What is the last thing you made? (pics pls)

kayla well done! Would be really interested to hear more such as how time-consuming and difficult was it, did you use any essential oils, what quantity have you made?

For retrodirect – some photos of seat tube bending buried in here (page 3).

The Let’s See Your 29er Hardtails/ Rigids Thread

Basically done cold around a plywood former, tube stuffed with sand (and blended cat litter…..). Leaves a very very slight ripple in the back of the tube but can’t see once painted. 16 and 12.7mm tubes just done on a slightly improved crappy bender from Stakesys (so again not as good as mandrel bent but OK if you don’t look close).

I did like your angle grinder seat tube video – though you did it freehand at first 🙂

Finished another knife

Re-handled a bread knife that I bought when I was sleeping on a mates floor in Sheffield back when I worked for Midland Bank. Sanded it a bit smoother after the photo but I love the Loveless Bolts

I finished the bike rack for the back of my van.

The back of the Transit Connect is a bit small to easily get in and out of to strap the bikes to the side, or a wheel rack, and you can only easily get from one side as it has a single slider. My solution is to mount a couple of old Thule roof carriers to a sliding bed that comes out of the back, then you can get to the clamps from stood by the back door. Runners are made from Unistrut, with roller bearings the same OD as the profile to run up and down in. Works really well and still loads of room to get other stuff in the sides for a trip. Big wing nuts hold the runners onto the wooden frame for easy dismantling to turn it into a full size van again.

Whipped this up yesterday. Trusty cnc machine and some scraps from work.

kayla well done! Would be really interested to hear more such as how time-consuming and difficult was it, did you use any essential oils, what quantity have you made?

Ta! It was ok, it took me ages to chivvy myself up to do it (I’ve had the stuff for about a month now) just because, well, chemicals and that. I reckon in all it took a couple of hours once I’d waited for the lye to cool down enough. I made a bum-basic coconut oil soap (20% superfat) and added tea tree and peppermint oils for the smell. It’ll be another few weeks until it’s ready to try but it came out of the mould ok and it smells nice. I’d be comfy making more cold process stuff with a few more ingredients in now I know I’m not about to blow the house up or dissolve my head or anything 😆

Whipped this up yesterday. Trusty cnc machine and some scraps from work.

Very impressive…. Ehr… What is it?

@tthew

Like your idea of using unistrut with bearings inside.

Ta! It was ok, it took me ages to chivvy myself up to do it (I’ve had the stuff for about a month now) just because, well, chemicals and that. I reckon in all it took a couple of hours once I’d waited for the lye to cool down enough. I made a bum-basic coconut oil soap (20% superfat) and added tea tree and peppermint oils for the smell. It’ll be another few weeks until it’s ready to try but it came out of the mould ok and it smells nice. I’d be comfy making more cold process stuff with a few more ingredients in now I know I’m not about to blow the house up or dissolve my head or anything 😆

kayla did you buy any special equipment such as a thermometer, heavy-bottomed saucepans, knife for cutting? Bet those oils will be gorgeous. Couple of hours isn’t bad but it must have been nerve-wracking all the same! Where did you get the recipe from? Please update when they’re ready for use.

Have been making another load of washing powder this morning, 3 bars of soap were used (bought a box of 18, all unwrapped) so it would be pretty useful to make my own soap.

@drnosh
Thanks! It is pretty er, robust, (**** heavy) for about 30kg tops of mountain bikes though.

kayla did you buy any special equipment such as a thermometer, heavy-bottomed saucepans, knife for cutting? Bet those oils will be gorgeous. Couple of hours isn’t bad but it must have been nerve-wracking all the same! Where did you get the recipe from? Please update when they’re ready for use.

Have been making another load of washing powder this morning, 3 bars of soap were used (bought a box of 18, all unwrapped) so it would be pretty useful to make my own soap.

I bought a stainless dish and used a big pan we already had to make a double boiler to warm/melt the oil. Pyrex jug (for the lye) we already had and OH makes home brew so we had some theremometers kicking around too!

It was pretty fraught to start with but the only really sketchy thing is the lye solution (we handled worse stuff in chemistry lessons at school!) which is neutralised pretty much as soon as it goes into the oil and I had a bottle of vinegar on hand in case I spilt it on myself 😆

The recipe came off t’internet and I used this-

http://soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp

to check it. It’s just a really basic, can’t-really-go-wrong 100% coconut (20% superfat) soap recipe with whatever essential oils you want to add bunged in when you’re supposed to bung them in. It’s ready to use after a few days (used it last night in the shower and it’s really nice with loads of lather) but it will be at it’s best in a few weeks’ time (I made it on the 3rd, last Monday).

There are recipes for other 100% coconut oil soaps with more lye added that are harsher and can be used for laundry soap, just google ‘coconut laundry soap’ and it’ll chuck up a load of answers.

