What have you fettled today?

[JonBuoy]

I have used the strapping tape through the door seal technique on a couple of occasions.  One time was at work when a couple of overseas customers locked themselves out of their hire car and had a plane to catch.  Not sure what they thought of our 'resourcefulness' or why the powers that be thought I might be able to help 

[mcshroom]

One from yesterday, but I replaced the kitchen mixer tap which has refused to stop dripping for months, and finally had the hot size seize up so I couldn't replace the valve.

It would have been a much shorter and easier job if: -
a) the previous tap tails hadn't been soldered onto the pipework without isolation valves
b) the drainage system for the sink, washing machine and dishwasher didn't resemble an overdesigned motorway junction
c) I hadn't dropped my pipe cutter somewhere inaccessible half way through the job 
d) I could work out how to cut a copper pipe square with a hack saw at the back of a cupboard

The system now has flexible tails and isolation valves, and a new section of  copper pipe that I probably would have been able to do without if I could cut straight.

It looks a bit scruffy under there now, but that feeling of being able to turn the tap off and not hear a constant "drip, drip, drip" far outweighs that 

[pumpkin]

New cog on the fixed and shortened the chain by 1 link

[mrcharly-YHT]

Over the weekend we:
Removed old kitchen cupboards, dismantled and took them to tip.
Sawed thick worktop into two bits; 1m and 2m long (that was a bastard to lift down in one piece)
Stripped and painted the wall.
Relocated gas fitting for stove.
Fastened 2 sets of shelving to wall - I made up some brackets.
Built up a stainless table.
Replaced heating external stopcock, draining system then refilling and bleeding rads (still not got air out though).
Toddler-proofed the smallest bedroom.

[Kim]

Certain Fnords with a primitive central locking system could, it is said, be opened by putting a cut-in-half tennis ball over the lock and giving it a healthy thump.

That is true - I've seen it done - in about 1982/3 - also at that time Fords seemed prone to keys/locks wearing quite quickly meaning a key might open several cars - in 1983 I came home from work in the boss's car (Ford Cortina GXL) for some reason I can't recall - my (then) wife took it to her AmDram rehearsal and parked it in the village car park - she came home in a Ford Granada . .  having not noticed, in the dark, the difference in the cars (they were both the same colour) . . . a phone call to the Police station and i drove back to the car park to give the Granada back to the owner!

. .  and who remembers when car keys had a number stamped on them, as did the ignition lock with the corresponding number? -  and garages had racks of numbered keys for sale.

On the occassion of his wedding, mumblty years ago, I unlocked my grate frend Penfold's Ford Fiesta using the key of my Mini.  The ignition key.

Postman Piers's kevved-up Nova shared a key with my Corsa.  We filed this factoid away for times of need, and fitted aftermarket immobilisers.  (To be fair, he'd already done that as part of the kevving-up procedure, having discovered how to hotwire it without any tools by [REDACTED - Ed])

When times of need eventually arose, it wasn't lack of a key that was the problem, so much as lack of anywhere to put it.  He'd removed the external keyholes and replaced them with armour-plating around the lock mechanism, cunningly providing a hidden keyswitch for operating the central locking in case of keyfob failure.  And then left the lights on.

I think the AA man was somehow able to burgle his way into the bonnet from below and connect a source of voles.

[rogerzilla]

They've had several deep immersions in the floods recently, so I repacked and flushed the ancient M737 SPDs using the time-honoured method of filling the body 1/3 full of grease and screwing the bearing assembly back in.

I can't recommend this grease highly enough.  It is an absolute bugger to wash off your hands, but it really works - the M737s never had lip seals so the grease fill is the only thing keeping 8 inches of floodwater out of the innards.   Designed for wheel bearings in boat trailers.

https://www.force4.co.uk/item/Ramonol/Universal-Grease-150g-Tube/GMO

[T42]

When I ran out of 50ps for the gas meter in my bedshit, I used to.open the padlock with a key that just happened to fit and replace them with pound coins or fivers.

Crikey: in my young day, "here's a shilling, go and gas yourself" still meant something.  Inflation, decimalization and North Sea Gas impoverished our cultural heritage.

[Kim]

When I ran out of 50ps for the gas meter in my bedshit, I used to.open the padlock with a key that just happened to fit and replace them with pound coins or fivers.

Crikey: in my young day, "here's a shilling, go and gas yourself" still meant something.  Inflation, decimalization and North Sea Gas impoverished our cultural heritage.

Yeah.  These days it would be 30p for a cartridge of nitrous oxide.  Which is arguably better value than the stuff you get from the meter...

[T42]

When I ran out of 50ps for the gas meter in my bedshit, I used to.open the padlock with a key that just happened to fit and replace them with pound coins or fivers.

Crikey: in my young day, "here's a shilling, go and gas yourself" still meant something.  Inflation, decimalization and North Sea Gas impoverished our cultural heritage.

Yeah.  These days it would be 30p for a cartridge of nitrous oxide.  Which is arguably better value than the stuff you get from the meter...

Not nearly terminal enough, though.

[BrianI]

Nothing much, just fettled a new button for the thermostatic shower temperature control dial, seeing as the old one had cracked, meaning the it didn't work properly!

Half hour or so in Blender, then half an hour or so on the 3D printer, and job done! At least this has saved a bit of money, due to spare part such as this not really readily available, apart from buying an entirely new thermostatic shower!

