Cheap set of bicycle tools?

In article <[email hidden]>,

Dart70ca said:

Hi everyone. New member here and first post so please bear with
the errors.

I recently came into a small cache of used bikes that I would like
to fix up for the neighbourhood kids (and one for me 🙂 ). The styles
and mechanics of these things is all over the place and I don't want
to spend a huge wad on Park tools that I may or may not use ever
again.
What I would like is a reasonably complete set of cheap tools that
I can replace piecemeal with new good ones as I wear them out or find
them not up to the task.
I am a machinist and industrial mechanic by trade but these tools
are mostly quite specialized. I would like to have a set of tools for
the various types of bottom-brackets and cassettes one commonly sees
out there in the everyday. The rest I can manage mostly from my
regular tools I think.
Anyone have ideas for a DIY wheel-truing jig? I've been Googling
around but haven't found much as of yet. I don't mind too much doing
it on the bike, but it can get awkward at times. A DIY service stand
would be nice as well. I can weld and have most of the necessary
material at hand already.
Thanks.

Keith: Park and Nashbar, among others, sell big tool kits that will get
you started off nicely. Here's the US$140 (limited time sale) Nashbar
"Pro Elite" kit, including tool box:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=0001&sku=
20016&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Brand%3A%20Nashbar

Amazon has a pretty good roundup of the common kits:

http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=3405621

Priced from $140-$1000.

Regarding the wheel truing jig, The simplest way to true a wheel is to
leave it in the frame and true the wheel relative to the brake pads.
This works...just fine! For your cache of simple bikes, that's all you
need.

That said, you're in Surrey, I'm on the other side of the Fraser river,
and I have a home-made truing stand that works middling well. I have
since replaced it with a Park stand, so if you want the home-made one,
send me an email and I'll trade it to you for a few used bike parts.

--
Ryan Cousineau [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos

Dart70ca said:

Hi everyone. New member here and first post so please bear with
the errors.

I recently came into a small cache of used bikes that I would like
to fix up for the neighbourhood kids (and one for me 🙂 ). The styles
and mechanics of these things is all over the place and I don't want
to spend a huge wad on Park tools that I may or may not use ever
again.
What I would like is a reasonably complete set of cheap tools that
I can replace piecemeal with new good ones as I wear them out or find
them not up to the task.
I am a machinist and industrial mechanic by trade but these tools
are mostly quite specialized. I would like to have a set of tools for
the various types of bottom-brackets and cassettes one commonly sees
out there in the everyday. The rest I can manage mostly from my
regular tools I think.

I'd suggest starting with a decent cable cutter, a cassette lockring
tool, a set of cone wrenches, a chain tool, and of course metric Allen
wrenches if you don't already have them. Then buy bottom bracket and
headset tools as you need them.

One-piece-crank bottom brackets can be overhauled with common household
tools. For three-piece cranks, you'll need a crank puller and
appropriate bottom bracket tools. Most modern bikes use non-serviceable
cartridge bottom brackets -- leave them alone if they turn fine, replace
them if they don't. You'll need a special tool to remove them. In most
of the cases you're likely to run into, the Park BBT-2 or similar will
work. If you need to overhaul an older bike with a loose ball bottom
bracket, you'll need a lockring tool and pin spanner.

The newer splined bottom brackets use different tools. If you have any
in your collection, you can save a little money by getting a universal
crank puller like the Park CWP6 instead of separate pullers for splined
and square taper cranks.

If any of the bikes in your collection use threaded headsets (quite
likely) you'll need appropriate-sized headset wrenches to adjust or
overhaul them. They're expensive enough that it's probably worth buying
the sizes that you need when you need them rather than stocking up ahead
of time.

General repair info:
<http://sheldonbrown.com/repair/index.html>
<http://www.parktool.com/repair/>

http://www.biketoolsetc.com/
get the paper catalog
go with cartridge BB/tools
a large vise grips, small wal vise grips, needle nose stanley vice
grips, 12 inch handle channel locks for deray adjustments,
and a parks wrench filed to fit your headset nuts: snack.
buy a shimano chain tool: itsa shimano chain right?
breaker tube to fit over vice grips to bust pedals loose. place grips
into other end open end, heat, block up, hold fast and step down!
pcblaster!
search RBT archives for bad and good advice.
spokey

cable/casing cutter: wal diagnols, 11 pound engineers hammer home
depot-hardwood block. hit diag on block with hammer. use
eyeprotection.
file nuts to parks tool.
if there's a need for a pin tool, get a pro pin tool not the weenie
tool
a wire BB brush from biketools is a luxury.

Dart70ca said:

Hi everyone. New member here and first post so please bear with
the errors.

I recently came into a small cache of used bikes that I would like
to fix up for the neighbourhood kids (and one for me 🙂 ). The styles
and mechanics of these things is all over the place and I don't want
to spend a huge wad on Park tools that I may or may not use ever
again.
What I would like is a reasonably complete set of cheap tools that
I can replace piecemeal with new good ones as I wear them out or find
them not up to the task.

For $140, the Nashbar pro kit is pretty complete. You'll need to buy
threaded headset spanners on an as needed basis. I like the Pedros
ones as they look like cartoon wrenches, and double as a really high
leverage pedal wrench.

