Author Topic: What have you fettled today? (Read 2187776 times)

Tim Hall · « **Reply #7700 on:** 18 May, 2013, 12:01:11 pm »

The lid of our Brabantia kitchen bin. A couple of weeks ago the bit with the wee spigot that engages in the catch snapped off and was lost forever. If I had the proof of purchase I could have got a new lid assembly under their 10 year guarantee, but couldn't find it. New lid assembly is 25 euro.

Last night in a moment of idleness and inspiration I hatched a plan, which has just been completed. Drilled and bent a suitable bit of meccano to form a right angled bracket. Found a countersunk bolt (spare cleat bolt). Drilled suitable hole on the lid flange and bolted bracket to lid flange. Made new spigot from Polymorph and squidged it into a hole in the meccano, rather like a rivet. It works. Hah! And hah! again. Lid goes up. Lid goes down.

Vince · « **Reply #7701 on:** 18 May, 2013, 12:53:09 pm »

Meccano Abuse!

Arch · « **Reply #7702 on:** 18 May, 2013, 04:21:14 pm »

I've been doing tiling for the first time. Done about 35 tiles. We've stopped for a cuppa downstairs, and I haven't heard a crash of them all coming off the wall yet.

The next row gets exciting - alternate colours!

<starts book on likelihood of forgetting to alternate after four tiles....>

Jurek · « **Reply #7703 on:** 18 May, 2013, 05:52:05 pm »

8mm of closed cell Plastazote padding under the (new) bar tape on the fixer.

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #7704 on:** 18 May, 2013, 06:05:13 pm »

Disc Trucker build redux:
Removed wheels and fitted tyres. Then Pingu installed another inner after one of the valves came away from the tube when he touched it. Refitted wheels.
Found a spare seatpost and saddle in shed. Removed saddle from dead commuter and put it on found post. Then discovered spare seatpost was too big.
Grumbled.
Went back to shed and extracted old seatpost from dead commuter. Swapped saddle back again with further grumbling. Installed post to same depth in frame.
Had a bit of a moment when I realised I couldn't get on the bike and wondered if I'd ordered too big a frame. Shoved seatpost 95% of way into frame and breathed a bit easier.
Installed cables and set up gears.
Watched Pingu on attempt #2 to set up rear BB7.
Discovered that Avid's instructions are a load of old cheese whizz and that doing it in reverse order and then setting the caliper pads by ear is by far the most sensible option. What's the likelihood of me remembering that for next time?
Made some modifications to the cockpit.
Fitted bar grips. Had a cup of tea, Earl Grey, hot.

To do -
Put pedals on. Test ride when it's not raining felines and canines. Take mudguards and rack off old commuter and refit.

Kim · « **Reply #7705 on:** 18 May, 2013, 06:17:18 pm »

Quote from: Tim Hall on 18 May, 2013, 12:01:11 pm

The lid of our Brabantia kitchen bin.

The lid of our kitchen bin is also attached with bicycle bolts.

Kim · « **Reply #7706 on:** 18 May, 2013, 06:23:22 pm »

Quote from: Mrs Pingu on 18 May, 2013, 06:05:13 pm

Watched Pingu on attempt #2 to set up rear BB7.
Discovered that Avid's instructions are a load of old cheese whizz and that doing it in reverse order and then setting the caliper pads by ear is by far the most sensible option. What's the likelihood of me remembering that for next time?

That's a reasonably fair assessment, with the disclaimer that attempting to set up new disc brakes so that they are totally rubbing-noise-free is a recipe for insanity and/or crap braking. Better to find the point where they feel right without impeding the rotation of the wheel too much, and come back to them after a decent thrash around to bed them in.

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #7707 on:** 18 May, 2013, 07:06:06 pm »

Yes, that is true, but we did need to get them to stop rubbing enough so that we could hear what was going on in the gears/chain department

Wowbagger · « **Reply #7708 on:** 18 May, 2013, 07:06:21 pm »

I found the 10mm allen key and removed the old cranks & BB, replacing them with the new-fangled external sort. My test ride was to the LBS to buy some cables as I noticed when getting ready for last night's ride that my rear brake outer cable has broken. I shall replace all the cables, which will be the first time they have been changed since buying the bike 27000 miles ago.

CAMRAMan · « **Reply #7709 on:** 18 May, 2013, 07:34:00 pm »

I did a minor rewire of the B&M Cyo cables, dynohub end, and washed the Orbit. I think it's the first proper wash it's ever had, not counting a pressure washer rinse or two. It's a lacquered aluminium frame and buffs up quite well.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #7710 on:** 19 May, 2013, 11:39:33 am »

When I tried to replace the cables I found that the noodles also needed replacing. This morning I went out to the other LBS (the one that opens on Sundays) to buy some noodles. My bike now has very nice brakes which stop as efficently as they did before, but whose levers snap back into place with a reassuring snap. There will be a pootle later.

Deano · « **Reply #7711 on:** 19 May, 2013, 11:58:21 am »

Indexed some gears. I'm horribly out of practice at this job.

Polar Bear · « **Reply #7712 on:** 19 May, 2013, 12:10:12 pm »

My grumpiness with coffee and cake.

Now I need to fettle the cause of the grumpiness - the bearings in my Crank Bros ti Candy pedals have just let go without so much as a prior warning. Bastards.

I've had the service kit in my spares box for a good few years in anticipation but our planned ride is scuppered due mainly to the consequences of involuntary fleet reduction last November.

