What have you fettled today?

[Dave_C]

Distracted buy another job the Dawes can wait for completion.

A couple of months ago I bought a mitre saw and a hand saw, but I have wanted a table saw for years. The price for a good solid one is prohibitive. I recently saw a guy on YouTube build one from plywood. So I took notes and when Beatson's the builders merchants opened, ordered some timber. I'm quite happy with today's result.
I still need to build a fence and buy some Aluminium U bar from B&Q to recess for a sliding cutting tray, but it is good enough to get started now
An old Aldi routing table gave me cut off switch and I'll integrate the router into this table once the fences are complete.

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[LittleWheelsandBig]

Replaced the cut 700x25C rear tyre on my Frezoni with a 28C and tweaked the mudguard to provide sufficient clearance. This resulted in forming a small oval hole in the mudguard to allow the cable fixing bolt to occupy the same space when big ringing it. Tweaked the front mech to improve shifting into the granny ring. Tweaked the RH bar end shifter to improve shifting into the bottom cog. Dropped the saddle a millimetre to partially compensate for shoes with thinner soles. Reloaded the tool bottle with another tube. Cut off the mould spurs off the new tyre.

[robgul]

Distracted buy another job the Dawes can wait for completion.

A couple of months ago I bought a mitre saw and a hand saw, but I have wanted a table saw for years. The price for a good solid one is prohibitive. I recently saw a guy on YouTube build one from plywood. So I took notes and when Beatson's the builders merchants opened, ordered some timber. I'm quite happy with today's result.
I still need to build a fence and buy some Aluminium U bar from B&Q to recess for a sliding cutting tray, but it is good enough to get started now
An old Aldi routing table gave me cut off switch and I'll integrate the router into this table once the fences are complete.

Sent from my HD1913 using Tapatalk

I'd buy some proper T-track rather than U-profile it'll be more accurate and has other uses too - e.g. clamping stuff down to the bench.  Have a look at Axminster Tools - not expensive.   

I've just let 2 T-tracks into my main bench and also used a couple in a home-brewed router table for the fence and clamping featherboards against the work - there are several ideas for home-made T-track clamps on YouTube.

I assume you're going to make some sort of guard for the blade - and does the saw have a riving knife?   All a good idea for safety and the retention of fingers

Rob

[Dave_C]

Hi Rob,

Yes the next thing is a fence and a cutting sled. I have just been looking at riving knives and guards. I need to figure out how to mound one. The hand saw does come with a retracting guard but it occurs to me the guard is moved back out of the way when I slide timber over the blade.

I also want to cut out around the blade so that I can place dedicated inserts for 90 degrees, <45 degree cuts and also to blank off the blade altogether. I'll route out a recess to bolt the plates to.

I need to have a good look at riving life and guard next, as there are a few from China and a few from UK suppliers, which I prefer to buy from as they will arrive sooner and be easier to deal with if I have to call them.

Thanks for the tips, I didn't realise you could get T strips. One DIY videos took a length of box section and cut his own T bar, but it will be easier to just buy what I need.

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[Wobbly John]

I was only thinking today about getting rid of one of my (two) circular saw benches... 

I'll probably keep the one that I intercepted on it's way to the skip at work. 

[Deano]

That's top work, Dave.

I've been fettling up my Pomp to flog (and some other bits), re-taping the rear wheel on my Surly and giving the tyre a good clean to be re-fitted tubelessly tomorrow, and swapped the rear wheel on my road bike. Oh, and I cleaned some of the crud out of the USB-C port on my phone so it actually works now.

As you can probably guess, the weather's been shit here in Darlo.

[Kim]

Dangled the bi flag for a Pride-themed zoom quiz this evening...

[Dave_C]

Here is the (nearly) finished Dawes. It is a mid 2000s Galaxy with Reynolds 631 tubes. It was looking tatty so I took it to Henderson's in Edinburgh and they had the same metallic green in stock.
It started out with black components but I have bought chrome/shiney components to replace the seat post, quill stem, bottle cages, rack and bars. New Giles Berthoud mudguards, and a nearly new Stronglight crank. Only the rims and rear mech are black. I have a brown B17 I'm going to put back on it and Brooks brown leather bar tape, once I am happy with the final STI lever placement. The front wheel is temporary but it will do until I put the dynamo back on later in the year.

