Fixit Log

Fixing and making things, what tools to get and what skills to learn, ...
ertyu
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by ertyu »

nice

cheap and creative

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Ego
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Ego »

I sat on my second-hand Moscot glasses and broke them in half. For years I've worn a vintage pair of silver wire rim Randolph Aviator sunglasses and decided to try to find something similar for regular glasses. Today an old junk seller had a dirty old pair of antique Willson safety gloggles at the bottom of a bucket of tools. When I pulled them out of the bucket they appeared to be twisted so that the arms were in front. He took a look at the twisted mess and charged me a dollar.

I got them home and decided to grind off the extra metal for the side protection pieces. The side shields had broken off but the extra ridge that supports the shields remained. I was careful not to remove the oxidation patina and corrosion. I figured out that they close with the arms in front to accommodate the side shields that I ground off.

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Now I've got to send them to LenseRX for new lenses.

This is what they looked like when they were new.

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Alphaville
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Alphaville »

no photos, but just finished swapping crankset in the future cargo bike. those cranks were hard to pull! i could have used a cheater bar but had no pipes here--used my feet to turn the crank puller which is of the fixed handle variety (park tool ccp-22)

next thing will be to shorten the chain which... i think i'll need pins. eta: not sure about what chain i got in this. looks like it might be a 1/8"... eta,a: yes, it is... no master link... i have a garbage chain tool so we'll see how i manage

eta, later: looks like my crankbrothers multitool sufficed to break the chain. there were no connecting rivets or anything. will cut an inch or two and see... park tools book helpful to explain where to palce the axle in the dropouts, etc.

meanwhile, soaking in wd to wash the grime. i know! i know... i'll add dry lube later. right now i just need to work on it a bit (i also got some boeshield coming on mailorder).

last edit on this one (for the day): as dusk set in, i push a pin too hard, then another, then another... and soon it was dark and the chain was too short. :lol:

will have to order a new one with the right link count and a master link. probably for the best because those reusable pins generally spell doom and getting stuck with a heavy load on the way back from home depot was not going to be pleasant...

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Alphaville
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Alphaville »

well, the new chain arrived, fit juuuuust right, joining the master link with a clip was a piece of cake.

tomorrow bike goes out on its first shopping expedition with reduced crankset, no idea what that will be like, it's all an experiment for now. and if it works, i might add front crate, panniers, etc. , and take it for a longer ride another day.

having trouble finding a chainring guard for the 38 tooth chainring, but i have a full chainguard that partially covers for now.

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Alphaville
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Alphaville »

cargo cruiser ran great this morning, i havent calculated the new gain ratios with reduced chainring AND shorter cranks. might actually be a wash. but it actually FELT better. my knees dont go so high with it, which is nicer on the hip joints--something to consider for certain conditions.

last thing to fix is the gearing. the internal gear hub needs calibration and i couldn't remember off the top of my head how to do it. once that is all done i will take it for a spin again,

thing is, for short distances, going by bicycle is more cumbersome than walking, due to chains and locks and helmets and bicycle clothes and so on (i need to look bright in traffic).

so i'll stick to walking for groceries and other short range situations for now.

ok here is the gain ratio calculator

https://sheldonbrown.com/gear-calc.html

i'll sort it out later

--

eta:

per that calculator (it breaks easy, don't run it twice before closing the new tab that opens with result)

shimano nexus 3-speed internal hub with 20t cog, in 2nd gear (100%)...

-my gain ratio with 44t chainring 170mm cranks was 4.4
-my gain ratio with 38t chainring 155mm cranks is 4.0

so, slightly easier, as i felt it, and climbs better. i just need to adjust the shifter now, and i'm in business

Green Pimble
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Green Pimble »

@Alphaville I found this website very handy when I switched my gravel bike from 2x11 to 1x11: https://www.gear-calculator.com/
You can compare various gearing options and slide the number of teeth around to watch your range change.

