close to the rear axle diameter, cut it into two 10" pieces. You want the rods to be as big as will fit into the drop out slots. Thread on two nuts with fender washers on each rod. Install the rods on each drop out and tighten them down with the two nuts and washers. They should come together but not touch on the centerline of the bicycle. Trust me you will see any non parallel bends to your drop outs. Use the rods to bend the drop outs parallel. The rods should perfectly match and look like a single straight rod after you get done bending everything true. This can only be done on steel frames and drop outs. This is a simple cheap way to get good results with redistancing rear drop outs."
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Yes...one key element to achieving very precise tweaks is magnification. The above tool does that by exaggerating any slight misalignment to point it becomes easily visible. The same goes for derailleur hangers, bottom brackets, you-name-it.
When I teach a class, I sometimes provide a child's protractor and ask that they measure a 1° change. Then, I bring out MY protractor, which is two-feet across and printed on poster board. The gap between hash marks is, like, two inches! With mine, you don't have to squint.
It's all in good fun, but the concept is a true one...magnify a discrepancy and it becomes much easier to detect and correct.
When I teach a class, I sometimes provide a child's protractor and ask that they measure a 1° change. Then, I bring out MY protractor, which is two-feet across and printed on poster board. The gap between hash marks is, like, two inches! With mine, you don't have to squint.
It's all in good fun, but the concept is a true one...magnify a discrepancy and it becomes much easier to detect and correct.
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
Man, my kid was so excited when he got his math set. He ran around the place with the protractor measuring every angle
Right pic?
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
Yeah, he refers to using the technique on his kickstand 4 lines before the picture
Twist ties to hold cross pair spokes in place when replacing rims with similar ERD values. Use marking tape on either side of the valve hole before removing.
I've seen folks use tape at the crossings. Best if the spokes are allowed to slide.
Observe the flange sides for entering spokes in the proper holes. Start around the valve. Wide rims generally have offset spoke holes making it easier to identify which side goes where.
Use ties often, grab a bunch at the market... need to replenish.
I've seen folks use tape at the crossings. Best if the spokes are allowed to slide.
Observe the flange sides for entering spokes in the proper holes. Start around the valve. Wide rims generally have offset spoke holes making it easier to identify which side goes where.
Use ties often, grab a bunch at the market... need to replenish.
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I've used coated gardening wire in similar ways, but you can't beat a fistful of supermarket twist-ties for economy!
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
@rickpaulos added pics of his alignment tool, but I can't steal his pictures, so here's a link
https://ratrodbikes.com/forum/threa...ce-between-rear-dropouts.114609/#post-1193010
https://ratrodbikes.com/forum/threa...ce-between-rear-dropouts.114609/#post-1193010
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
Rick also shared his string method:
"
You can used the "string method" to see if you got both stays moved equal distances.
Run a string from one rear dropout, around the head tube, and back to the other dropout. Pull the string tight. measure the distance between the string and the seat tube, compare both sides to see if they are close.
Many frames have indentations in the stays for chain ring or tire clearance so the stays aren't equally strong. As a result, your method can move one side more than the other.
If the string method is off, your bike will ride down the road crooked. The rider won't notice (much). it will slow you down a bit as the rear tire is crooked in relation to going straight ahead. You can put the wheel in the rear in at an angle to try to make up for it but then it rolls offset from the front wheel."
"
You can used the "string method" to see if you got both stays moved equal distances.
Run a string from one rear dropout, around the head tube, and back to the other dropout. Pull the string tight. measure the distance between the string and the seat tube, compare both sides to see if they are close.
Many frames have indentations in the stays for chain ring or tire clearance so the stays aren't equally strong. As a result, your method can move one side more than the other.
If the string method is off, your bike will ride down the road crooked. The rider won't notice (much). it will slow you down a bit as the rear tire is crooked in relation to going straight ahead. You can put the wheel in the rear in at an angle to try to make up for it but then it rolls offset from the front wheel."
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
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I created this as a reply on the CABE, but figure it's worth sharing here, too. Drill a small (1/6-3/32") hole at the tip of some dollar store duckbill tweezers. These tiny hollows permit the tweezers to grasp loose bearings, rather than send them flying across the room, under your bench, and into the netherworld. I got the idea after watching a locksmith re-key a lock with new pins. Same concept--different design.
MattiThundrrr
Rattus All Terrainus
"...I use a 3 foot section of square tubing for the bending bar. It worked fine, but I had hoped to not chip the paint. It'll be easy to touch up.
The fork didn't have much of a bend as it was.
I set the forks so the edge of the bench would be the point where the bend would be, then put the bar over each fork end and bent it downward"
Thanks Wildcat
