Tool Time

I wanted to do this on Tuesday because I like alliteration. But Tuesday is ride night and it ran a little long(Another story, got to whore up my count somehow) Anyway, no writing got done last night, but plenty of thinking and I did take the pictures so the plan was there. Basically, I am planning for that professional writing career by pushing my hypothetical deadlines.
I really want to do a hand made tool every week, but I just have not made that many tools, so to fill the empty space I decided that there were some cool tools that not everyone might have seen.

First tonight is the KoolStop tire bead jack.

(Note the Yellow tape, far better than peeing on the tools to signify ownership.)

This is a great tool, every customer is amazed by it and lots of my shop buds have not seen one. It reduces mounting a Continental to a Matrix to a minor struggle. If you are old enough to get the Conti/Matrix reference, you are dirt like, as I am.
The way it works is to place the fixed part of the tool, against the rim and lever the tire bead on to the opposite side of the rim.(Yeah, that is a crappy description, look at the pictures)




Sadly, this only works on pretty narrow tires. Look for a Tool Time scratch build of one that will work on fatties. Hook Worm anyone?

Next we have a homemade tool. (I really wish I could make enough to do this every week but I am not that creative)
Some suspension forks have seals that are easy to install, so I have heard. Just about all the seals require either a special tool or prayer to get them in straight and not screwed. Just about every one makes a tool for their fork, so you can just buy the twenty different seal installers or you can make a pair of these.


This is a section of a Thomson seat post cut in half, then the end was flared to clear the lip part of the seal.
To use this wonder, you slide the seals(and the foam oilers)on to the stanchions, then you slide the (aptly named) sliders on to the stanchions. Now you place Chucks custom seal tool between the seal and the crown, place the fork on the floor and push down on the crown. Seal installed, Tah-Dah.


To make the installer all you need is to find some weight weenie that wants you to hacksaw a couple of inches off of his $100 seat post so he can save 15 grams. Now bisect the remnant and flare one end. I used a T-dolly and a ball peen hammer, but you can do it with a claw hammer and the horn part of a bench vise.
You can also make similar tools with PVC and a dremel tool