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Alphaville
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Alphaville »

Green Pimble wrote:
Sun Apr 18, 2021 2:15 am
@Alphaville I found this website very handy when I switched my gravel bike from 2x11 to 1x11: https://www.gear-calculator.com/
You can compare various gearing options and slide the number of teeth around to watch your range change.
thank you! looks nice and well designed. limiting factor for me is that it doesn't include crank lengths.

the great sheldon brown came up with "gain ratio" to include those, which are not reflected in calculations of stuff like gear inches (or metric updates)

he discussed it here:

Gain Ratios--A New Way to Designate Bicycle Gears

the crucial bit for me is this quote
sheldon brown wrote:
What About Crank Length?

All of these systems share a common inadequacy: none of them takes crank length into account! The fact is that a mountain bike with a 46/16 has the same gear as a road bike with a 53/19 only if they have the same length cranks. If the mountain bike has 175's and the road bike 170's, the gear on the mountain bike is really about 3% lower!

A New Standard Proposed

I would like to propose a new system, which does take crank length into account. This system is independent of units, being expressed as a pure ratio.

This ratio would be calculated as follows: divide the wheel radius by the crank length; this will yield a single radius ratio applicable to all of the gears of a given bike. The individual gear ratios are calculated as with gear inches, using this radius ratio instead of the wheel size.

since im experimenting with crank length (reducing from 170 to 155) sheldon's gain ratio gave me the answer. but yeah his old web form is a little clunky by today's standards :D

html/css/js issues aside, i believe the underlying data gets updated, and includes info on innumerable internal hubs/planetary gears (the cargo cruiser has a 3-speed internal gear hub with further modifies things).

--

eta: this is a good video for shimano nexus3 internal gear hub adjustment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLQjKHUJrxA

short and to the point but also comprehensive
Last edited by Alphaville on Thu Apr 22, 2021 8:26 am, edited 1 time in total.

Laura Ingalls
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Laura Ingalls »

Thinking about replacing the front brakes on the Prius as a diy activity.

Watch the utube looks pretty straight forward.

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Sclass
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Sclass »

Good luck. That is generally my process on things I haven’t done yet. YouTube. Gather tools and parts. Gather courage. Dive in.

Gilberto de Piento
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Gilberto de Piento »

Laura Ingalls wrote:
Wed Apr 21, 2021 4:08 pm
Thinking about replacing the front brakes on the Prius as a diy activity.
It shouldn't be too bad if you have the necessary tools and work carefully. Some suggestions:
1. Don't work on it with a deadline, as in, give yourself plenty of time for it to take longer than expected
2. Have another working car available in case you need to go to the store
3. Don't buy the cheapest pads and rotors, they are false economy
4. Take your time and be safe
5. I've never worked on a Prius but the instructions I found emphasized disconnecting the 12v battery so the brakes don't engage while you have the car disassembled
6. Prepare for it to be much rustier than the southern / western cars shown in youtube videos! Though that shouldn't have much of an impact on a brake change.

Good luck! :D

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Alphaville
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Alphaville »

all else great, but
Gilberto de Piento wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 9:12 am
2. Have another working car available in case you need to go to the store
please no :lol:

walk or bike or have the store deliver? :P

Laura Ingalls
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Laura Ingalls »

The NAPA store is half a mile. Should I drive my 3/4 ton pickup? :lol:

My bigger issue is how to safely jack it up. There is a bottle jack and some sketchy home-welded floor jacks at my mom’s house. Not sure I want to invest in more expensive equipment. Definitely don’t want the end of my story to be she dropped her car on herself either.

I have thought about getting nicer stuff and having young adult offspring do the job and paying him with the jack and the difference between the quote I have. Downside to that is he is busy with the end of his semester at the moment.

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Alphaville
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Alphaville »

haha, i don't know who is who in your story. anyway, be safe, all of you,

when i did repairs on my truck a good floor jack + jackstands was by far my best "investment" in the whole operation. it facilitated quick, easy and safe access to everything

i tried "sketchy home-welded" ramps, plastic ramps, i tried a bottle jack with jackstands, i tried a used floor jack that needed refurbishment but kept leaking oil...

eventually i broke down and ordered a fine aluminum floor jack from costco. it became the core of my "shop".

when i ditched the truck i gave the floor jack to my father in law who taught me how to change brake pads, and helped with with front-end overhaul. wasn't so much "in payment" as sheer family communism. of course while we lived nearby he was welcome to borrow it anytime, it's just that i took better care of it so i was better at holding it.

i forget where i was going with this... oh yeah, good jack + stands worth every penny. if you don't plan to do more repairs... maybe rent or borrow?

