ConTENtious

[Tallbikeman]

Love the imagination of all your work so far. This bike is turning out so very cool.

 

[CRASH]

I’m ready to call this first try a failure. As you can see, I wasn’t able to keep the one side even and parallel to the other side, so it has waves. I’ve tried to fix it without success, and now some of it is too thin.

So I’ve ordered a couple more just in case. Either I’m going to have to figure out how to keep it perfectly parallel when I’m thinning it, or I’m going to have to figure out a way to widen its track. Right now I don’t have a good idea for either. But shipping will take a while.

 

[CRASH]

I busted the pedals apart to get them chromed because they are bad, but the chrome guy says I have to get the spindle out. Have any of you done that?

That looks very pressed in there.

 

[CRASH]

I’m starting the 10-speed set up. Specifically, the front derailleur/Shifter. I bought two new shifter barrel adjusters. @kingfish254 was kind enough to have provided an already drilled and tapped hole for the front shifter. The original brake set up has a small, untapped hole, so it’s something id have to do, but the work was done. When I tried to install them both, the touched, so I had to angle the left hole outward slightly. This crimped the hole, so I had to chase the threads.

This allowed both adjusters to be installed side-by-side after slightly shortening the springs.

I fit the shifter in the frame and the outside bolt was a little too close to the frame for my comfort. The bolt had some corrosion pitting, so I went ahead and ground it down to make it slightly thinner, sanded and polished it. It clears better now.

When installing, the 25mm bolt on the front was just a touch too short to grab the threads, but as you can see the 30mm bolt sticks out a bit. You may recall that I had to have nuts welded on so the bolts had threads to grab, but the nut was too tall and hit the console cover. Now the top of the bolt will hit the cover if I left it.

Some grinding and smoothing took care of that.

On to the shifting…

 

[CRASH]

In my stash I found a piece of original ‘333’ housing that was too short for a rear derailleur. So I’ll use it for the front!

I thought maybe I should route it over the seat tube shoulder.

But that doesn’t looks clean. So I added a Murray housing clamp and routed down the tube. Much better.

I cut it to length and then crimped a ferrel on the end. For those viewers new to my program, here are my steps…

Which gives a nice clean, original look.

 

[CRASH]

Front shifting is set. Now on to figuring out the brakes. In order to do that I have to mount the forks. In order to do that I have to modify the fork crown. There are special Murray crowns just for rat traps, but I couldn’t find one. So… here’s now a regular one sits.

As you can see, it sets up on the front lip. So I had to grind it off and smooth it out. Here it is now. It still looks like it’s setting up, but the crown race will hold it down.

 

[RustySprockets]

I have disassembled such a pedal in the past, and the results were not pretty. Fortunately in my case, I did not intend to preserve the outer shell, which you're likely to find is actually two cups and a cylinder. (I only wanted the spindles for "poor man's thread chasers.")

If you were to mill or grind away the shoulder indicated, the pedal should come apart and might leave enough material to permit a tack weld when re-assembling. That's the best advice I can offer.

 

[CRASH]

Thanks, I’ll see if they can get plated as they are. If not, polished will have to do.

 

[CRASH]

@RustySprockets asked me to describe in more detail what I did the first time around with the tape measure band.
I wound it very tight, then held it with a tightened down zip tie, exposing one side to sand. I then held it against a belt sander. The problem was, I had no way to keep it perfectly level to the other side of the tape measure. So one one side gets lower then the other and you stretch out the tape, it shows warps on one side.

 

[CRASH]

The headset that came on this bike was a mess. A mix of parts trying to cover a tall steer shaft.

So I dug Murray parts out, replaced the worn crown race which had broken metal, and replaced the garbage bearings. Here’s some of the stash I choose from.

As you can see, the steer tube is pretty tall.

The lock nut is too short, which is why it had a stack of spacers… which I hate. (It looks like it was cobbled together, not designed that way.)

I tested the tall lock but I have for my other Eliminator.

But I don’t have an extra, just short ones. So now I’m on the hunt. Got one?
If I can’t find one, option B is cutting the steer tube down. We’ll see.

 

[GeePig]

I have disassembled such a pedal in the past, and the results were not pretty. Fortunately in my case, I did not intend to preserve the outer shell, which you're likely to find is actually two cups and a cylinder. (I only wanted the spindles for "poor man's thread chasers.")

If you were to mill or grind away the shoulder indicated, the pedal should come apart and might leave enough material to permit a tack weld when re-assembling. That's the best advice I can offer.

View attachment 249405

Or you could take a scrap pedal and see whether you can drill and thread the central shaft, then hold that washer/inner race on with a thin headed hexagonal set screw. The questions are how hard is that inner bar, is there enough metal on that inner bar to fit a set screw with a broad enough head, and can you find or make the right kind of set screw? Then with some decent loctite it should stay together.

