Bike builders that have machine tools/shops

[MEASURE TWICE]

The old school gap was 8 and 10 for, and then all of a sudden they they changed the new specs are to close in my opinion 5 and 7 I think, I doesn't take long to close the gap, I have had to open up a lot of newer engines that would not run, in my day.

Box end wrench works good to slip over the Allen to gain forse..............Curt

You think if I used the old school spec for valve lash, I could up my 5 year time to redo valve lash grinding the stems an all? Engine power performance if I did that, how would it compare?

The only thing I can not put back metal once it is ground off. Oh yea what about MIG Welder to all metal to stem tip. Just kidding there!

Looking to buy old stock valves would be dicey?

Just another five years and make it electric bike, or put it up on a wall as a display, mud and all.

MT

 

[curtisfox]

Not sure about the longer life, but valve wear on the top end would would close the gap, witch is normal. Keyway try go-kart supply places............Curt

 

[MEASURE TWICE]

Replacing valve seats by removing them, there is the method of heating. Another way is using and old trash valve and welding carefully to just the seat and then pry up the stem / hammer it up an out, or the fancy tool that expands and has lever to pry out.

Then as per an auto mechanic for cutting valves seat to proper angles, or you may use the better way (proper) using special grind stones. Last the mechanic said if using new seat after removal of seat, you must smooth out the area for new seat which needs proper clearance for it to be done right. The seat then is not the original size, but an oversize seat.

Now my neighbor who was a lawn mower mechanic from past business (as now builds homes and other heavy equipment jobs), says that I can just lap the seat with the course and fine grit compound. The tip of the valve grinding by hand is OK too.

Only thing different is from 0.005 to 0.007 valve lash to go up to 0.010, which may be a little noisy tapping sound, but is OK. So maybe I will do 0.008 or 0.009 to be on the safe side. The nice belt sander with an adjustable angle set with square, eh, not necessary so much was said too.

The Head Gasket I got from the hardware store is not a Briggs branded part, but looks OK for 7 bucks. I have all the other necessary gaskets I will be replacing for good measure
.
To do porting and grinding the cylinder head, for extra compression ratio I mentioned, and it was said though to make sure of piston clearance. Yea, that would be bad to let it smack the spark plug or whatever.

Now I shall get organized an get to it. Ahhh, but of course I had seen the farmers market happening and again the next day. Yea I saw my local friend selling fish at the side pullout of the road and so I got some more.

I got around 5 and ½ lbs. total of Sable-Fish and did the dry rub and next day smoked with alder wood chips in the side box of the grill.
I did the vacuum seal and froze the rest. Ya know, the 5 and ½ lbs. ended up yielding only about 2 and ½ lbs. of smoke Sable-Fish. Is it moisture pulled from brine, and cooking that also let fat melt out that did that?

My kitchen scale I did use the zeroing to get proper tare weight, and only sampled a bit while cooking on the BBQ.
I was checking for flare ups quite often. Used the garden hose and drippled a bit around to keep in check. Only I would use a little less salt, or let the rub only be on for 45 minutes. If they said 1 hour to 2 hours, to me that is too much.

Maybe I had it for 1 to 1 and ¼ hours and rinsed and dried with paper towel and left over night to smoke the next day. Not too smokey, just used a 1/3 of a small bag of alder wood chips. Quite reasonable price for the wood chips at the local hardware store that had a great selection of flavors. Never tried cherry wood chips.

I think that might be nice to try. Hickory and Mesquite wood chips and chunks I have used mostly in the past.
MT

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Interesting tangent on my thread MT. But keeping it alive with oily smoked fish is a stretch.
Sable is oily. Being Norwegian, herring is as far as I go on oily Fisk.
BLT's were on the menu tonight. Last fruit from my tomato plants are waiting to get picked.
2023 has been a poor year for fishing. Got to get cord wood ordered and dropped. Fall is on the calendar.
Wife is decorating for Halloween. You Cali folks need to come East for a bit and recalibrate.