Dave C

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[quixoticgeek]

About 10 years ago, I had to design in a Li-Ion charging IC. I chose one that was 3 mm square, 16 pads on 0.5 mm centres around the edges, and a thermal pad underneath (L6924 for anyone playing along at home). It's completely impossible to use without a dedicated PCB, and needs a hot air gun to unsolder.

Why did I chose on so small?

It was about the largest one that I could find that was readily available.

Vero board is completely redundant for stuff like that.

The L6924 has now been joined by a tilt sensor, also 3 mm square. Again, larger ones just don't exist.

Yup, the race for increasingly tiny packages is rather annoying. I'm waiting for a PCB for a new circuit with a LDO regulator that is 1mm x 1mm, with 4 pin on each corner, and a pad in the middle. I'm hoping I can solder it with hot air, assuming I don't either drop it, or blow it away...

J

[robgul]

Hi Rob,

Yes the next thing is a fence and a cutting sled. I have just been looking at riving knives and guards. I need to figure out how to mound one. The hand saw does come with a retracting guard but it occurs to me the guard is moved back out of the way when I slide timber over the blade.

I also want to cut out around the blade so that I can place dedicated inserts for 90 degrees, <45 degree cuts and also to blank off the blade altogether. I'll route out a recess to bolt the plates to.

I need to have a good look at riving life and guard next, as there are a few from China and a few from UK suppliers, which I prefer to buy from as they will arrive sooner and be easier to deal with if I have to call them.

Thanks for the tips, I didn't realise you could get T strips. One DIY videos took a length of box section and cut his own T bar, but it will be easier to just buy what I need.

Sent from my HD1913 using Tapatalk

This shows the T-track with a couple of clamps holding down the guide that aligns with my mitre-saw (the cutting bed is at the same level as the benches either side) - the far bench is a home-made MFT - the planer/thicknesser and table saw are both on trucks under the MFT and just need to be pulled out to use.   Note the white pipes running along just under the cupboards - the dust-extraction with connections for each machine . . . in the pic just connected to a Henry under the bandsaw at the far end but I now have a cyclone and collecting box between the pipes and the Henry.

Still work to be done in configuring the workshop -  it's a bit compact being just a single garage and having another bench, workstand and all the cycle tools on the other side.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Replaced the 11sp 11-34t chain and cassette on HK’s Kinesis. Ditto 8sp 13-26t on my Frezoni. Swapped the saddles between HK’s Kinesis and MTB commuter.

[citoyen]

Now my son is really getting into cycling and going off on longer rides, I thought he should learn some maintenance skills, so this morning I taught him how to change a tyre without tools.

Didn’t quite get it at first but once he did, the grin on his face was priceless.

Also talked him through fitting new brake pads and adjusting the alignment (canti brakes).

[Kim]

how to change a tyre without tools.

 

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Pick the right tyres, rims and wheel fixings (and technique) and it is a doddle. When I was a bike shop mechanic, there regularly would be months without the need to pick up a tyre lever but that was before tubeless existed.

[Kim]

Pick the right tyres, rims and wheel fixings (and technique) and it is a doddle.

Well yes, but that doesn't help when you've got the wrong tyres rims and wheel fixings.  I think I can do my MTB tyres with little more than harsh language.

Bet you still need a pump, thobut.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Picking the right tyres can compensate for a lot of other deficiencies, such as the wrong rims.

Schrader valves and a service station supply can compensate for lack of a bike pump but this is, of course, nitpicking.

[citoyen]

Bet you still need a pump, thobut.

True. I suppose I should be more precise and say that what I taught him was the technique for removing a clincher tyre from a rim without using tyre levers.

I’ll save the lesson on fettling tubeless tyres for another day.

[Kim]

I suppose I should be more precise and say that what I taught him was the technique for removing a clincher tyre from a rim without using tyre levers.

So what's the technique, as there's evidently middle ground between it pretty much coming off automatically when the tyre's deflated and needing tyre levers that I appear to be unaware of?

[Tim Hall]

Pick the right tyres, rims and wheel fixings (and technique) and it is a doddle.

Well yes, but that doesn't help when you've got the wrong tyres rims and wheel fixings.  I think I can do my MTB tyres with little more than harsh language.

Bet you still need a pump, thobut.

