Author Topic: What have you fettled today? (Read 2212083 times)

phantasmagoriana · « **Reply #10000 on:** 25 January, 2015, 06:34:59 pm »

Switched the shiny silver seatpost on the not-Tifosi for a differently-shiny carbon one. At this rate I won't be riding it any time soon, so I may as well fettle it.

rafletcher · « **Reply #10001 on:** 25 January, 2015, 07:26:11 pm »

Tried twice to "seal" a rim for tubeless use -and failed $:-\$ .

drossall · « **Reply #10002 on:** 25 January, 2015, 10:20:09 pm »

Regreased the graunching bearings in the front wheel of my Dahon folder. Found water ingress, so I don't think the hub is going to last that much longer - there's serious rust across one bearing surface. Replaced some bearings to keep it going for a while.

Then tried to adjust the brakes, and found another broken spoke in the back wheel, so replaced that and trued the wheel.

My wife has remarked on the amount of maintenance that the bike has needed, in six months since I bought it second hand. She may have a point.

TimO · « **Reply #10003 on:** 25 January, 2015, 10:42:42 pm »

I dismantled the chainset on one bike, so I could replace a bent chainring. Since I'm setting it up as an ice and snow bike, I decided to forego the front changer for ease of adjustment.

After fitting studded tyres, I found that I had to remove the rear mudguard, and slightly true the wheel, since there just wasn't quite enough clearance otherwise.

It's all mostly done now, but I still need to spend some time adjusting the brakes and gears.

I also changed the front tyre on the commuter, since some road resurfacing killed it (and an inner tube) after less than 1500 mile. Clearly even with a boot, it wasn't going to last much longer. I'm just happy it lasted like that, for 100 miles or so, before I got around to doing this.

Wobbly John · « **Reply #10004 on:** 25 January, 2015, 11:14:51 pm »

Fettled a model Strandbeest from a kit.

http://youtu.be/mQV-V1i69Lw

T42 · « **Reply #10005 on:** 26 January, 2015, 08:17:22 am »

I cleaned my bike. First time since last August.

davelodwig · « **Reply #10006 on:** 27 January, 2015, 08:49:24 pm »

Quote from: Wobbly John on 25 January, 2015, 11:14:51 pm

Fettled a model Strandbeest from a kit.

http://youtu.be/mQV-V1i69Lw

Thats so awesome.

Wobbly John · « **Reply #10007 on:** 27 January, 2015, 09:26:00 pm »

Purchased from ebay here, if you want one. Might be suitable for the Scouts.

I'd recommend pre-curving the sails and sticking them with airfix cement, rather than the double-sided tape strips that they supply.

You've seen the full sized ones, I assume?

jsabine · « **Reply #10008 on:** 28 January, 2015, 03:24:48 am »

I'm amazed by how cheap those kits are - how complex/involved/tedious is assembly? I have an 8-year-old in mind, but not sure how patient he can be relied on to be.

Wobbly John · « **Reply #10009 on:** 28 January, 2015, 11:41:02 am »

I think the kits are about £20 on Amazon, I just spotted the seller had them as I was buying other stuff from him - and I had always been intrigued as to how Strandbeesten work. The kits from Singapore are not boxed - just packed in zip-loc bags.

The Kit is easier than it looks. There are reasonable, illustrated, instructions in English. If the 8 year-old in question can do an airfix kit, then this requires about the same level of ability.

There are 12 identical legs, comprising of a top & bottom triangle and 2 slot-together linkages. These then assemble in pairs onto 8 clip together A frames with 2 slot-together/snap on linkages to the crankshafts. A couple of retaining parts and 2 gears and the fan, and it's done.

I think there are assembly videos/reviews on youtube if you search for "Strandbeest kit"

davelodwig · « **Reply #10010 on:** 28 January, 2015, 12:04:50 pm »

Quote from: Wobbly John on 27 January, 2015, 09:26:00 pm

Purchased from ebay here, if you want one. Might be suitable for the Scouts.

I'd recommend pre-curving the sails and sticking them with airfix cement, rather than the double-sided tape strips that they supply.

You've seen the full sized ones, I assume?

I've seen the big ones on youtube, I might suggest them to TDM but I'm mostly doing management now can't remember the last time I actually stood in front of a Scout Troop and I must do something about that.

D.

phantasmagoriana · « **Reply #10011 on:** 31 January, 2015, 06:15:48 pm »

Swapped the wheels on the not-Tifosi again, this time for some Shimano R501s (£60 new: I figured that if I'm going to trash wheels, I may as well trash something cheap).

I just need to ride it now.

I've only actually been out on it once this year...

TimO · « **Reply #10012 on:** 01 February, 2015, 10:08:51 pm »

I bodged some bits of milk bottle onto the rack, as a makeshift mudguard, since the actual mudguards wouldn't provide adequate tolerance on the rear.

