Hand-made tools and Cheap secrets

[Vonpotter]

Lets face it. Most of us are on a budget. Most of us are pretty handy. Most of us would rather build a jog or tool for $300 over spending $100 for something that would do the same thing. Its what we do. I want to see Whatever tools you've made to work on bikes. I want to see all the little tricks and secrets that we've come up with.

My homemade stand. It works OK. I'm hoping Santa claus will bring a shiny new blue one this year though

I made this rack out of an old crib I dug out of the dumpster.

I blew a shoelace. so I sliced up a tube. Now I never tie my shoe. They're stretchy!

Not mine. Park Tools makes this one, but I will be recreating it ASAP

And this one....well, this one holds beer.

Lets see what you have!!

 

[junknutz1975]

i think ill be stealing the tp holder idea too :wink:
wheres evryones macguyver ideas?

 

[Voyager Al]

Man, I dig that beer cooler trailer. I can bend conduit like a pro,but how do ya attach to bike? And axles?

 

[Vonpotter]

I used a hitch off an old department store trailer to hook it to the bike
I bolted two chunks of C-channel aluminum to the trailer then used two front wheels for the axels.

Sadly, the trailer got broke after one too many cans got taken out of it while riding around the beach.....if you catch my drift.

I've been waiting for an old metal coleman to fall into my possession. Then I'll remake it properly (flat black and pinstriped)

 

[OneHorsePower]

I made this rack out of an old crib I dug out of the dumpster.

Did the same in my shed with a old headboard

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Been meaning to add this for a while but did not have any pictures, had to get it running today to paint my entry in the "muscle bike build off" so dusted it off and got some pics while I was at it.

I had a very solid 50 year old electric compressor with a burnt out motor, I had a 12r Toyota motor lying around, bought a special valve that bypasses the outlet air when it hits the correct psi and this is what I ended up with...

DSC00275 by LukeTheJoker, on Flickr

DSC00276 by LukeTheJoker, on Flickr

I worked out the belt ratios so that the motor only idles along, it has plenty of power at idle and runs all day on next to nothing fuel wise.
The bottom pulley is a power steering pulley that I welded to the pressure plate and bolted back up to the freewheel. There is a big bolt under the compressor that lets you move the back end of the motor up and down to adjust belt tension.

Pretty simple really. :wink:

Luke.

 

[mikeeebikey]

OK 1 of my cheap secrets, "Zip tie truing stand." which is as it sounds, 2 zip ties placed at the right place!
Remove tire and tube, put wheel back on bike.
1 zip is placed above the wheel on the frame/fork and not cut, this is used for the up and down.
2nd zip tie is placed on the side of the rim and cut so it touches, then rotate it back till it just barely touches, left to right run out guage.
The "dish," is something you have to see and measure, it's not automatic like a truing stand, you will have to think!
A bike stand or secure mount is really helpfull compared to flipping the bike or rope hanging it.

 

[OneHorsePower]

OK 1 of my cheap secrets, "Zip tie truing stand." which is as it sounds, 2 zip ties placed at the right place!
Remove tire and tube, put wheel back on bike.
1 zip is placed above the wheel on the frame/fork and not cut, this is used for the up and down.
2nd zip tie is placed on the side of the rim and cut so it touches, then rotate it back till it just barely touches, left to right run out guage.
The "dish," is something you have to see and measure, it's not automatic like a truing stand, you will have to think!
A bike stand or secure mount is really helpfull compared to flipping the bike or rope hanging it.

thats a good trick , thanks! i use to clamp anything i found on the fork , but it always move and even sometime scrach the side walls

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Re-loaded a video to YouTube of the Toyota powered air compressor in action if anyone wanted to see it. Well worth building if you have or buy cheaply a compressor with a burnt out motor, super reliable and cheap to run.

http://youtu.be/jrvDbSH_r20

Luke.

 

[mikeeebikey]

Free cable end, use a 1/4" piece of brake housing and clamp the round out of it.

To hold nipples while wheel building and it's absolutely critical that no scratches appear, use an extra spoke back threaded into a nipple to hold it in place while manuvering the spoke into place. I usually jam it into my chest, pain is weakness leaving the body.

Sometimes the correct tool is a must, buy good spoke wrenches!

To fix old Pro and Tuff necks do not drill them, press the shaft out and grind 1/32"ish off the top. Then take a punch and lightly put a couple lines of 5, or more around it, at the point it presses into the stem, try to even space the the punch marks! Reassemble with shaft with locktite, I was told 290(green) was the correct one but I have used all with great results.

