Looking at putting some gears on for the next few months,

anyone made one themselves? i’ve played with a few old spare cassettes from my parts box but can only manage upto 5 cogs.

http://waltworks.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/this-one-goes-to-11.html

I convert my ss 29er with Hope trials hub to 7 speed for Alpine holidays etc.

I can easily fit 7 cogs of a modified 9 speed cassette which gives me 34 30 26 23 20 17 13.

Machined both faces of cassette spider in a lathe (6 sprockets all as one) and then just added 13t which had a built in spacer. Then played with small shims between lockring and 13t to get it all to pull up tight.

I can email some photos / dimensions of machined bits tonight if you want.

Check Shimano site if buying a new cassette as there are a few sprocket options (I’d have preferred the one with a 19t but was just experimenting out of spares bin).

how do you hold a cassette in the lathe?

I use 6 mostly, have had 7 on there but 6 is a better fit or less faff. A 17-34 carrier part of a 9spd XT goes straight on, or use the >32T section of a 12-32 with a 12 and a spare 15 from an old cassette.
I used 3x Shimano cogs (28, 14 and 12) with 3 SS cogs (21, 19 and 16) stacked up for my last trip, a bit clunky but really durable with easy-fix options if I broke a mech and needed to go SS.
A BB or head tube facing tool can be used to mill down the back of cassettes but it’s a minor pita to get them straight. Marking them out and using a marked stem spacer as a guide can help file/hack them down pretty flat.

Few threads on mtbr
http://forums.mtbr.com/29er-bikes/6-speed-cassette-ss-hub-please-post-your-setup-573783.html
http://forums.mtbr.com/29er-components/6-cogs-ss-hub-best-solution-458083.html
http://forums.mtbr.com/29er-bikes/6speed-jones-cassettes-441289.html

Used bits of a 10 speed cassette as a temporary fix as it was the only way of getting 1 bike out of 2 temporarily. Not the best ratios as I didn’t want to butcher the cassette.

The thing I would be careful of is the cable clamp if you are running a 10 speed shadow mech as mine caught the spokes on the lower gears and would have needed modifying if I’d used the setup for more than 1 ride…

how do you hold a cassette in the lathe?

Errr? Any way you want when just skimming off a few mm of aluminium carrier 🙂

I used the outside face of the chuck jaws gripping inside the cassette bore. Either directly onto the splines or some of the 5 sprocket carriers have an unsplined section.

At a push it does not actually need to run concentrically as you are only shortening / facing (just needs to be flat against the chuck).

With non-shadow mechs there is nothing remotely near the spokes and it was very reliable.

Cheers guys, will be having a play with it at the weekend..

Mick – i might call up on some dimensions but will have a play first.