Tips n Trix

[SwissGuy]

A lot of creative thinking gives a quick and dirty version of a dimple tool by @twojs.bike

I decided to get creative with what I could find laying around. I used a BMX style stem and a small piece of steel rod to squeeze in the dimples.

I am pleased with the results so far. I may need to make them a little longer and deeper. I also still need to do the seat stays.

I would love to have a dedicated tool for this, but this works.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Thanks @SwissGuy I meant to do that, but it slipped my mind. Great hack

 

[68z27]

Some rulers just aren't the right size. Do you ever need a special length ruler or one that fits in a specific space? Or a ruler you know is going to get damaged, messed up (or whatever) and then gets tossed aside? Upon occasion, I'll have a tape measure that gets bent, creased, weak rewind spring, etc, etc. So I take a pair of scissors and snip off the length needed to accomplish the task at hand.

 

[SwissGuy]

Make small bottles of lube out of 2 ml dropper bottles!

Idea found here:
https://theradavist.com/bike-hacks-mini-chain-lube-bottles/

 

[68z27]

I like it @SwissGuy . The other thing I have used in the past for that "drop or two" applications is old leftover syringes....

 

[Otto (Spelled Backwards)]

I like it @SwissGuy . The other thing I have used in the past for that "drop or two" applications is old leftover syringes....

I've used empty Visine bottles for the same...also I have one with soapy water to remove grips

 

[musclebikemadman]

I've used empty Visine bottles for the same...also I have one with soapy water to remove grips

Well that seems foolish just use a set of pliers like this guy


https://www.ebay.com/itm/1968831580...d=link&campid=5335809022&toolid=20001&mkevt=1

 

[SwissGuy]

Well that seems foolish just use a set of pliers like this guy


https://www.ebay.com/itm/1968831580...d=link&campid=5335809022&toolid=20001&mkevt=1

"Well worn"

 

[us56456712]

Straighten a bent crank. This crank was from about 1900. A replacement couldn’t be sourced so I straightened it. I ended out using U clamps to hold the crank arm to my steel lever as my original hose clamps weren’t strong enough.

This is the frame I used to hold the 1900 crank. I took a measurement to see how far from the frame the bent crank had to be.

Lag bolt to hold the frame to the 4x4. The crank arm is touching the frame.

Lift the bar to bend the crank arm back.

The crank arm is now bent straight away from the frame.

 

[horsefarmer]

"outback engineering" at it's finest!

 

[us56456712]

"outback engineering" at it's finest!

Toyota vice was key.

 

[SwissGuy]

 

[us56456712]

@RustySprockets shared those sweet barbed wire fence pliers he uses on spokes, would those work for cables too? Anyone else care to share what they use for cutting through cables and stuff? I'm hacking the heck out of them when I strip a bike down, would like something cleaner for finish work.

Angle grinder cut off wheel. Goes through all the spokes on a wheel in seconds.

I hear cursing about Cotter cranks well here's how I do it View attachment 185864
Back bolt off View attachment 185865
Ball joint splitter View attachment 185866
Place on Cotter pins hold straight with vice grips crank bolt till you here pop View attachment 185867
Cotter pin out. To put Cotter pin back on reverse bal

Sometimes even this doesn’t get the cotters out. It’s a professional grade vintage Var cotter inserted and remover.

If this doesn’t work I carefully drill out the center of the cotter and for some reason they then come out easy.

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."

Some Brodie tricks from his website. This homemade tool is more accurate than the string method. If you don’t have a welder and a bunch of scrap steel, make it out of wood. This is how Brodie checks his frames, he thinks it’s more accurate than an alignment table.

He also uses a homemade tool to check the drops to make sure they’re aligned. Mine was made out of a piece of scrap threaded rod for one side and an old hub axle for the other.
Before bending it back. This bike had been heavily crashed, bent frame, bent crank arm, crushed pedal and the drop ends weren’t parallel.

Now it’s aligned. Just grab the axle and threaded rod ends and supply enough force to get them straight.