[Closed] Successful workshop bodge - i'll show you mine if....

My best one was using a piece of bendy wire pushed through the swing arm of my Five between the brake holes and then pushing the new brake hose over the wire to feed it through. Can't believe it worked. this was after I accidentally pulled the old hose out.

Other one was shamelessly stolen off here and involved 2p coins and a caseette to free off a stuck freehub. Satisfyingly down to earth, though.

A paintbrush roller is the perfect size for seating Boxxer seals.

My tubeless inflater made from a garden sprayer works a treat! 2 new TLR tyres inflated and seated in 30 minutes today!!

A halfords axle stand inner/top bit is just the right inner diameter and great for seating stubborn crown races on tight (or worse still stepped, like you get on many rigid forks incl my surly one) fitting 1 1/8" steerers.

Also bearing presses made from various sized sockets, long bolts and nuts.

The Roger Musson d-i-y wheel jig is may favourite home made one but obviously all credit to him for that: Because of the way the jaws are, you can just slot a 10mm allen key in and squeeze the sides/legs together a little bit, (and use the 'floating' gauges and a dishing tool for reference) and then put pretty much any hub/axle standard in it, whereas on a shop bought one you would be needing adapters for 10/12/15/20 bolt throughs and so on. I have built onto every hub size going with that stand including 150mm dh and maverick ones.

Not a tool bodge, per se, but I fashioned a remarkably effective chainguide from an old light bracket and a corner brace a while ago. Sadly, no photographic evidence remains.

I used 2 old lock on rings from a grip as a cutting guide for cutting my bars worked a treat

That Wheelpro stand is good. I'm sure theres a few here that have been made from Roger's drawings.

I like using the nipple driver i made. I formed the shank from electrical contractors basket as it already has one right angle bend on it. It was also soft enough metal to easily file the pin/slot bit for the nipples.

Not really a bodge though.

Spring from old garden peg helped me release my YBN chain link. Kept it in toolbox for next time.

Ss conversion using plastic plumbing pipe to space the rear hub. Works very well.
Most of my bikes are bodge-free at present,everything working for once. Except for the bathroom sealent holding the headset cups of the road bike obviously.

Spring from old garden peg helped me release my YBN chain link. Kept it in toolbox for next time.

You can also make a nice chain end holder/third hand from a wire coat hanger.

Cheers for tip Tucker, the OH is gonna be furious by time I've finished, however my toolkit is gonna be ace 😀

How does the peg spring thing work then?

I have an old M14 bolt that is perfect for seating star-fangled nuts, and I use bubble mix (for kids, you know) to set up tubeless tyres before sticking sealant in them, it's much better than washing-up liquid.

I'm experimenting with some cast-off lab equipment to make parts finishing devices - I've got a shaking thing and a rolling thing and a couple of tubs of sand and gravel.

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Results are mixed 😉

How does the peg spring thing work then?

No finesse at all mind!
Just bent the clip parts of the spring a little and jammed either side of the two inner link bearings. Allowed me to use fat pliers on the ends of the clip and push the inners together to release the link.
I just had really limited tools avail at the time so dare say much better suited tools sitting in most tool boxes, however it worked first time so I've kept a hold of it.

 

The tube from (the large) cling film is the perfect size to seat a crown race.

^so is the tube from henry the hoover, with a nice plastic bit on the end so you don't damage the race

Old spoke curled at each end fits in rucksack and takes the strain of fixing a chain trail side 😯

Wooden skewer (for kebabs) to squeeze under grips to get them loose.
Bent coat hanger as above
Scaffolders netting tie to hold bar while removing forks.
20mm length of gear cable in end-crimp to open up the ends of cut outers.
Bolt as above to seat SFNs. I use an old top cap to ensure it goes in straight.

APF

Cable ties for just about anything. 8)

Not so much a tool but I recently used the old trick of a Bic biro spring replacing those in the pawls in a Campag hub. It clicks like a Hope now, lovely.

At polo a few weeks back my mate snapped his seatbolt clamp, mmmm I wonder what else is on a bike that we could salvage that would allow him to play?!

I know, rear v-brake pad! Fitted right in, perfect length, and the shoulder on the bolt sat just so against the frame tab. He kept it on for a few weeks, easy tool free seatpost adjustment innit!

Seen here in action @ 0.51

Co Op Cheese Slices make an excellent material for DIY chain rings.

Hang on, I think that's been done already......

Dismantled old car jack to make headset press...also spark plug removing tool cut strips in it with hacksaw,then forced out a little way to make aheadset removal tool..happy days

had a pair of marzocchi z1 wedges years ago that were a bit on the soft side...
i managed to get hold of a stiffer spring that came off another marzocchi fork but is was shorter than the spring it was replacing. simple bodge was to cut a piece of plastic plumbing pipe to take up the void left by the shorter spring...i left the spring in the other leg alone...130mm travel was reduced to 120mm but the suspension action was then perfect...i was so impressed by my handiwork i did the same on a pair of marzocchi junior t's...
also used an old spoke to create a cable guide for the front disc brake so it wouldnt rub on the fork...worked brilliantly but requires a v brake boss to fit it...i made some spare ones that are still lurking around in the toolbox if anyone is interested...

Ive got 60mm worth of spacers that I found in my dad box of nuts and bolts. Bolt on the end threaded and other end is the SFN. The spacers are the perfect diameter for the steerer. Just drop it in and hammer the SFN in. Perfectly seated every time. Sits in the tool box.

Cheese knife which came with a lidl christmas cheese board is the best thing I have found for removing bearing seals without damaging them.

Modified a star nut fitting tool for a 1 1/8 steerer to fit a 1 1/2 steerer. I wrapping the outer tube part in tape to make it thicker, and put it upside down in a longer piece of plastic pipe which fitted over the larger steerer. Put the inner piece the wrong way through the outer piece, and hit it using a bolt. (my description is poor, but it took 2 minutes and worked!)

Made a few things. Wheel jig was probably the best. Also made a chainwhip out of chain off-cuts and a bit of flat bar. Seem to remember one of the pivot bolts on the Trance was bodged with a QR and 2 10p coins with holes drilled in them. Lasted months of 'I really should make something better for that' 🙂

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edit: Yes I did make a better gauge than the 'block of wood on an ice-cream box' solution.

We have done a few of these a month or so ago but:-

Waste pipe - seats crown races
Bread board - seats start fangled nuts. But also broke the breadboard , so I'm not sure if that is a success or not.
Using the chain with the wheel held the wrong way ground and pressure No chain whip - on the cranks method
Cheap Magura disc brake need bleeding/hose shortening? - just throw them away and buy the cheapest shimano ones. It makes sense. Magura don't seem to like selling spares ...
Trying to extract as so called ISIS chainset made by raceface of an orange patriot. 1) Try every extractor there is, then fin out there is a special extractor for that model. 2) Big FO soft hammer on crank. 3) Throwaway raceface crank set as it never stayed stight, creaked and wobbled from side to side

Single link of chain makes a good Stan's valve remover.