Have you made or modified a bicycle tool?

I find myself modifying or making my own tools all the time.
Here's a simple modification. I cut these tools down for a 4 month touring trip in South America.

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Permalink Reply by UV Metal Arts - Powder Coating on April 3, 2009 at 2:11am
Can some of you tool modifiers add photos of your creations? I think it would be a help to people trying to recreate some of these great ideas.
Permalink Reply by UV Metal Arts - Powder Coating on April 3, 2009 at 5:37pm
Here is something that I used to see in bike shops. I put some casters on it from a busted up old chair.
People normally have the saddle the other way but I reversed it to be closer to my blast cabinet.
This set-up took care of the back pain that

I used to get from standing in front of the cabinet for an hour.
Permalink Reply by Mike Bullis 5.5-6.5 miles on April 4, 2009 at 11:26am
Here's a shot of my headset press in action.

Permalink Reply by UV Metal Arts - Powder Coating on April 5, 2009 at 3:29am
Here's a park tools pedal wrench with a old huffy top tube welded to it. I've used this tool exclusively for many year. It will even take out seized pedals, though the cranks treads will be damaged in the process.

This is something I would be willing to do in exchange for a donation of any steel bicycle frame. I would use one of the tubes for the handle and cut the rest up for powder coating samples.
Immortalize your favorite wrecked frame.
Word of warning- when installing a pedal with this wrench hold the tool closer to the business end or you will over tighten it.
Permalink Reply by Lee Diamond on April 5, 2009 at 3:32am
You are making me jealous. I would happily trade my carpentry skills for welding skills at this stage in my life. Sigh...
Permalink Reply by UV Metal Arts - Powder Coating on April 5, 2009 at 5:01am
Yes, Owin can do it. I'll do it for you if he can't.
Permalink Reply by UV Metal Arts - Powder Coating on April 5, 2009 at 5:09am
Has anyone ever made a head set crown race remover? One that's more like the real thing and less like a hammer and screw driver?
Permalink Reply by Lee Diamond on April 5, 2009 at 5:12am
First of all, when you say it is shot and seized, i can only presume you mean one or both of the cups. If it is both of the cups, I can't help you because this fix requires you to go through the spindle hole of the bottom bracket shell and seized cup, which it can't do it the spindle is in the way. If it is an odd size of pin spanner, you are also out of luck here. If you have a fixed pin cup like the Park HCW-4, you are in business though.

You may have tried this or something similar, but after taking two bikes in for seized bottom bracket cups I was determined to find a DIY method of doing this myself. I don't even know if this is a novel solution or not, but when I discovered it, I was quite pleased and I have used it several times since. In any case, it isn't in any book i have read, so maybe it will offer a new approach.

The main issue with cup removal on seized bb situations tends to be a very difficult time gaining purchase since the flats are so thin, and so are the wrenches. This is even worse if you have a crazy old bike or some strange cup that requires weirdo tools or span wrenches of odd widths that can't be fixed, but going with the fact that this is a Gary Fisher, I can presume it is a shimano bottom bracket and you should be fine.

To further complicate the problem of seized bottom brackets is that the right wrenches tend to have odd handles that are hard to leverage with a standard elongator like a metal pipe, etc. The solution above for the pedal wrench is a great example of extending the lever for greater power at the pivot. This addresses a different aspect of the seized threading, which is that of proper purchase at the point where the tool and seized device meet. Power is handled in a very different, more brutal and fun way.

So presuming you have the correct wrench, put your bike in a stand. Raise your stand, or rotate the bike in the stand so that the bottom bracket shell is at a height that gives you plenty of leverage, since you likely need to take advantage of every bit you can gain if your wrench doesn't allow you to extend the lever. Place the wrench, roughly perpendicular to the ground, on the seized cup, making sure there is the maximum amount of connection to the cup. You want it in the direction that will allow you to loosen by pushing the lever down. You have a Gary Fisher which would be an English thread, so depending on whether it is right or left side will determine whether you place the tool towards the front or rear of the bike. I leave you to figure that out.

