Bike builders that have machine tools/shops

GoldenMotor.com

Tom from Rubicon

Well-Known Member
Apr 4, 2016
2,842
6,132
113
Rubicon, Wisconsin
Glad you liked it Pete. It's not a risky link. Just the quickest way in. Spose I coulda done an intro. Nah!
Just a perfect example of how to mount a cycle or you end up in a ditch.
Mona would have come like a wet hen.

Tuesday I need to machine the hinge pin for Hagrid's MTB. I should and likely will hand him his pedal cranks and a wad of steel wool to clean up the surface rust. He needs to have some sort of attachment to this woe begotten bicycle. Wait till he see's what I spunt on tyres and Goodyear inner tubes. Worth more than the bloody bike. :D

Tom
 

Tom from Rubicon

Well-Known Member
Apr 4, 2016
2,842
6,132
113
Rubicon, Wisconsin
Yeah Curt, bringing a bike back to right is never cheap.
But taking the proverbial Sows Ear and making a Silk Purse of it is not for the timid. Fortune favors the brave.
Ed just wants this bike for riding at the campground.
He has an ulcerated leg, smokes Camels and don't listen to me, but when he comes to visit I catch **** for any infraction his eyes come to lite on. Gotta luv em.

Tom
 

Tom from Rubicon

Well-Known Member
Apr 4, 2016
2,842
6,132
113
Rubicon, Wisconsin
Held off turning a one piece 4140 pre hard pivot pin until I purchased proper carbide indexable lathe tool bit holders.
Amazon.com: 3PCS 5/8" CNC Lathe Excircle Indexable Carbide Turning Tool Holder Bit Set MTJNR1616H16 + MWLNR1616H08 + MCLNR1616H12 with 3pcs wnmg431, cnmg431, tnmg331 Indexable Carbide Inserts (Right Cutting) : Industrial & Scientific

Considering that in 1969 when I began my apprenticeship, lathe tool bits were hand ground from High Speed Steel, and still are serviceable today. The advent of sintered, Tin coated indexable carbide bits with chip breaker profile's molded in was a game changer.

The original pivot was a two piece. Why? Maybe cheaper but not as rigid and it did fail. Hence to reason to turn a one piece pivot pin and a retainer cap. The assembly is drawn together by a 5/1/-18 flat head screw. Jammed by not one but two jamming set screws. Ask me why and I will tell you.
I'm getting tired and the Chardonnay is kicking in.

Photo illustrates, upper is new and improved full-length pivot pin and retainer and below is the half of the original pivot pin.
 

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Greg58

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May 1, 2011
5,363
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66
Newnan,Georgia
I know this is not a normal machine shop tool , it is primarily used for wood working, Im eyeing a table top belt sander to deck cylinders and heads. I’m waiting on the local harbor freight store to get restocked. I’m working on port timing on several engine projects and need to take off more than I can do sanding on glass.
 

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Tom from Rubicon

Well-Known Member
Apr 4, 2016
2,842
6,132
113
Rubicon, Wisconsin
Back in the shop for a beer and to refine the replacement pivot pin 3/18/22.
The retaining flange as seen in the above photo was too wide and would have had clearance interference problems with the nearest chainring and the chain. The stock flange width was 2.5mm and thinking about old Murphy, I faced it down to 3mm. You can always take metal off. But it takes a good TIG welder to put it back.

When this bikes pivot joint came apart, it must have been under load, as one of the outer pivot plates got bent/twisted. I thought to leave it be and use the new repair parts to draw the deformed part into place.

The dry fit up did not go well, so I guess I will have to massage the rogue plate back into alignment with my trusty Halder Supercraft Dead blow hammer. Halder Supercraft Dead Blow, Non-Rebounding Hammer with Nylon Face Inserts and Steel Housing, 2.76" / 79.37 oz. (kctool.com)
For the record, it was a company provided tool which they did not want back. Or the one pounder either.
And I have a two pounder too that I bought on Amazon, go figure. ;)

For the record I purchased Compothane brand dead blow hammers 40 years ago. Before that only lead and Rawhide faced hammers were sort of non maring. The cast lead head hammers are still used in industry.

I'll be back in the shop Saturday trying to get this MTB out of my shop.

Tom
 

curtisfox

Well-Known Member
Dec 29, 2008
6,080
4,047
113
minesota
Back in the shop for a beer and to refine the replacement pivot pin 3/18/22.
The retaining flange as seen in the above photo was too wide and would have had clearance interference problems with the nearest chainring and the chain. The stock flange width was 2.5mm and thinking about old Murphy, I faced it down to 3mm. You can always take metal off. But it takes a good TIG welder to put it back.

When this bikes pivot joint came apart, it must have been under load, as one of the outer pivot plates got bent/twisted. I thought to leave it be and use the new repair parts to draw the deformed part into place.

The dry fit up did not go well, so I guess I will have to massage the rogue plate back into alignment with my trusty Halder Supercraft Dead blow hammer. Halder Supercraft Dead Blow, Non-Rebounding Hammer with Nylon Face Inserts and Steel Housing, 2.76" / 79.37 oz. (kctool.com)
For the record, it was a company provided tool which they did not want back. Or the one pounder either.
And I have a two pounder too that I bought on Amazon, go figure. ;)

For the record I purchased Compothane brand dead blow hammers 40 years ago. Before that only lead and Rawhide faced hammers were sort of non maring. The cast lead head hammers are still used in industry.

