What have you fettled today?

[interzen]

Pugsley-lite
I needed to get the riding position dialled in but in the absence of the 'proper' front (rear) wheel I decided to use one of the Salsa Enabler's USPs ... it'll take a fat-bike wheel ..



I may well run it like this in winter, but for now it'll do to allow me to get the riding position etc. dialled in - the front brake won't work anyway since it's a 160mm rotor and the frame is set up for 180s. Oh, and there are no pedals yet either ...

(and it's a dingle-speed fixed - 36/17 + 34/19. The 'missing' wheel gives me freewheel capability should I need it)

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Rebuilt some Campag Bora wheels with Sapim CX-Ray spokes, internal nipples and nipple washers. What a pain in the arse! A fair chunk of the day to lace them up and another chunk to get them straight with even tension. Campag didn't really know how to make straight carbon rims, I guess.

Glued on 4 tubulars to variously deep carbon rims, trispoke and disk wheel. Fitted Paselas to a couple of wheels on my Frezoni and HK's Condor.

Still a fair bit of work to do tomorrow, unpacking 2 Moultons and getting them ready for LEL, new bearings to go in 2 rear hubs,  fitting Paselas to another couple of wheels and replacing the grease nipple on my TSR.

[hulver]

Fitting "new" shifters. Got all 8 gears available now. 

Changed gear and brake cables while I was at it, and re-wrapped the bars. The dropped the bike and scuffed the new tape. D'oh!

New pedals as well, as I needed new cleats. Adjusted the front light position slightly. I'll take it for a test run tomorrow, but that's should be it before LEL.

[Mr Arch]

I fettled one of these made from the top end of a broken crutch brazed onto another of my home made Brompton sockets to fit on the rear Brompton block on my bike.


It is for hanging a rucksack when I don't want to wear it while riding, and my usual block mounted luggage won't do.  the snaplocked strap riveted to the crutch prevents the rucksack from coming off.

The adjustment on the crutch allows taller or larger rucksacks to be hung there without fouling the mudguard or trailer hitch.

It also allows folding the Brompton without removing the rucksack, so long as it isn't too heavy.

[PaulR]

Made another step into the closing years of the last century by fitting some second hand Ultegra shifters to replace the downtube shifters on my Dave Lloyd.  Quite a challenge for someone new to this technology, particularly when the flightdeck wiring started getting in the way of the brake cable, and when I realised I'd got the cable outers too long.  Anyway, I am now reasonably happy with the way it is set up, and a quick tour of the neighbourhood has reassured me that it's still lovely to ride.  I'm wondering about a slightly shorter stem though, as the hoods are a bit longer than the cane creek ones I had on there before.

[click pic to embiggen]

[Vince]

Fettled a dinning/cooking shelter ready for the Scout camp in Kent in two weeks.

[rogerzilla]

Changed the Brompton back to close-ratio hub and Kojak tyres for its trip to London next week.

Pumped up the tyres on the clubman; I'm going to use the ASC hub for commuting this week.

Gave the car a 1000-mile oil and filter change so I can feel better about thrashing it.  Horrible job on the Mk3 MX-5 because

1. it's low.  I don't trust trust axle stands so I jack the car, chock the rear wheels and then rest the tyres on bricks, which is ultra-safe (nothing to collapse) but means my chest is actually pressing against the undertray when I'm down there.  i want a garage with a pit.
2. there is a sump protector plate which has to come off first
3. the filter is hard to access and on the underside of the block.  When reaching for it, oil drips onto your face from the sump plug hole.
4. when removing the filter, oil spews out everywhere.

On the bright side, the new oil goes in easily through a funnel; the Skoda can only be filled very slowly to avoid overflowing.

[drossall]

Fettled a dinning/cooking shelter ready for the Scout camp in Kent in two weeks.

I (un)fettled my thumb yesterday, mending a pole on a Scout dining shelter. We're camping in a week's time.

[Mr Arch]

1. it's low.  I don't trust trust axle stands so I jack the car, chock the rear wheels and then rest the tyres on bricks, which is ultra-safe (nothing to collapse) but means my chest is actually pressing against the undertray when I'm down there.  i want a garage with a pit.

I often don't trust axle stands, having had an MGB fall onto my legs trapping them on either side of the axle (though without injury), unless they are the heavy duty wide base ones on a level floor.

I really wouldn't trust bricks either preferring lumps of hardwood, like bits of railway sleepers.  I generally use proper quality car ramps.  I jack the car up and then put the ramps under the wheels with a block of wood wedged in the bars of the ramp to prevent the wheels rolling back down the ramp.

[davelodwig]

Fettled a dinning/cooking shelter ready for the Scout camp in Kent in two weeks.

Not KIJ perhaps?

[Vince]

Fettled a dinning/cooking shelter ready for the Scout camp in Kent in two weeks.

Not KIJ perhaps?

Correct.

[davelodwig]

Fettled a dinning/cooking shelter ready for the Scout camp in Kent in two weeks.

Not KIJ perhaps?

Correct.

My group the 141st Birmingham are heading to that one, I'm off to poacher though, been nabbed for subcamp staff.

[interzen]

Actually done yesterday (in preparation for taking the Long Way In this morning): found and eliminated the mysterious squeak/click on the 1x1 - the squeak was caused by a lack of grease (and surfeit of dust) in one of the pedal spindles and the click was sorted out by tightening up the pinch bolts on the non-drive side crank.