Not yet Frosty Tom

 

[MEASURE TWICE]

I could have taking the fish off sooner from the smoker and had it less well done. The vacuum seal and freeze makes it last very long time. Other thing is that I had in the past left fish too moist and while it cooled in the frig over night it molded. I had to throw it out. Additionally the less moist is preferred, that is if you use the vacuum sealing machine, for the reason that only so much liquid can be allowed in the sealing bags. I had once fish juices sucked into the pump in the machine. Quite a pita to clean out. The reed valve I had soaking for a week. The company would only service it. They would not sell me parts, after all they said just bring it in and lets see. So much for customer service. The fish is caught in deep ocean here and up to Alaska. The guy told be he put out 160ft of line to catch them. OK, the vacuum seal machine may qualify as machine shop tools?

 

[MEASURE TWICE]

I was wondering if a Metal Lathe can be multi-purpose as also a wood lathe. Some people turn somewhat green wood on a lathe. Like bowls and whatever.

I would just like to make some artwork kind of. This being specifically a replacement radio knob for my pickup truck's broken one.
There are attached pictures of these log pieces that I intend to try using. The darker one has been outdoors for around 3 years, while the lighter one was cut about a year ago.

Both were left to the elements. I recently have had them slowly drying in an ice-chest.
I see one large crack on each of these log pieces I picked up. I think now that probably could be very dangerous on a lathe. That also would be dangerous with trying to use a hole saw in my drill press.

Anyway, a hole saw has a problem with the pilot bit is always drilling out the center. I want the growth rings all to be visible, so that can’t be allowed to be drilled.

I thought of having the drill recessed after getting enough to stabilize the hole saw in the drill press. Making a plug part with enough Z axis (depth) that I could cut off the pilot bit area that got drill then just having the nice plug to become a radio knob.

The pilot drill has a flat spot for a set screw. I would have to get a similar drill bit and make a flat spot at the right area to get the hole saw to continue cutting without the pilot bit. Pilot bits on hole saw can’t just be removed. It is necessary to hold the assembly in the drill press chuck.

Finally, I could probably do without a lathe, but still ponder the idea.
Oh yea, maybe a Mill Lathe Combo. The real small metal drill lathe combo from that company in Southern CA was once on my mind

This is what really is my approach using a minimalist idea.
I have a Dremel, and my new Die Grinder which I can adjust with variable speed controller.

Maybe I'd use a hand wood saw to get a small cube out of these log chunks. Then I could use a hand tool, like a rasp. The Dremel and or Die Grinder with some kind of attachment, I’d use to get the part smooth. Sandpaper I'd use next to get the growth rings (important to me) showing clearly.

Then I’d put a coat of light walnut stain and maybe some varnish. Next, I’d drill a hole in the back of this plug and put some glue in. This would then be attached to the splined shaft of the volume control potentiometer on my trucks radio.

MT

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Short answer to opening sentence is yes.
But metal lathe work holding collets and chucks are not great at holding wood.

Those blocks of wood you have, look like pine. Not #1 knob material in my book.
Plug Cutter Set, 4-Piece (harborfreight.com)

Tom

 

[MEASURE TWICE]

There are pine nuts on the ground, so yep, probably Pine. If the even taller trees fell here, they would be Redwoods. This is not like Oak or stuff I can buy at hardware store Teak (expensive), though don't see growth rings I want on the Teak wood I see sold.

Though these Pine trees at 1/2 the height of the really tall100ft Redwoods (about 100ft), can take down telephone and also power lines as had happened last Winter. Redwood is soft like pine I guess too.

Those cutters I may get. They are inexpensive as compared to the hole saws. Maybe it is just cheaper stuff from HF Tools. I'll see if I stop by a store after checking if they have them in stock.

The other thing is the Pine Cone encapsulated with epoxy resin as a radio knob to replace my trucks broken one. When dryer warmer weather I can do that.