 

[GeePig]

As you can see, the steer tube is pretty tall.
View attachment 249458

The lock nut is too short, which is why it had a stack of spacers… which I hate. (It looks like it was cobbled together, not designed that way.)
View attachment 249459

I tested the tall lock but I have for my other Eliminator.
View attachment 249460

But I don’t have an extra, just short ones. So now I’m on the hunt. Got one?
If I can’t find one, option B is cutting the steer tube down. We’ll see.

My Romets usually have a thick, specially made washer in between those two, especially since the top of the bearing holder is usually a bit dished.

 

[RustySprockets]

@RustySprockets asked me to describe in more detail what I did the first time around with the tape measure band.
I wound it very tight, then held it with a tightened down zip tie, exposing one side to sand. I then held it against a belt sander. The problem was, I had no way to keep it perfectly level to the other side of the tape measure. So one one side gets lower then the other and you stretch out the tape, it shows warps on one side.

That's pretty much what I suspected, and it's tough to be consistent holding it by hand. I'm trying to think of a simple jig that can help with that and is easy to make.

How about something like this, where the coiled tape can be wedged inside. The interior depth is the same dimension you want the tape width to be. Now, you can hold this assembly against the sander until the abrasive just kisses the sides, and no farther. Anything proud of the box sides should be ground away while that which is inside gets protected, no? Well, that's the theory, anyway. You could probably try this on the tape that is already ruined, just to test it out.

 

[idiotboy]

That's pretty much what I suspected, and it's tough to be consistent holding it by hand. I'm trying to think of a simple jig that can help with that and is easy to make.

How about something like this, where the coiled tape can be wedged inside. The interior depth is the same dimension you want the tape width to be. Now, you can hold this assembly against the sander until the abrasive just kisses the sides, and no farther. Anything proud of the box sides should be ground away while that which is inside gets protected, no? Well, that's the theory, anyway. You could probably try this on the tape that is already ruined, just to test it out.

View attachment 249462

I was thinking of the same type of fixture, but start with a hole saw close in size to the rolled up tape, cut through something as thin or thinner than you want it to end up, and then screw a plate behind it to hold the tape in place. I’m probably not explaining it correctly but I can see it in my head…it looks just like that red thing but round

 

[RustySprockets]

I was thinking of the same type of fixture, but start with a hole saw close in size to the rolled up tape, cut through something as thin or thinner than you want it to end up, and then screw a plate behind it to hold the tape in place. I’m probably not explaining it correctly but I can see it in my head…it looks just like that red thing but round

Nah...I get what you're saying. A forstner bit might be an even better choice--create a flat-bottomed hole, the size of the tape coil, to the desired depth, then run the belt sander across the whole surface. Brilliant!

 

[twojs.bike]

busted the pedals apart to get them chromed because they are bad, but the chrome guy says I have to get the spindle out. Have any of you done that?

How about replacing the spindles? How long are they?



It’s not hoarding if it’s organized.

 

[The Renaissance Man]

That's pretty much what I suspected, and it's tough to be consistent holding it by hand. I'm trying to think of a simple jig that can help with that and is easy to make.

How about something like this, where the coiled tape can be wedged inside. The interior depth is the same dimension you want the tape width to be. Now, you can hold this assembly against the sander until the abrasive just kisses the sides, and no farther. Anything proud of the box sides should be ground away while that which is inside gets protected, no? Well, that's the theory, anyway. You could probably try this on the tape that is already ruined, just to test it out.

View attachment 249462

I was thinking of the same type of fixture, but start with a hole saw close in size to the rolled up tape, cut through something as thin or thinner than you want it to end up, and then screw a plate behind it to hold the tape in place. I’m probably not explaining it correctly but I can see it in my head…it looks just like that red thing but round

Basically, the same suggestion that I described a couple of weeks ago (post #78). Just drill an appropriately sized hole in a piece of plate steel to hold the tape and serve as a level surface to gauge the uniform depth.

 

[CRASH]

I need 3/8" width. So... if this new tape measure isn't that (which I really, really is, then all of this is moot) I'm going to take the suggestions and have 3/8" milled out internally to a really thick metal spacer that we have, with a tight internal diameter. I'm hoping that the pressure from the tape measure wanting to unwind will be enough to hold it inside, but I'm concerned it my spring out. I'm wondering if maybe I should use an adhesive? But what if I can't get it out after that? lol

Who knew this would be one of the most challenging parts of this build!! If only I could get a 3/8" strip! I'll know Wednesday by the end of the day.

 

[The Renaissance Man]

I'm hoping that the pressure from the tape measure wanting to unwind will be enough to hold it inside, but I'm concerned it may spring out.

My guess is that the downward pressure of the sander should keep it in place. But again, a magnetic chuck would be ideal. Just drill a hole in a piece of 3/8" steel, set it up on the chuck and you're set.

Did a very quick search and here's one for a reasonable price. Search more and you can probably beat that price.

 

[kchurch86]

I'm sorry, I tried to figure it out but just can't seem to follow along

What is this business with the tape measure all about? What are you making with it?