Silky smooth and silent this morning, apart from complaining noises from my knees

[mrcharly-YHT]

Gave the car a 1000-mile oil and filter change so I can feel better about thrashing it.  Horrible job on the Mk3 MX-5 because

1. it's low.  I don't trust trust axle stands so I jack the car, chock the rear wheels and then rest the tyres on bricks, which is ultra-safe (nothing to collapse) but means my chest is actually pressing against the undertray when I'm down there.  i want a garage with a pit.
2. there is a sump protector plate which has to come off first
3. the filter is hard to access and on the underside of the block.  When reaching for it, oil drips onto your face from the sump plug hole.
4. when removing the filter, oil spews out everywhere.

On the bright side, the new oil goes in easily through a funnel; the Skoda can only be filled very slowly to avoid overflowing.

Get a pump and take the oil out via the dipstick hole?

[jogler]

Extended the downtube shifters on the Longstaff using Sugru (donated by Deano otp  ) to make them a smidgen longer but rather fatter to give a more comfortable touch.

To my colour-challenged vision the blue Sugru is not a bad match to the blue Longstaff sticker on the seat tube.

what a difference half an inch makes!
so chuffed at the improvement resulting from such a small extension that I might go for a ride......in the not too distant future.

[interzen]

what a difference half an inch makes!

You owe me a new keyboard

(one fettle I missed: the High Latitude now has pedals - once the 180mm rotor for the fat front wheel turns up I can take it out for a spin )

[jogler]

what a difference half an inch makes!

You owe me a new keyboard

it's not a lot on the length but is very notice-able on the diameter at the end

[interzen]

what a difference half an inch makes!

You owe me a new keyboard

it's not a lot on the length but is very notice-able on the diameter at the end

It's not what you've got, it's what you do with it that counts .... or so I'm told 

[jogler]

what a difference half an inch makes!

You owe me a new keyboard

it's not a lot on the length but is very notice-able on the diameter at the end

It's not what you've got, it's what you do with it that counts .... or so I'm told 

aye,quality rules over quantity

ETA but it's nice to have both

[Kim]

what a difference half an inch makes!

Barakta's got a really long one.  It stops her wrist getting tired.

[clarion]

what a difference half an inch makes!

You owe me a new keyboard

it's not a lot on the length but is very notice-able on the diameter at the end

So long as you've got a good grip on it, that's what counts.

[LindaG]

We've no hot water coming out of our bath tap.  This situation has persisted for ... a year?  More?

Well the plumber said the washer in our bath tap wasn't replaceable.  Therefore a new mixer tap was necessary.

Now, I wasn't sure I believed him.  It's a washer.  Admittedly a posh newfangled ceramic washer on an unusual tap design.  But that can't be right, can it?

One trip to B+Q later I was armed with a new washer that might or might not have been the right size and design.  But worth a punt at £14 when a new tap is £100+.

Enter my adjustable spanner.  I broke a nail.  But I dismangled said tap far enough to see that, actually, the washer assembly probably isn't replaceable.  Damn.  Never mind.  It was worth a try.

The customer service at B+Q was so appalling I went to Homebase for the new tap, even though it's 20 miles away.  B+Q were just rubbish.

[rogerzilla]

Gave the car a 1000-mile oil and filter change so I can feel better about thrashing it.  Horrible job on the Mk3 MX-5 because

1. it's low.  I don't trust trust axle stands so I jack the car, chock the rear wheels and then rest the tyres on bricks, which is ultra-safe (nothing to collapse) but means my chest is actually pressing against the undertray when I'm down there.  i want a garage with a pit.
2. there is a sump protector plate which has to come off first
3. the filter is hard to access and on the underside of the block.  When reaching for it, oil drips onto your face from the sump plug hole.
4. when removing the filter, oil spews out everywhere.

On the bright side, the new oil goes in easily through a funnel; the Skoda can only be filled very slowly to avoid overflowing.

Get a pump and take the oil out via the dipstick hole?

No point.  Even the dealers use the drain plug because you have to do all this anyway, to get to the filter.  Anyway, the drain plug is more effective because you can leave it draining for as long as you like, and the initial gush* often shifts sludge that other methods fail to shift.


*

[jsabine]

We've no hot water coming out of our bath tap.  This situation has persisted for ... a year?  More?

Well the plumber said the washer in our bath tap wasn't replaceable.  Therefore a new mixer tap was necessary.

Now, I wasn't sure I believed him.  It's a washer.  Admittedly a posh newfangled ceramic washer on an unusual tap design.  But that can't be right, can it?

One trip to B+Q later I was armed with a new washer that might or might not have been the right size and design.  But worth a punt at £14 when a new tap is £100+.

Enter my adjustable spanner.  I broke a nail.  But I dismangled said tap far enough to see that, actually, the washer assembly probably isn't replaceable.  Damn.  Never mind.  It was worth a try.

The customer service at B+Q was so appalling I went to Homebase for the new tap, even though it's 20 miles away.  B+Q were just rubbish.

It probably is replaceable - at a price, and if you can find which of the hundred-odd designs of ceramic cartridge is the right one.

www.lunns.net is a great resource for trying to identify whether a replacement is available (pricing verges on comedy for many of them though), but to be honest replacing the whole thing's generally little more expensive especially if it's an own-brand special.

[LindaG]

The way the assembly fits in the tap you would end up damaging the tap body to get it out. If it is possible it's a pig of a job.