Cassette sprockets and single speeding?

I seperated two cassettes and now have a whole heap of sprockets to play with on my Sanderson Soloist.

The teeth are a fair bit shallower than the dedicated SS sprockets. Are they ok to use for SSing or will my goolies die a horrible and painful death on the top tube if the chain slips.

Anybobody else done it and survived?

They can work but they tend to be very sensitive to chainline and chain tension.

I tried them once on a SS conversion (using a sprung tensioner) and gave up! You may get away with a 'proper' SS frame if you keep the chain well tensioned as already said.

I'm running this, holding the sprocket in place with part of a deodorant can and an old derailur cable-tied in line.

It's fine.

…but if I wasn't a penniless student I would do it properly, top-tube intimacy is best avoided.

XC bike, casette sprocket, unramped '9spd' front chainring, 9spd chain, Deore mech as a tensioner. I had no problems (though made sure I used the least worn of my sprockets (from several casettes) when using to see how I got on SSing

You'll need about 3 casettes to get enough of the plastic spacers

Yes they are narrow, but if you have casettes that have 3 rivetted pins running through to hold them together you can reuse them. Grind them off at one end (To get the casette apart) and by threading the 3 pins through most of the plastic spacers (retrieved from the casettes) and the sprocket you can distribute the load a fair bit across the freehub body minimising the risk of the sprocket guaging its own run to spin freely around the freehub body

Also, if you've a few casettes, find a pair of same sized sprockets (other than aesthetics you can use differing sized ones). A pair of 21T will cover anything upto about an 18T. Hold them with some moldgrips/locking pliers and set to work griding all the teeth off with an electric bench griding stone thing. Slide on one-but-next to the sprocket either side (seperated by a plastic spacer) and you have a rear 'chainguide' to stop the sprocket dropping the chain

I've not took any pictures yet

Thanks guys for the assistance.

James…top tip on making a chain guide, I hadn't thought of doing that.

Loved this bit tho….made me LOL " electric bench grinding stone thing"

I bought Shimano DX single speed sprockets from All Terrain for £2.75 each. Don't know if they're still doing them but at that price…

Start with a 32 ring at the front (which you probably already have) and a 16 sprocket at the back. Then stick with it for a bit before you deccide it's wrong. In the flatlands you may need a higher gear but otherwise it's probably right – just let your body adapt.