Pre-School Chopper

[handyandy1100]

Thanks Carl. I'll give the bender another shot in a few days.

I have been wondering if the modern forks have better steel or maybe the tubing has thicker sidewalls?

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[MattiThundrrr]

Nice Sox, Carl!​

 

[GuitarlCarl]

Thanks Carl. I'll give the bender another shot in a few days.

I have been wondering if the modern forks have better steel or maybe the tubing has thicker sidewalls?

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Does the fork's tubing fit into the bender? If you have bigger tubing than your bender it won't work right. There's different size benders for different size tubing 1/2" and 3/4" being the most common.

 

[handyandy1100]

Does the fork's tubing fit into the bender?

Yes, especially down towards the dropouts. I am trying to bend further down than you showed in your awesome photos.

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[GuitarlCarl]

They don't bend right if they're not "in the bender" and if the fork profile starts to oval like the top half of the green forks I bent, it's pretty tough to get a perfect bend there too. I'm guessing you need a 3/4" bender. That's about the biggest hand bender. A little pricey for a one time bend but cheaper than hydraulic... I have both because I also do electrical work. Got any sparky friends?

Carl.

 

[handyandy1100]

I'll check it again when I get home from work this afternoon. I noticed your foot on the tail end of the bender. I will try doing it that way.

Really don't want to "fork" over $50 for the bigger bender.

Thinking of making some rockers and struts that attach to brake mounts to move the wheel forward if bending doesn't work.

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[OddJob]

Somebody a few years back used their receiver hitch on their truck and a couple other household objects to bend forks.

I think it was an MBBO too. Maybe #4 or #5.

 

[handyandy1100]

Well. I don't think bending these forks is going to happen!

Fork legs are really too big for the 1/2" bender. I done broke the second one trying to bend these forks.

Now to find out if Home Depot will take back another one, no questions asked. Almost afraid to see if they will take it back and let me upgrade to the 3/4" one.
And the bigger question, will it break too?

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[handyandy1100]

Well, I done did it. I took the second busted 1/2 bender back to HD. Decided I had gone this far might as well ask if I could exchange it for the next size up. Seemed cheaper to think of getting the 3/4" for only $11! Lady at the returns counter didn't have a problem with the exchange.

Now if this one breaks, I'm gonna have one horrendous war hammer to reak havoc on pumpkins, and maybe these little squirt bikes!!! LOL

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[Psychographic]

I've got my fingers crossed for you, good luck.

 

[handyandy1100]

Should have gone to Walmart in the first place. Could have gotten a bike with a pre-bent fork! Ha ha ha

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[Brian macumber]

How are they going to put it out like that

 

[GuitarlCarl]

How are they going to put it out like that

The kid in the back putting them together (with no grease) [emoji88]
probably doesn't know the difference...

Merle.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

They're shipped with the forks installed. Poor kid probably pushed to meet numbers, with no concern for quality. That and earning minimum wage in order to increase the wealth of the richest family in North America. You definitely are getting what you pay for at the MegaloMart

 

[handyandy1100]

Yeah, that fork came like that from the factory. Not sure who put this one together. They used to have an old guy came in to do the assembly that knew his way around a bike. He may only come in for the mass build they do in prep for Christmas.

Funny thing is, there is another of the same model sitting right beside this one, but I think if you're not bike-centric you probably wouldn't notice it.

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[Dr. Tankenstein]

The bad thing is, somebody’s kid is probably riding that bike right now, not knowing that it could/will collapse on the next hard bump


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[handyandy1100]

Tried out the new bender this evening after work. Took some doing, but I got both legs of the fork bent to approximately the same amount. Looks to be just about an inch of bend, maybe a little under. Shoot, who uses a ruler when you're building a mouse rod! LOL

I got the ends fairly even, made a visible change in the fork, and DIDN'T break the darn tool! Or the fork! Or any bones! LOL

Before and after pictures. Can you see the difference?

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[Psychographic]

Glad to see the 3rd time was a charm! The bike is looking good.

 

[Brian macumber]

I can tell brings the front down a little

 

[RustyGold]

Poor kid probably pushed to meet numbers, with no concern for quality. That and earning minimum wage in order to increase the wealth of the richest family in North America. You definitely are getting what you pay for at the MegaloMart

When I was starting out in the job market back in HS, I made $3.35/hr...or, as I thought of it then...a bit over three gallons of gas. A choker-setter (entry level logging job...no education required (or desired)), started at around 4-5x minimum wage. A machinist made around 5x minimum wage.

Now...minimum wage will buy you around four gallons of gas (depending on where you live)...and I, with two degrees and working as a machinist make ~1.5x minimum wage. My eldest daughter with no degrees makes more than I as an account manager at a print shop (no education required)...my youngest daughter and wife are both nurses, so they make ~4x minimum wage.

I have no sympathy for the 'poor kid' making minimum wage...especially since finding one that actually will do their job is a rarity (a dozen or more have came through this shop since I started here...only one has had the work ethic to stick around (and he is actually very good...he gets paid about 1.25x minimum wage as a non-degree machinist ).

Feeling...ranty,
Jason