I did give it a bit of a sand to remove the 3d print layer lines, but looks not too bad.

IMG_20230406_115821 by Brian Innes, on Flickr

IMG_20230406_120355 by Brian Innes, on Flickr

IMG_20230406_120402 by Brian Innes, on Flickr

[Mr Larrington]

Stuck some small hooks, such as one might dangle tea towels from, to various surfaces of the Fast-Appreciating Future Classic, that I might route the TwatNav's power lead away from gear levers, handbrakes, ect and, moreover, etc.

[Mrs Pingu]

I always found the 'cup' that came in one of the cupholders handy for squishing twat nav cables between.

[rogerzilla]

Rather too much.

Changed the serpentine belt on the MX-5.
Changed the wheels on the CX-5, washed the winter ones and put them away.
Washed the MX-5.
Took the fork of the Moulton apart and put a genuine bush back in to replace the crappy Moulton Preservation one.
Test rode the Moulton, which is now smooth and silent.

[BrianI]

Now reprinting my knobs in grey PLA+, at a finer layer height! (0.12mm, rather than 0.2mm)

[T42]

Sussed out & set up a VDO counter for a chum.  Perverse article it was too.  I had one in 2014 that refused to add any more km after 4000-odd. Sent it back - http://sport-components.de/ - to get it fixed under guarantee but the crafty buggers had never sent me an invoice and I never saw it again.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Hacking and filing a hunk of Nylon to create the missing seatpost clamp components for the ancient borrowed Birdy Blue. It looks like Cinderella will go to the ball/ multimodal camping weekend.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Replaced the battery in one of HK’s powermeter pedals and fitted a shim to one of HK’s SPD shoes. Discovered that the Powertap 1 pedals need new bearings and aren’t easily consumer-serviced. A factory bearing service will be not far short of £200.

[thing1]

Installed aerobars on single bike for first time ever. I've done many a 1200km with them on the tandem (6+ years ago now!), but with PBP allowing them this year it seemed appropriate to try them out on some of the qualifiers.
Also in the process discovered Di2 had a limit of 6 shifter devices on the network. I really love multiple shifting positions, but never realised I was running right at the limit!

[BrianI]

Now molishing MK3 of Henry Vacuum Cleaner Tool Holder Clip. MK1 was ok, MK2 was better but snapped if bent too far. MK3 is now printing, hopefully the reinforcement will help!

[Jurek]

Distributed liberal amounts of Weedol amongst the weeds which invade the paths which surround chez moi. Had to use a watering can as opposed to the used-only-twice Hozelock pressurised sprayer which would not pressurise. Of course once I'd finished the job I discovered that the split-ring which secures the carrying strap was so placed that it was preventing the lid/pump from screwing fully down and sealing  .
Merde.

[perpetual dan]

Our dishwasher had developed an intermittent warning about water getting into it's innards. Which would be consistent with the rubber seal coming away from the door.
A new seal doesn't come as just a bit of rubber to stick on, but the whole inner panel of the door.
I decided to try to fix it and ordered a new panel.
The new panel doesn't even come with fresh screws, the tight gits (3 different sorts).
The old panel came off, eventually. Though there's some sticky tape and glue involved for some polystyrene that had to come off to get at the soap dispenser bit. I also cleared out some accumulated grot on the inside.
Getting it all back together involved a certain amount of bad swears and blood: thin metal, attaching to sprung hinges and the outer door is a clunky job. But got it together I did.
Gave it a go.
Bloody thing leaks as soon at the water goes over the new seal. 
That's not really fettling is it?

[Kim]

That's not really fettling is it?

I believe the word is 'Verschlimmbesserung'...

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Tweaked the brake lever position on Steve’s tandem, cleaned the rear disc, readjusted the BB eccentric to lower my position, swapped the captain’s pedals for something with more cornering clearance, adjusted the front V-brake, removed the cracked stoker’s saddle and adjusted the front derailleur (better but still not good).

I have read the literature on how to set up a R7000 front mech a couple of times but still have issues when in the big ring. During yesterday’s 300, the cage dragged when towards the top gears, now it drags towards the lower cogs. I will leave it a day or two before trying again. Cable tension is obviously the issue somehow but there is some weird spring-loading and micro-adjustment of the cable clamp that I am getting wrong. The chain even drags on the top of the cage, despite having it towards the top of the 1-3mm chainring clearance range.

The rear disc brake is woeful. It all needs to work properly before the 400 in a fortnight.

[Tim Hall]

Five minutes after getting the new Pino home (see the tandems board for details) I tinkered with the reach adjust on the back brake. They're Sram Guide R and the pads were dragging on the disc. I noticed the reach adjust wotsit was misaligned, with the wee pin not in its hole. A couple of minutes with some pliers and I'd unscrewed it enough to get the pin in the right place. The pads still drag though. Some research is needed.

[JefO]

Five minutes after getting the new Pino home (see the tandems board for details) I tinkered with the reach adjust on the back brake. They're Sram Guide R and the pads were dragging on the disc. I noticed the reach adjust wotsit was misaligned, with the wee pin not in its hole. A couple of minutes with some pliers and I'd unscrewed it enough to get the pin in the right place. The pads still drag though. Some research is needed.

Tim,
The Pino I have was supplied new with a very poorly aligned rear caliper mounting. I had to make a wedge to fit between the frame and the caliper mounting bracket. This wedge is basically 10degrees, 1.6mm at the bottom and to a point at the top.
Jef