Manufacturing Skip Tooth Chain

[slacker]

How hard would it be to resume the manufacture of skip tooth chain? Does the machinery still exist, and if so, where? Who was the last manufacturer of inch pitch chain?

Would their be a sufficient market to provide profit incentive? What about sprockets and cogs?

I ask for a reason.

A friend's father works as production supervisor for large American discount hardware chain. He spends 6-8 months a year sourcing and supervising tool manufacturers in China. He would be an ideal candidate to help find a Chinese manufacturer for skip tooth chains, if it is possible. Not to mention other re-pop parts.

My focus is on China for the simple reason that I suspect they were the last producer of this chain, and might be the easiest place to resume production.

Just throwing some ideas around. If any one has a schematic for skip tooth chain, I would be greatly appreciative. I seem to remember seeing one somewhere.

 

[Chainsaw]

Even though it would be cool to be able to "olderize" a modern bike or just to be able to get replacement chain, sprockets, I just don't think that the sales would outweigh the costs. It would be for a very limited market. Also, for rideabilty, who wuld really choose the skip tooth design over a regular setup? I've only ridden one skip tooth and that was a short distance.
These are just my thoughts and I don't know "skip" about things. :?

There had to be a drastic reason for dropping this design. I'd be interested in knowing it's benefits and faults.
Chainy

 

[No cars on mars]

Please, please do not out source this idea to the Chinese. The most bicycle products coming out of China is such poor quality. There are to many Americans out of a job right now. This would be a way for saving someones job. I would like to see some skiptooth cogs and sprockets and will pay for some American made products.

 

[necessaryevil]

I have nothing against China, but why would you want to give them another product to mass produce and then ship over here for sale? I can see it now," skiptooth chains 25% off, thanks for shopping walmart." :roll:

 

[Slick Rick]

I agree w/chainy, the market would be somewhat limited.I'm certainly no expert here but I'm thinking that production of these chains stopped around WWII.The only post war bikes I have seen them on were the lower ticket model Schwinns.I'm pretty sure that was a cost saving measure designed to maximise profits by using existing inventory to its end.The other thing I can't say I have seen is a foreign made 1" pitch chain, I am not saying it was'nt done, have just never seen one personally(especially chinese).I'm thinking if it could be done in a way to keep costs around $20.00 retail, you might well have a market for them.But then again there is a huge risk of limited sales! I'm betting that only a minimum re-tooling would be necessary to produce this item, and China would be a good choice in this instance.Any manufacturer would probably want an initial order large enough to justify its first production run of this as well.I would bet that if enough orders were "locked in" this could be acheived. :wink:

 

[Slick Rick]

As far as "giving" jobs and ideas to overseas entities, I dislike it as much as the next guy! But we all have to have the tolerance to accept the things we can't change. The bicycle industry was on the way overseas long before many of you even knew what a bicycle was! Its also good if you can have the courage to change the things you can,most of the nice bicycle offerings are designed by Americans to be marketed by Americans and built to our specs. in China, so we can compete in a global economy!This has actually helped, granted there were not as many jobs created this way,but jobs were created.Lets face it, a skiptooth chain will end up being more desireable and more likely to be sold on our shores. Having them made elsewhere more affordably will actually benefit us!

 

[cashman]

Diamond Chain still offers 1" X 3/16" roller chain in their catalog. Their part number 61X3/16. They would probably sell you all you want? Don't know where they make it but they at least still offer it.

http://www.diamondchain.com/files/non_standard.pdf

Thanks!!!

 

[jre0123]

Funny you should mention manufacturing skip tooth chain. I use to work for a chain saw chain manufacture here in Oregon and still have a few good friends that work there. We've been talking about building some skip tooth chain. It's pretty easy to do if you have the right multiematic machin that lays the parts out and spins the rivits. The hardest part will be havung the tie straps made.

 

[Crassly]

It wasn't that long ago that we went through this whole thing about Diamond still making skip tooth - I thought we had it resolved.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8805&p=94854&hilit=skip+tooth+chain+diamond#p94854

 

[Slick Rick]

Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit!I think you may have just found the mother load Cashman!I will not even pretend to know how to interpret the dimensions given on that page,but they are all there. I bet someone here can do it though, and if a comparison is done,we just might have a match!Any Idea what the price is on that chain? :shock:

 

[Slick Rick]

Wow Crassly you were quick on the draw! Bummer, sounded so good too.

 

[Anonymous]

AMEN!!!!! On the keeping jobs here!!!!!

As for accepting things we can't change....

Brah. Its as easy as passing wally world and going to a union grocery store or your Corner mom and pop to get your stuff. Make a stand and buy here and not there. I'm all for people coming here to make a better life but not at the expense of me and mine. Easy said I know but I want my kids to have something when they grow up. We import their stuff but yet they don't do the same.

Hope you sing the same tune when china OWNS you. Thank you come again.

 

[cashman]

I'm sure there would be a substantial minimum order involved when buying chain direct from the manufacturer unless they or one of their distributors had an over supply of it stashed away somewhere. Diamond could possibly package it for you. A decision to purchase like that would have to be based on market reality and what's available. The best case scenario would be to have it all sold before committing and an assurance from the manufacturer that they could deliver. Thanks!!!

 

[stretch]

you know, ive thought about this subjet too. "Ya know, someone should make skiptooth chains here in america somewhere." all you'd need are presses to stamp out the steel link plates, a supplier for the bearings, and a machine to assemble them with the whole rivet driver deal. ta da! brand new skip tooth chains for cheap! :mrgreen: they could some in different lengths, (maybe even different colors! ) and i bet a bunch of ppl on this site would buy them! you could toss an advertisment on some bike-related websites, put some in bike shops, and make some money and help out all those people with the need for skip tooth bikes! 8)

 

[Anonymous]

Some company,somewhere here in AMERICA has to be still be producing 1" pitch chains...what about all the machines built in the early 20th century that are STILL RUNNING!!!

 

[slacker]

No, I don't want to outsource any more jobs to China. As I said in my original post, I was under the impression the machinery and production went to China, and therefore China was the best route to reproducing the chain. Tooling cost would immediately destroy any potential profits.

IF the machines still exist in the US, I would be thrilled to see them back in use. So again i ask the question: Where was skip tooth chain last produced?

Should an American manufacturer be able to produce a skip tooth chain, I would be interested in knowing what the minimum order would be. I know it would have a somewhat limited market, but if chains, cogs and sprockets were available, I could see it working.

 

[xddorox]

I've sent an email to Diamond asking them if they still make that chain. It is listed in the non-standard catalog. I don't have any skip tooth chain bike, but I would love to have an ending to this question, good or bad!(Curiosity is eating me away!) Nobody has answered Chainy's question tho, are they any better than what we have now?

 

[slacker]

Nobody has answered Chainy's question tho, are they any better than what we have now?

For me it's more a question of bringing something back, not necessarily making an improvement. But them again, I am a fan of anachronistic technology. Heck, I'd like to see a boutique penny-farthing manufacturer.

So was Diamond the sole manufacturer? Or the only one left in business?

 

[Crassly]

D.I.D. in Japan made skip tooth chain also and I'm sure there were others.

 

[slacker]

D.I.D. in Japan made skip tooth chain also and I'm sure there were others.

Awesome, I figured some one here had that type of information. If you happen to think of any others I'd be grateful.