... of course, the roads appear to be bone dry now, so even though it's forecast to be freezing tomorrow morning, I shouldn't need studs, and the slicks on the commuter will be fine.

Jurek · « **Reply #10013 on:** 02 February, 2015, 11:26:43 am »

I fitted a bell to the fixer.
I don't normally condone the use of bell, I think it's a bit rude - but it does have its use on a blind corner on the tow path I use on my way in to work.
Until this morning, I'd been shouting 'Ding! Ding!' as I approached the corner.
Today I remained silent.
It's not a 'Ting!' one - more of a 'Rrrrr Rrrring!' one.
Says 'Hovis Freewheel, Sept 23 2007' on it

Kim · « **Reply #10014 on:** 02 February, 2015, 01:58:20 pm »

Quote from: Jurek on 02 February, 2015, 11:26:43 am

It's not a 'Ting!' one - more of a 'Rrrrr Rrrring!' one.
Says 'Hovis Freewheel, Sept 23 2007' on it

A fine vintage.

clarion · « **Reply #10015 on:** 03 February, 2015, 08:22:11 am »

Video of Jurek on his commute:

http://youtu.be/xTS7-9RVApE

runsoncake · « **Reply #10016 on:** 05 February, 2015, 05:09:19 pm »

Fitted a Charge Spoon today

Asterix, the former Gaul. · « **Reply #10017 on:** 06 February, 2015, 03:13:25 pm »

Quite deliberately, I demolished someone else's shed today. Smashed it to bits, I did.

Kim · « **Reply #10018 on:** 06 February, 2015, 03:22:13 pm »

Anbaric heaters: 1 Kim: 1

Seriously, there should be some sort of standard for the blinkenlights on these things. We've got two fan heaters, each with a thermostat, heater power selector and neon lamp. On one of them, the neon lights up to indicate the presence of mains power. On the other, it lights up to indicate that it's currently blowing/heating. I've also used an oil-filled radiator recently with the same control arrangement where the neon means "thermostat below set temperature" regardless of the power setting.

Anyway, for the avoidance of doubt, exactly none of these are the correct, useful behaviour. What you want a blinkenlight to do, first and foremost, is tell you whether you've left the heater on (and if it's currently stopped by the thermostat on account of the room being warm, it still counts as on) so you can leave the room with a reasonable assumption that it won't start up and set fire to things or waste electricity.

To that end, I've just re-wired the first one so the light comes on whenever the power level isn't set to 'off'.

I failed at gaining access to the second, for while I was equipped for stupid triangular security screws, I wasn't equipped for them being deeply recessed in a hole too narrow for my bit driver^[1]. Bastards.

_{[1] This is known as "The SE-30 Problem", for reasons that will be readily apparent to anyone familiar with the works of the Not-Yet-Mega-Global Fruit Corporation of Cupertino, USAnia.}

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #10019 on:** 06 February, 2015, 03:41:22 pm »

(Fondly remembers all those "How To Upgrade Your Beige Toaster" articles from 80s Babbage-Mags).

Seems to me that the Mega-Global Fruit Corporation of Cupertino, USAnia haven't made much progress in the "getting into your iThing" stakes in the last twenty-five years.

Andrij · « **Reply #10020 on:** 06 February, 2015, 04:05:44 pm »

Quote from: runsoncake on 05 February, 2015, 05:09:19 pm

Fitted a Charge Spoon today

Saving the Fork and Knife for the weekend?

David Martin · « **Reply #10021 on:** 06 February, 2015, 05:53:37 pm »

Rebeld the brakes on the MTB. Decided that the front mech is EOL and needs replacing as it has seized with no signs of wanting to anti seize.

Broke the front shifter on the winter bike - is Campag Veloce really made of cheese or am I just ham fisted? Same part, same place three times now.

phantasmagoriana · « **Reply #10022 on:** 06 February, 2015, 10:29:14 pm »

Tried to fettle the gears on the not-Tifosi - the rear mech is fouling the spokes in the biggest sprocket. Discovered that the low limit screw is seized and managed to round the head.

Whilst I don't use the big sprocket especially much, I don't trust myself to not shift into it accidentally, so looks like I won't be riding it tomorrow.

Kim · « **Reply #10023 on:** 07 February, 2015, 04:27:42 pm »

Quote from: Kim on 06 February, 2015, 03:22:13 pm

Anbaric heaters: 1 Kim: 1

Anbaric heaters: 0 Kim: 2

Defeated the SE-30 problem with a Mk 1 power drill, re-wired the electrickery, and bodged the lid back on with only a minimum of blood loss and self-tapping screws.

tiermat · « **Reply #10024 on:** 07 February, 2015, 04:32:06 pm »

Stripped down the Olmo as far as I could.

Seat post is still in place due to the binder bolt being rounded off and the BB is still in place due to me lacking the strength or care to remove it today.