Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Tool Time

Here are a couple of tools you can make that will ease life, save scant seconds, and make you a more well rounded person just by constructing them.
Unless you enjoy informing clueless Friends, the first is pretty much just a shop tool.
Prepare to make: A Presta/Schrader Display. You just need a section of old rim, a drill, a couple of drill bits and some old tubes. You want to cut a section of rim that includes two spoke holes.
Drill one of the holes out to 1/4" This is the Presta valve hole. Drill the other hole out to 21/64" This is the Schrader hole. Remember 21/64" just in case you get a burning urge to convert some rims, American style(Little known fact: I was named after the Schrader air fitting.)
Now you want to cut a Presta and a Schrader valve out of a couple of old tubes(Or one tube if you can find a dual use tube) Stuff them into the appropriate holes and thus, you have made the Presta/Schader Display



Next we have the chain holder. There are more pictures here. Not because I think the non-bikeshop brained need them but because I hope the bikeshop equipped needed no photo instruction for the Presta/Schrader Display.
This is a great gadget for whenever you need to do something to your chain. Pop a pin, fix a twist, install/remove a master link. This will be your ToolFriday.
You only need a spoke(broken), some dikes(that would be diagonal cutters), and some pliers.


So first go out and crash hard to get that broken spoke. Now you want to bend it just over 90 degrees. Move about two inches from the bend and bend it again back towards the first bend. Snip off the extra.


Check out this awesome tool in action.



Our last project is from an idea I got when I had a bad case of itchy ear. It is the variable depth-roto-ear rooter. You merely need a Q-tip, dikes(again), and variable speed drill(Use a cordless for convenience)
Simply snip one end from the Q-tip and chuck it in a handy drill.


As you can see here, you can easily vary the cleaning ability of the ear rooter.


After using this incredible device I can hear the squeek of a dry chain from a block away. And so far the only down side has been intense migraines and a chronic ear infection.

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