Now while holding the tool in the correct position on the cup with the maximum amount of purchase, take as much electrical tape as is necessary to secure the wrench and cup so that the wrench will not fall out when you let go. It does not need to be perfect, but just to hold the tool in place while you get ready for the next phase, and to cover the outside of the tool and cup with tape to prevent damage during the next step. The key is to leave the hole in the cup free so something can readily pass through it, so don't tape over the hole.

Now take your headset press (did i forget to mention you will need a headset press? You willl.) and remove the lever, extender and washer(s) from one side. Pass the headset through the bottom bracket shell and out the seized cup. Now you have the threaded rod of the headset press coming out of the seized bottom bracket. Press the washer(s) of the other side all the way up to the shell of the open side of the bottom bracket shell. Now simply take the other washers and lever and thread them right up to the point of contact with the taped-together seized cup and tool. You will now tighten the lever of the headset press just to the point where it squeezes against the electrical tape at the outermost point of contact.

Now that you have hard purchase on your fixed cup, get a nice hammer and a piece of scrap wood. Place the scrap wood over the upper edge of the wrench and wail away at it. As soon as it gives, you need to pull the lever of the headset press against the cup in the same direction to keep your screw tight against the washer, but moving with the threads as you loosen the cup.

I should have previously mentioned it is a good idea to soak the area with PB Blaster while you are getting started. That stuff is super-good, but it often needs some help.

I hope this wasn't too long-winded, un-novel, or completely off from your needed fix. If you want to come over with it and it sounds like this will work, i'd be happy to have a go at it with you. Good luck
Permalink Reply by Lee Diamond on April 5, 2009 at 5:53am
I have not, however, you are probably thinking your best option is the over-priced, but I admit, easy-to-use Park tool which is too much. Check out the Ice Toolz version. Street price is like 40 bucks and it protects your crown race as well as the park tool and is a lot better than a screwdriver on the bottom face of a relatively delicate part. This evenly distributes the force well enough.

It also seems like an easier idea to base any built-fixes from rather than the Park process/tool.

Here's a Google shopping link.

UV Metal Arts - Powder Coating said:
Has anyone ever made a head set crown race remover? One that's more like the real thing and less like a hammer and screw driver?
Permalink Reply by UV Metal Arts - Powder Coating on April 5, 2009 at 6:09am
If Alex could not get it out, I would assume that the maximum amount of leverage has been applied to the BB cup/or cups(BB tool fastened by bolting the tool to the spindle and using a cheater bar, torquing it in a vise, or hammering, after a good soak in liquid wrench). If that's the the case you will have to get mid-evil on it and cut it out of there. Not pretty.
Heating it up and cooling with a torch to brake the bond is not recommended as you would be adding heat to a hi-stress area of the bike already prone to failing do to over heating during construction i.e., above the BB shell at the seat tube. The seat tube cluster on the other hand is not a hi-stress area and is ok to use the touch trick here but you have to avoid melting the brass or silver if there is any there(you have to heat below there anyways). Absolute no-no with aluminum.
Permalink Reply by UV Metal Arts - Powder Coating on April 5, 2009 at 6:16am
Thanks Lee, I didn't know it was so cheap. Some time it's just better to buy it.
Lee Diamond said:
I have not, however, you are probably thinking your best option is the over-priced, but I admit, easy-to-use Park tool which is too much. Check out the Ice Toolz version. Street price is like 40 bucks and it protects your crown race as well as the park tool and is a lot better than a screwdriver on the bottom face of a relatively delicate part. This evenly distributes the force well enough.

It also seems like an easier idea to base any built-fixes from rather than the Park process/tool.

Here's a Google shopping link.

UV Metal Arts - Powder Coating said:
Has anyone ever made a head set crown race remover? One that's more like the real thing and less like a hammer and screw driver?
Permalink Reply by Lee Diamond on April 5, 2009 at 6:19am
I have to absolutely agree.

I wish i had that foresight on countless occcassions, but determination to go my own way has also inspired some of my best moments!

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