--

eta: this was my jack. i got it on a promotion. but tall enough for truck, light enough to carry thanks to aluminum parts, excellent functioning, good looking too, all-around a pleasure to work with: https://www.costco.com/3-ton-profession ... 22458.html
Last edited by Alphaville on Thu Apr 22, 2021 2:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Ego
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Ego »

Use the jack in the car to jack it up then a jack stand once it is up.
$9.99 at Walmart with free delivery if you spend $35. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hyper-Tough- ... d/48580163

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Alphaville
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Alphaville »

Laura Ingalls wrote:
Thu Apr 22, 2021 11:39 am

i don't understand something....

a) are more repairs not expected on the prius?

b) is the 3/4 ton truck for real or a joke?

because if the truck is for real... why not get truck-rated stands and jack, and do most future repairs and maintenance on both vehicles at home?

a good safe setup enables work on:

-motor oil+filter
-transmission oil (drop pan only)
-chassis
-front end
-axles, driveshaft, ujoints
-fuel pump/tank/filters
-cooling
-electrical
-wheels and brakes
-suspension/shocks
-body
-ac
-others/etc./depending on make/model

--

eta: after rereading, i think i understand. then why not set up nice bay in garage and establish full family car repair communism? all for one, one for all?

Laura Ingalls
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Laura Ingalls »

There are three generations of drivers, three dwellings, and four cars (actually five my mom had this POS truck she never drives.) I am in the middle generation. The most mechanically inclined is someone I gave birth too, but now a fledging adult. Oldest generation has the best in tools (my late father’s) we have the nicest workspace, and the youngest the best know how.

The truck is real, but I was joking about driving it to the auto store. It hauls our aged fifth wheel camper. Changing the oil in it is straightforward but disposal of the gallons of waste oil makes it rather pointless to diy as it only saves maybe $20.

I think your concept is great especially as DS’s love language is acts of service. However, it runs counter to my desire to travel more, and my desire to get my mother in a less car dependent situation.

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Alphaville
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Alphaville »

ah i see.

in my head it all comes together like this: you move your mother to a car free situation, sell the old truck and gather the quality tools in your garage, then go traveling and leave your son the keys for housesitting/doing laundry/gandfather's relocated garage :D

if the u joints in the trick begin to clink, get back to home base, replace, hit the road agaom.

but if traveling means you're not keeping your house, then that could be a big hurdle...

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Sclass
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Sclass »

Yeah ditto what everyone says here. I think we have already discussed this in an auto repair thread. Do not skimp on Jack stands. Even the lowest priced $20 specials at Walmart will save your life. If the bottle Jack works and you are comfortable using it go for it. But use good stands. If you’re cheap, Google “standing up car with wood blocks”. Looks like Jenga and is reliable and cheap. It’s safe when done properly.

I don’t block cars because it’s too much hassle and I’ll get lazy one day and not do it. So I use stands. Multiple stands (I have four) if a wheel is off.

You cannot put a price on stands after the fact. One of my mechanic buddies always told me the story of how he found his dead neighbor under a car when he was 12. No stand. Killed the guy and nobody even knew it. We can learn from others mistakes. Do not cheap out on safety especially when it costs $20.

Don’t forget a respirator. I’m not sure modern pads are carcinogen free...there’s conflicting data as to what is in the compounds.

Laura Ingalls
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by Laura Ingalls »

Good reminder about the respirator. I pretty sure asbestos in brakes didn’t improve my father’s health.

ducknald_don
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Re: Fixit Log

Post by ducknald_don »

I've seen a car fall off a trolley jack, nobody was hurt but it did make me paranoid about using axel stands.

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