I made the ‘Sam Pilgrim Mini Kicker’ ramp:

https://i.postimg.cc/k4Smw04x/spmini.jpg

Then, I thought, “Let’s go bigger”, and used up a load more scrap wood:

https://i.postimg.cc/0NFvYk8k/spmidi1.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/rpKcR02Z/spmidi2.jpg

Just got to wait for a dryish day now to hurt myself…

^ awesumz!

Not quite made…. but got this 1920 single sleeve valve engine working again.

Barr and Stroud Sleeve Valve Engine by Stephen Williams[/url], on Flickr

Even got it generating now, it’s meant to run at 4000RPM and produced 200V 250W @ 400Hz for a lifeboat Marconi radio transmitter, but not sure how well it would stand up to it at nearly 100years old.

That’s a beaut! What fuel does it use?

@tthew, just petrol, it smokes a bit due to the oil pressure on the sleeve, sounds like a mini semi-diesel…. I have a 2 stroke diesel genset but as it was the last of only 15 made it now lives in a museum for such items in Wales on longterm loan.

I’d like to get my open crank out more often but it’s not as rare or interesting (well to me…) though most enthusiasts would prefer it….

A birthday card

I bought an Asgard Trojan shed a while back. Billed as fitting 4-5 bikes in. Does it eck! Road bikes maybe.

Untitled by blackteaonesugar[/url], on Flickr

I have 4 mtbs in there and so needed a way of maximising the space and storing the bikes nicely off one another.

I found the best way was vertically with front wheels off so needed a simple way of doing it.

Those axle tube-brackets you get cost a fortune. I’ve made them out of wood previously I didn’t want to fiddling about threading axles while supporting the bike so came up with an alternative.

I bought 4 toggle clamps (used a lot in woodworking for jigs etc) and made some angled mounting blocks out of plywood, which I’d cut to 95mm width, just under the fork spacing of my non-boost forks, and more under my fatbike forks.

Untitled by blackteaonesugar[/url], on Flickr

I then routed a curved channel towards one end(a hand saw would do cutting a vee)

Untitled by blackteaonesugar[/url], on Flickr

Then I mounted the toggle clamps to the ply and adjusted the wotsit rubber bit until it just snapped nicely onto a bit of 15mm dowel(my axle size)

Untitled by blackteaonesugar[/url], on Flickr

I then had a think ….🤔…. and thought that I’d rather spread the force of the clamp over a wider area of the axle, even though it’s only rubber.

So I used some more ply, with some more curved channels routed into it, and mounted that opposite the clamps using a hinge so that it could be swung out the way when getting the bike out.

Untitled by blackteaonesugar[/url], on Flickr

I drilled a shallow hole in the clamping ply as the toggle clamp had run out of adjustment. I could have just packed up the clamp a bit but this was closer to hand.

Untitled by blackteaonesugar[/url], on Flickr

Untitled by blackteaonesugar[/url], on Flickr

Then I mounted each block into the shed onto some plywood board that I’d already fixed on the back wall.

I had to offer up each bike due to different wheelbases but yeah, wheel the bike into position, flip the hinged block over and snap the toggle clamp in. It still allows you to pivot the bike at a bigger angle which I need to do as the seat fouls the door and I don’t like storing bikes with the dropper down.

Untitled by blackteaonesugar[/url], on Flickr

Untitled by blackteaonesugar[/url], on Flickr

Untitled by blackteaonesugar[/url], on Flickr

It works really well except, the swing over clamp ply block thing hits the front brake caliper (I forgot about that) and so you’ve to do a little more careful angle of entry than if it wasn’t there. I might modify it slightly in future.

Untitled by blackteaonesugar[/url], on Flickr

It would work quite well floor mounted in a car too.

👍

@kayak23, that’s a cracking idea. My shed isn’t quite as high as the asgard, but it may work…

Not been doing much in the workshop due to real life, but got a chance to get in and do a quick paint.

View this post on Instagram

Photoset part. 2. Glamour shots. Photos of my process in profile. . . . #bikeporn #bikes #bicicleta #bike #cycling #procycling #noboringbikes #hvlp #spraybooth #refinishing #custompaint #custombike #singlespeed #bikepacking #tracklocross #fixie #messlife #messfam

A post shared by Colin Woof! Building bicycles. (@colin_woof) on Jun 22, 2019 at 2:07pm PDT

View this post on Instagram

Photoset part. 1. Showing process. Other photographs in profile. The speckle is greater than the splatter! There, I said it. This stem was painted as a surprise trade for something from @empireathleticsslo . Will get it in the post shortly. I'm excited to see what turns up in exchange. . . . #bikeporn #custompaint #custompainting #custombike #cyclocross #bikepacking #cycletouring #gravelbike #splatter #fades #bikes #velo #bicycle #bicicleta #framebuilders #framebuilding #framebuilder #noboringbikes #roadcycling #cycling #bikemechanic #fixedgear #fixieporn #fixie #fixiebike #bespoke #artisan

A post shared by Colin Woof! Building bicycles. (@colin_woof) on Jun 22, 2019 at 1:25pm PDT

Ouch my eye!