You could get all Lauren Bacall on its ass and just put your lips together and blow

[Tim Hall]

Anyway, to today's fettles, one (hopefully) successful, one unsuccessful. The successful one following the unsuccessful one.

I rode from Sarf Lunnon to Brighton with two socially distant chums. As we approached the foothills of Farthing Down I spied a stationary cyclist by the side of the road so stopped to ask if everything was OK. His chain had broken, so it wasn't and he had no tools so it even more wasn't. His riding partner rocked up and she too was tool-less. I explained what he needed was a Box of Doom and produced one from my bar bag. In it was a chain tool, a selection of short bits of chain and a selection of quick links. Having counted his sprockets (seven) I found an eight speed quick link. Punched out the broken link (a side plate had parted company with its rivet in a bent and interesting way) and fitted the quick link. It was a little hard to get the pins seated but a stamp on the pedals produced the relevant click and all seemed well. It passed the "hold the wheel in the air and twiddle the pedals test." The riders were both very grateful and he offered to drop some money in a charity box.  He got on a pedaled, only for the quick link to part company. Arse. I guess it wasn't in quite properly. It was a KMC chain. Are they the ones that do two very slightly different width 8 speed chains?

Anyway, out with the Box of Doom again, punch out half a link and rivet in a complete link from my collection. Check for stiff links, check for going roundability and all was well. They kindly offered to wait until we'd gone before they set off. I suspect they were worried my fix was as reliable as the first.

[hatler]

Every cyclist needs a T Hall esq. as back up.

[Tim Hall]

Every cyclist needs a T Hall esq. as back up.

Every cyclist to Brighton needs the hatler coffeee service at the foot of Ditchling Beacon. We pulled in at The Greenhouses for a breather. "Ah" said my chum the Czeating Czech "this where that bloke with the flasks gives out coffee."

Sadly not today.

In a spirit of Doing Things Properly I tried to get the speed camera on the run in to Brighton to trigger, but I don't think I managed it. V_max was 58.5kmh^-1, which while approaching R₁₇ wasn't fast enough or I didn't have sufficient RCS. I fear my chums, both riding plastic and soot bikes, wouldn't have helped in that regard.

[citoyen]

I suppose I should be more precise and say that what I taught him was the technique for removing a clincher tyre from a rim without using tyre levers.

So what's the technique, as there's evidently middle ground between it pretty much coming off automatically when the tyre's deflated and needing tyre levers that I appear to be unaware of?

Basically, work round the tyre pushing the bead into the well of the rim until you have enough give to roll a section of the tyre over the rim. (Obviously depends on hand function to a large extent, but it’s more about technique than strength.)

The problem with some tubeless combinations, as I discovered recently (see elsewhere), is getting the tyre bead into the rim well in the first place.

[hatler]

Every cyclist needs a T Hall esq. as back up.

Every cyclist to Brighton needs the hatler coffeee service at the foot of Ditchling Beacon. We pulled in at The Greenhouses for a breather. "Ah" said my chum the Czeating Czech "this where that bloke with the flasks gives out coffee."

Sadly not today.

In a spirit of Doing Things Properly I tried to get the speed camera on the run in to Brighton to trigger, but I don't think I managed it. V_max was 58.5kmh^-1, which while approaching R₁₇ wasn't fast enough or I didn't have sufficient RCS. I fear my chums, both riding plastic and soot bikes, wouldn't have helped in that regard.

That's only about 36mph. The one time I have got it to flash we were doing 46.

[Jurek]

Every cyclist needs a T Hall esq. as back up.

Every cyclist to Brighton needs the hatler coffeee service at the foot of Ditchling Beacon. We pulled in at The Greenhouses for a breather. "Ah" said my chum the Czeating Czech "this where that bloke with the flasks gives out coffee."

Sadly not today.

In a spirit of Doing Things Properly I tried to get the speed camera on the run in to Brighton to trigger, but I don't think I managed it. V_max was 58.5kmh^-1, which while approaching R₁₇ wasn't fast enough or I didn't have sufficient RCS. I fear my chums, both riding plastic and soot bikes, wouldn't have helped in that regard.

That's only about 36mph. The one time I have got it to flash we were doing 46.

I've tried it and failed at 39mph.
Little known fact: according to my (not used it years) speedo, that's the fastest speed I've ever achieved on a bike.