I sort of wonder why on earth is the area behind my truck's radio, one in the same as the heating and ventilation ducts. The radio gets hot with the heat turned on and it is not from the power used by the radio. This also will make touching the knob or push buttons a bit uncomfortable.

At least I have around 120K mi on the truck, and otherwise has had just maintenance without any big-ticket items. All I ever did beside tune up, was recent replacement of steering arm for upper and lower ball joints assembly for better, safer steering, on the front end.


MT

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Knife Handle Materials | Jantz Supply - Quality Knifemaking Since 1966

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Fun afternoon, drilling 1/4" dia. holes centered through eight 2 1/2" thick cement 7"x8" paver blocks with a forty year old carbide masonry drill. My dad's table top drill press of the same vintage made the work easy
The blocks, paired will be the foundation for a yard windmill. The site for this semi useful yard art, was dug before our last trip to Minneapolis, sorting out hoarder BiL estate.

Tom

 

[curtisfox]

Sounds like a much more fun project.............Curt

 

[MEASURE TWICE]

My project is keeping on track with getting Surgeon referral to another Surgeon. Spinal Surgeon has me to go to a multi-talented other Surgeon that also does Peripheral Nerve issues. No, not carpal tunnel syndrome, it's called cubital tunnel syndrome in my elbow. Heck I knew about the Lincoln and Holland Tunnels, now this?

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Thread repair dies are a poor replacement for a geometric die head. Could be the lead in angle on the rod to be threaded is too steep. Or I have to sharpen the thread cutting die leading edges.
Been there and sharpened hardware store threading dies before. If I ain't dead Tuesday I will post a photo.

Tom

 

[Tom from Rubicon]

Get a coffee and enjoy.

Tom

 

[Doug Skullery]

Hey Fog sorry we all kinda hijacked your thread but there was no ill intent, a lot of the members here really enjoy building things and making parts. All I have in my shop is welders, ( a stick, mig and a 110v flux core) a torch set, a metal chop saw and a hydraulic press, a drill press, bench grinder, and a hand held grinder. I can make a lot of stuff if it needs bending, welding or grinding!

What do you all consider the minimum amount of tools/equipment for a bicycle/metal workshop?

 

[Oldbiscuit]

That’s a hard question to answer. Do you plan to weld ? Build, repair frames ? I’ve amassed my shop tools over a lifetime and it includes welders, drill presses, vises, grinders, hydraulic press, glass bead cabinet, air compressor, work benches, plus a large assortment of hand tools.

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

I concur with Oldbiscuit.
What do you plan to do? The more you try to tackle yourself, the more you collect the necessary tools to get the job done.

Way back in the day, I realized that I needed to start building my own bike wheels, (instead of taking it to someone else & spending money & waiting all week to get it back)... so I taught myself how to lace wheels.
I didn't have any special tools, so it took me all day just to get the wheel nice & true. (but it was still better than waiting a week).

Eventually, I had to 'get real' & buy a truing stand & spoke tension gauge... Now I can build a high quality wheel in about an hour.

 

[Doug Skullery]

That’s a hard question to answer. Do you plan to weld ? Build, repair frames ? I’ve amassed my shop tools over a lifetime and it includes welders, drill presses, vises, grinders, hydraulic press, glass bead cabinet, air compressor, work benches, plus a large assortment of hand tools.

That gives me a good idea and yes I plan to weld. I want to do tig.

 

[Greg58]

You can do a lot with a small amount of the right tools, I like most have build up my tools after a career in the maintenance field. I don’t know what you have now but a very inexpensive tool to have is a 4-1/2” grinder, I’ve got a Mikita I’ve had for years and a cheap one from harbor freight that is better than I anticipated. You don’t have to have air tools but they make life a lot better.

 

[Greg58]

That gives me a good idea and yes I plan to weld. I want to do tig.

I’ve never tried tig welding, a mig with cover gas has been great for me. Just about anyone can learn to weld with a mig machine, I learned on an old stick welder that had a crank handle to increase the amperage, it didn’t even have a indicator of the amperage.