Josh

Wow just trying to pass the mensa test that is uploading images!

If this doesn’t work I give up.

It’s the stand by the way, not the floor, mess , foot stool or any other detritus I have included in this image.

Here’s one I’ve been working on a little a while. It’s not done but I’m ready to share. It’s a bluetooth remote control for my phone, specifically for OruxMaps (my favourite mapping program). The idea is that when it’s hammering it down with rain and my touchscreen would be unusable I can leave the phone running in a waterproof ziplock bag and still wake up the screen and zoom in/out etc. Also when riding off road on trails it’s useful to be able to check the map without taking hands off the bars.

It has a low profile and can be comfortably mounted on the inside of road STI’s or flat mtb bars.

I did the case design on Autodesk’s http://www.tinkercad.com and my friend at work has a 3d printer. Design:

[/url]

Real life (nice glowing red LED on charge):

This first version was basically a learning experience for 3d design/print and now I am redesigning it with bigger buttons, better tactile response and better waterproofing. The new top/buttons will be one piece 3d printed in TPU (flexi plastic).

The bluetooth board in this one is simply stripped from some throw-away-cheap Chinese bluetooth headphones.

It had to be used in combination with a little app I wrote to fake being a media player (so it could receive headphone button presses when the phone is sleeping)- recent’ish version at https://github.com/ptd006/Biketweaks . (This whole project started with just a wired headphone button.) However I have already started the next iteration of the remote control with a general purpose bluetooth chip (Nordic NRF5 series). This will allow me to do cooler stuff like have a little optical map panning thing and potentially a display for heart rate etc.

Impressive 👌

Nice bike stand too ^^

That’s really impressive twowheels

View this post on Instagram

Ply day. It’s way easier get it all lined up in autocad… #ply #iamnotacarpenter #howiescape #woodwork

A post shared by Less Bikes, More Stuff (@jim_gardiner) on Jun 22, 2019 at 10:06am PDT

been making a wardrobe..

Not a new project, but one that I didn’t document properly at the time. I just came across this photo!

View this post on Instagram

Does this look inviting? Just came across this, thanks for the photo Edinburgh forge. This was the thing I learned to weld on at the awesome @edinburghforge only 14 short months ago. Apparently rusting away through the back of the containers now. Would love someone to adopt this project to learn welding and attach more tubes to it (it has no triangulation and needs them). @nicolaassamsom ? 2 wheels good, 4 wheels bad, 3 wheels worst! It's very cool, but a truly awful machine to ride. Crashes were had. Needs to be taken round the local pumptrack @tomschwimmbeck . . #bmx #bmxracing #bikeporn #bikes #bicicleta #tigwelding #sidehack #freakbikersunite #framebuilders #framebuilding #4130society #freakbike #makerspace #maker #bespoke #artisan #handmade #metalwork #sculpture #velo #cargobike #messlife #bikemessenger #deliveroo #procycling #bmxlife #4130 #noboringbikes #bikelife #messlife #cargobikelife

A post shared by Colin Woof! Building bicycles. (@colin_woof) on Jun 24, 2019 at 8:31am PDT

Thanks @kayak23 and @Retrodirect!

One of my favourite threads on STW

For the life of me I can’t post images on here!! Doh!

@blokeuptheroad – yup it is awful. If you don’t have a flickr or similar account you can paste to an ad-driven site like https://imgbb.com/ . After uploading there is an option to “copy bb code”. You then paste that in your post here.

After uploading there is an option to “copy bb code”. You then paste that in your post here.

you can do that direct from flickr. Or by copying the url if on a mobile. Thats how I do it

Got a link to your pic BUTR?

For the life of me I can’t post images on here!! Doh!

Find the link on whatever photo hosting site you use that starts with “..“).

‘Copy’ that, and just paste it straight into your post on here.

Edit: I’m so thick 😀 Here’s a screenshot of what I meant to say:

Not allowed to post actual pics of the parts but they are on this.

Pics don’t seem to work so heres the link.

https://images.app.goo.gl/CBhM8LZtMYPeosZZ9

Find the link on whatever photo hosting site you use that starts with “..“).

‘Copy’ that, and just paste it straight into your post on here.

Edit: I’m so thick 😀 Here’s a screenshot of what I meant to say:

Thanks. Will it work? Here goes…

Edit: yes it will! Tried every link of the dozen or so on Imgbb except that one, thanks bearnecessities!

New coop, the second I’ve built, currently unoccupied awaiting a new flock of girls.

kayak23 that is a proper sneaky idea, well done!

This is what’s been keeping me fit lately.

Before:

During:

And after:

Although the wife says she was intercepted the other day by representatives of the Lollipop Guild.

Great job on the garden.
We’re lucky enough to have a large garden- unfortunately it was retired couple that had the house before us and the garden is a nightmare to keep on top of, especially the many borders.

Tinribs in training for World Hopscotch champs? Looks nice and easy to keep tidy.