Use a hammer to beat on bolts that're rusted up proper, you hit them hard enough they will come loose!

This is my absolute best advice I can ever give a man; THROW AWAY EASYOUTS! To remove a broken bolt file it flat, punch it dead nuts center, dril a small hole thru the center, all the way. This takes patience, skill, a little luck, and a sharp drill bit, a good drill helps alot. If it doesn't turn with pliers yet, or you cannot get ahold of it drill bigger, but not bigger than the threads, if iot doesn't turn lose at some point you will need to tap drill it and tap. Good luck! But if you should happen to break an easy out, and have to come my way for removal, I pay 30$ to 75$ for carbide die grinder bits, I like to think my work is worth $50.00 an hour, guess how much I charge!!!!

Really need some rust eating spray in the tool bag!

Take valve cores out to deflate tire(s) quickly.

 

[Voyager Al]

Mikee, I swear by left-handed drill bits. I bought an aesy-out set from Fastenal that had both lefty-drills,and the easyouts. I dont think I have HAD to use the easyouts YET. Using a Dewalt cordless, going slow, I always find the lefty drill just sorta slows right be4 it grabs and walks that bolt out. Go SLOW.

 

[Jamie825]

Free cable end, use a 1/4" piece of brake housing and clamp the round out of it.

To hold nipples while wheel building and it's absolutely critical that no scratches appear, use an extra spoke back threaded into a nipple to hold it in place while manuvering the spoke into place. I usually jam it into my chest, pain is weakness leaving the body.

Sometimes the correct tool is a must, buy good spoke wrenches!

To fix old Pro and Tuff necks do not drill them, press the shaft out and grind 1/32"ish off the top. Then take a punch and lightly put a couple lines of 5, or more around it, at the point it presses into the stem, try to even space the the punch marks! Reassemble with shaft with locktite, I was told 290(green) was the correct one but I have used all with great results.

Use a hammer to beat on bolts that're rusted up proper, you hit them hard enough they will come loose!

This is my absolute best advice I can ever give a man; THROW AWAY EASYOUTS! To remove a broken bolt file it flat, punch it dead nuts center, dril a small hole thru the center, all the way. This takes patience, skill, a little luck, and a sharp drill bit, a good drill helps alot. If it doesn't turn with pliers yet, or you cannot get ahold of it drill bigger, but not bigger than the threads, if iot doesn't turn lose at some point you will need to tap drill it and tap. Good luck! But if you should happen to break an easy out, and have to come my way for removal, I pay 30$ to 75$ for carbide die grinder bits, I like to think my work is worth $50.00 an hour, guess how much I charge!!!!

Really need some rust eating spray in the tool bag!

Take valve cores out to deflate tire(s) quickly.

I have broke easy outs off and about the only way to get them out is to find a hard punch and beat it till it busts out same thing with broken taps or threaders and drill bits most of the time a broken drill bit will usually come out easily enough though

 

[mikeeebikey]

I have broke easy outs off and about the only way to get them out is to find a hard punch and beat it till it busts out same thing with broken taps or threaders and drill bits most of the time a broken drill bit will usually come out easily enough though

My top secret easy out removal tool, torch. Get the hot and the metal turns soft. Drill right thru them.

 

[Jamie825]

My top secret easy out removal tool, torch. Get the hot and the metal turns soft. Drill right thru them.

I use to work on a lot of tractors and this guy I worked with would use a cutting torch to remove broken bolts he would get them hot and then give them a blast of air when he did it they would come out clean and you could screw another bolt in I always thought that was amazing I have tried it a few times and it worked but I would have to heat it and blast it a few times he could do it first time every time but this was also on tractors with big bolts and cast housings .

 

[Wildcat]

Remove a 3 piece crankset without a puller. I first did this with my Mongoose Beast. I figured if I wrecked some parts, no big deal, they were cheap parts anyway. But it worked.
I can't find the post with pics I made on that, but you loosen the crank bearing cup on the left side all the way, loosen the nuts on the crank arms, and use a wooden dowel rod and hammer to knock the pin loose from the drive side, then everything drops out.

 

[SwissGuy]

I just fabbed my own tool for putting in a bottom bracket from scrap of plywood:

Determin size and center:

Find a washer that fits into your bottom bracket cup:

Fasten the cup to the wood and use it as template

Cut it to the desired size and form

Fix the M6 screws with some washers and selflocking nuts

cut down the screws to the right length and you're done

Works like a charm:

 

[OneHorsePower]

altered ratchet socket for pedal maintenance