Quoted message said:

Anyone have ideas for a DIY wheel-truing jig?

rubber band a pencil to a fork blade or seat stay. Works fine. I've
built half a dozen wheels like this. I usually sit on the floor with
the bike upside down.

Quoted message said:

I've been Googling
around but haven't found much as of yet. I don't mind too much doing
it on the bike, but it can get awkward at times. A DIY service stand
would be nice as well. I can weld and have most of the necessary
material at hand already.

You can get a pretty decent stand for home repair for a little over
fifty bucks, how much is your time worth? If you don't mind the bike
being low, the Nashbar "Stand by Me" stand is only $9, and pretty
handy just for storing bikes without kickstands.

On 2007-05-06, Dart70ca <[email hidden]> wrote:
[...]

Quoted message said:

Anyone have ideas for a DIY wheel-truing jig? I've been Googling
around but haven't found much as of yet. I don't mind too much doing
it on the bike, but it can get awkward at times. A DIY service stand
would be nice as well. I can weld and have most of the necessary
material at hand already.

I made mine out of inexpertly MIG welded mild steel box section, more
for fun than because it was really a sensible idea.

http://tidraso.co.uk/misc/stand1.jpg
http://tidraso.co.uk/misc/stand2.jpg

You are welcome to copy the design. The two verticals can be slid from
side to side to adjust for different wheel widths, and once adjusted the
whole thing's clamped into place with the captive-nut and bolt
arrangement you can see. The whole thing comes apart into three separate
pieces when the bolts are undone-- vertical plus floor slider x2, plus
the longitudinal bit that sits over the two floor sliders and contains
the nuts and bolts.

Tip for making the dropouts: clamp both arms together and cut out the
10mm slot with an angle grinder on both at the same time. That way they
line up nicely.

To measure dish use a ruler (I use one that's built into a kind of
set-square), and flip the wheel then measure it again from the same
side.

To do lateral and radial truing use a postcard held against the side of
the frame.

Dart70ca said:

I recently came into a small cache of used bikes that I would like
to fix up for the neighbourhood kids (and one for me 🙂 ). The styles
and mechanics of these things is all over the place and I don't want
to spend a huge wad on Park tools that I may or may not use ever
again.

None of the shops I'm aware of will accept your wad as legal tender
in exchange for Park tools (or any other merchandise).

--
Home page: http://members.westnet.com.au/mvw

Thanks for the tips guys. The Nashbar site especially.
I think I can cobble together a workstand similar to the Park home
mechanic one without too much trouble. No fancy cam locking levers or
anything but I can pivot and lock it with hitch-pins as in an
automotive engine stand and have rubber-faced bits of angle-stock to
hold the tube. Clamping action I can do as they did on the Park unit
with a big t-handled bolt. Don't need adjustable height as I am not
adjustable and can make a stool for when I want to get low.
Sorry about the 'wad' comment. Forgot about the international
nature of these sites for a moment. Around here it's commonly used to
signify the pile of cash in your pocket...though the other meaning
still applies.
Is there a file or photo repository for these Google groups? I
normally deal with Yahoo.

Keith

Quoted message said:

To do lateral and radial truing use a postcard held against the side of
the frame.

try american express notched to fit against and over the side rim
( with clearance!) for a quick eyebal of radial or a QE of lateral.

homedepot has $1 spring clamps for cardholding

superduper has poster paper to back the visual area (also good for
wheel/seatpost)
try a hi intensity light (clamp)
and standing up.
the rear triangle used here bolts onto a1/2"x 2'x5' ply sheet cdx
a longer sheet let's the tuner look straight into the tune area
without bending over.

sheeet we don't even have an ossuary

Quoted message said:

sheeet we don't even have an ossuary

Like this?
http://www.yellowjersey.org/sergpile.jpg

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

ANDREW MUZI

BICYCLE WHEEL
TUNING EQUIPMENT

In article <[email hidden]>,

A Muzi said:

Quoted message said:

sheeet we don't even have an ossuary

Like this?
http://www.yellowjersey.org/sergpile.jpg

I take it Serg has quite the collection, if this is what ends up in the
pile....

--
Ryan Cousineau [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

sheeet we don't even have an ossuary

Quoted message said:

A Muzi said:

Like this?
http://www.yellowjersey.org/sergpile.jpg

Ryan Cousineau said:

I take it Serg has quite the collection, if this is what ends up in the
pile....

Behind a bike shop in Pisa. Sergio just shot the photo.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

ahh on the lower left-a double bubble door latch!

In article <[email hidden]>,

A Muzi said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] wrote:
> sheeet we don't even have an ossuary

Quoted message said:

A Muzi said:

Like this?
http://www.yellowjersey.org/sergpile.jpg

Ryan Cousineau said:

I take it Serg has quite the collection, if this is what ends up in the
pile....

Behind a bike shop in Pisa. Sergio just shot the photo.

To do:

-Go to Pisa...

--
Ryan Cousineau [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos

ossuaryville diffused

http://www.mythirdlife.com/top_retirement_places.htm

Quoted message said:

ossuaryville diffused
http://www.mythirdlife.com/top_retirement_places.htm

I think I will just ride my bike between lanes between buses every
morning until I get squished instead. My own viscera on the pavement
seems less disgusting. YMMV
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

you mean you don't have an agent in there looking for the sitting in
the garage for 15 years E. Merx TdF replica?