I'll be back in the shop Saturday trying to get this MTB out of my shop.

Tom
Ya you better hurry it was 57 degrees here on Wednesday, couple more days and the snow will be just about gone..........Curt
 

Tom from Rubicon

Well-Known Member
Apr 4, 2016
2,842
6,132
113
Rubicon, Wisconsin
Been raining since 2:30pm. Saw the first migrant Robins which means at least 4 more snows. Saw lots of Sandhill Cranes in fields and 4 on a golf course. Cold rain had turkey's out foraging. Coons and possums are sheltering from the cold rain.
Having turned 71 on Monday, my warranty is up. I don't trust Mona's son's to conserve our estate.

Tom
 

Tom from Rubicon

Well-Known Member
Apr 4, 2016
2,842
6,132
113
Rubicon, Wisconsin
It was this last Friday that I fine tuned the pivot joint which is now free moving and locked. I turned my attention to the rear suspension. The coil spring is functional, but the internal shock is fake. Do not incinerate sticker and all.
Major elbow grease cleaning up all the surface rust, but all is done and in proper order. Not much left to do.
Except, before retiring the bike. The derailleurs' must function properly. The rear is currently frozen.
Oil applied and hoping for the best. The front derailleur cycles freely but the chain guide is bent and will need a massage to make the chain be fed to the selected sprocket.

Tom
 

indian22

Well-Known Member
Dec 31, 2014
4,734
7,740
113
Oklahoma
It's going to take a few days to get my workplace sorted. Weather is really nice and has been for a few weeks, just put things off and enjoyed.

What work I've done was I doors and now it's time to attend to the dirty work of welding and machining.

I didn't drop the hammer on a small mill last winter, but I should have, as my access to a mill passed away unfortunately for him. The prices on decent bench top mills are quite affordable the good accessories and tooling are however not. I think I'll not over do it on tooling up front & acquire on need basis only. I do try to budget my hobbies so as to not ever feel them extravagant and frivolous, which of course they are.

I don't often require a mill, as I can perform a lot of typical mill functions on a lathe, but a mill is typically quicker and of course has more utility in these operations and will be hold more precise tolerances given the same setup times.

I've several projects underway in which a mill would be quite useful.

Rick C.
 

Tom from Rubicon

Well-Known Member
Apr 4, 2016
2,842
6,132
113
Rubicon, Wisconsin
It's going to take a few days to get my workplace sorted. Weather is really nice and has been for a few weeks, just put things off and enjoyed.

What work I've done was I doors and now it's time to attend to the dirty work of welding and machining.

I didn't drop the hammer on a small mill last winter, but I should have, as my access to a mill passed away unfortunately for him. The prices on decent bench top mills are quite affordable the good accessories and tooling are however not. I think I'll not over do it on tooling up front & acquire on need basis only. I do try to budget my hobbies so as to not ever feel them extravagant and frivolous, which of course they are.

I don't often require a mill, as I can perform a lot of typical mill functions on a lathe, but a mill is typically quicker and of course has more utility in these operations and will be hold more precise tolerances given the same setup times.

I've several projects underway in which a mill would be quite useful.

Rick C.
Snoop around in FB Marketplace Rick.

Tom
 

Tom from Rubicon

Well-Known Member
Apr 4, 2016
2,842
6,132
113
Rubicon, Wisconsin
Fellow Ultralight pilot I knew had a bench top mill. Likely an Enco or J&L. X axis 12" travel so it was no toy.
Nice thing about any milling machine is the precision drilling that can be done. Circular hole patterns in particular.
There are web calculators that save me the Trig. work. Bolt Circle Calculator - LittleMachineShop.com
As for tooling Rick, i recommend Amazon when you need it task specific.
For the Mountain Bike repair, I purchased a set of three 5/8 shank carbide inserted lathe tool bits. Amazon.com: 3PCS 5/8" CNC Lathe Excircle Indexable Carbide Turning Tool Holder Bit Set MTJNR1616H16 + MWLNR1616H08 + MCLNR1616H12 with 3pcs wnmg431, cnmg431, tnmg331 Indexable Carbide Inserts (Right Cutting) : Industrial & Scientific Less than $30.
Turning 4140 prehard with beautiful surface finish and snapping chips instead of the dreaded long curlys.

Tom
 

indian22

Well-Known Member
Dec 31, 2014
4,734
7,740
113
Oklahoma
This will be the second mini mill I've owned, but sold the mill with my shop. I had a great number of tools for it: multiple vises, rotary table, many clamps and precision blocks, plus mills, collets, screw drills, chucks etc. I used it for several years on small parts. I had a pretty large knee mill for bigger work. I had thousands of dollars of precision stuff for the mini. Plus upgrade mods to the mill itself. Setting up this time round will be far less expensive and I'll add as I go.

Your right about drilling, with my little drill press I'm shocked when I get more than two holes precisely, more or less, located out of three holes drilled. The mill will change all that.

I'm in no big hurry so I will shop stuff around and see what pops up. I've a stash of hobby money that's accumulated over the winter, but it's not yet burning a hole in my pocket.

Rick C.