Tim Hall · « **Reply #7713 on:** 19 May, 2013, 01:41:25 pm »

Fettled a friend's lawn. This required the use both her lawnmowers.

Later I shall be getting a new connector thingy and wiring it on to the now shorter Flymo mains cable.

These two events may be connected.

Jurek · « **Reply #7714 on:** 19 May, 2013, 03:18:34 pm »

Mowed the lawn.
Went to the garden centre and bought a yard broom.
Swept the errr...... yard.
Thanks to the myriad of advice elsewhere on here, managed to reduce a 6 metre conifer to around 1m³ (bagable). Now I've just got to figure out how to get rid.
Given that I didn't get my head down until something like 03:00 after far too much Veuve, I think that's me mostly fubar'd for the rest of the day.

Polar Bear · « **Reply #7715 on:** 19 May, 2013, 03:36:52 pm »

Pedals now fettled.

The bearings, one tiny cartridge type sitting at the outward end are nearly as good as new. The issue is nylon bushings at the inboard end. Must see if these can be bought separately. $:-\$

Clare · « **Reply #7716 on:** 19 May, 2013, 03:42:59 pm »

Quote from: Jurek on 19 May, 2013, 03:18:34 pm

...managed to reduce a 6 metre conifer to around 1m³ (bagable). Now I've just got to figure out how to get rid.

Being rather resinous, conifers burn really, really well

Jurek · « **Reply #7717 on:** 19 May, 2013, 04:10:23 pm »

Quote from: Clare on 19 May, 2013, 03:42:59 pm

Quote from: Jurek on 19 May, 2013, 03:18:34 pm
...managed to reduce a 6 metre conifer to around 1m³ (bagable). Now I've just got to figure out how to get rid.

Being rather resinous, conifers burn really, really well

Fankoo!
Someone's already made that suggestion - but I don't really have anywhere for a bonfire of that size without sacrificing either my fence, my shed or my home. S'all a lil' bit close.
I think I did well to get the thing down on my own without suffering damage to life, limb or property - don't want to use up all of today's close shave/DETH cards - the day's not over, yet

mcshroom · « **Reply #7718 on:** 19 May, 2013, 05:26:53 pm »

Yesterday - replaced the rear tyre on the Audax bike somewhere just north of Lincoln after the tyre side wall failed.

Quite happy that after umming* and ahhing about it I did shove the spare in my rack bag.

*One of chrome's suggested corrections for this word is 'bumming'

CAMRAMan · « **Reply #7719 on:** 19 May, 2013, 08:07:23 pm »

Quote from: Jurek on 19 May, 2013, 04:10:23 pm

Quote from: Clare on 19 May, 2013, 03:42:59 pm
Quote from: Jurek on 19 May, 2013, 03:18:34 pm
...managed to reduce a 6 metre conifer to around 1m³ (bagable). Now I've just got to figure out how to get rid.

Being rather resinous, conifers burn really, really well
Fankoo!
Someone's already made that suggestion - but I don't really have anywhere for a bonfire of that size without sacrificing either my fence, my shed or my home. S'all a lil' bit close.
I think I did well to get the thing down on my own without suffering damage to life, limb or property - don't want to use up all of today's close shave/DETH cards - the day's not over, yet

Our council offer a woodchipping service for £20. You get to keep the chippings whether you want them or not, but a Freecycle ad soon gets rid of them. Maybe your council has summat similar?

My fettling was to make rather a pig's ear of plumbing in a water butt.

Top tip: using tools from a 99p shop gets the results you would expect!

Deano · « **Reply #7720 on:** 19 May, 2013, 08:11:31 pm »

Lots of cleaning of drivetrains. The Dave Yates was particularly manky, entirely my own fault for not having touched it since the Easter Arrow, and having left it in the slightly damp utility room.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #7721 on:** 20 May, 2013, 09:21:42 pm »

I reassembled the ASC internal unit and it all spins very smoothly and freely. I can't do any more until I get a suitable shell (I could just use a skanky 70s AW shell but I'd rather have an alloy one). This weekend I shall be using my f-i-l's grinder to modify an old 4-speed trigger into an ASC trigger, with its special cable pull.

I suppose I could do the Dunwich Dynamo on it, if I get as far as building it into a wheel. Internally it looks pretty unworn, just very polished on the bearing surfaces. For general knocking around I can fit a sprocket to give 70" (direct drive), 63" (tired) and 52.5" (hill) gears.

Because the axle is so short, it can only go in the 50s clubman, which has flimsy 4mm plate dropouts and 120mm spacing. Any thicker and there isn't enough room to thread on the axle nuts securely, even when I cheat by spacing the hub to 118mm rather than 120mm. One day I'll get hold of another old frame and space it to 110mm, which is what these hubs were really meant for.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #7722 on:** 20 May, 2013, 09:41:16 pm »

Myself, at my pilates class.

phantasmagoriana · « **Reply #7723 on:** 20 May, 2013, 10:53:24 pm »

Fitted two new Durano Pluses to the fixed.

Pedaldog. · « **Reply #7724 on:** 21 May, 2013, 12:39:11 am »

Finally, after three years of them being lost in TEH GARRIDGE, found the bayonet fitting removable pedals I bought and have fitted them to the Dahon. Bodged up a couple of ZIp tie mounted front mudguard stay mounts on the suspension forks of the Scott ATB.