1. Lucky save: After I broke the last two-prong SunTour freewheel removal tool I had, I used a grinder to prepare a cast off forged 15mm open end wrench so the tips fit neatly into the two slots on the freewheel. Now when necessary I put the wrench in a vice and the wheel on the wrench to remove a freewheel.
2. Favorite: I got tired of measuring seat height above bb center with a tape measure and trying to estimate what the real length would be if I measured a true vertical. I took a long and short length of half inch stainless bar stock and made a square for measuring seat height. I drilled two small holes in each end and bolted them together after using a square jig to gaurentee the right angle. So now I just lay the square on top of the saddle in the right spot and get a true measure of seat height. I hold a bubble level to it if I'm feeling particular.
3. Simple, but sentimental: a nice 531 top tube cut from one of my wrecked track bikes (an E.G.Bates, alas) adds a lot of leverage to a chain whip. And nice glossy pepto bismol pink paint too.
4. Needs a pad for the palm: Chain whip made from bar stock and a couple pieces of chain installed.
5. Can't find any drawback to it: Wheel building/truing stand made from barstock and wing nuts.
--Mitch
On Jan 17, 2008 5:39 PM, Harvey Sachs <hmsachs@verizon.net> wrote:
> Wayne D asked:
>
> Hi all, while I was having a tidy up in my toolboxes, the thought came
> across me, "how many others out there have special homemade tools that
> could be used by others", send a list to the list if you are prepared to
> supply details that could enable someone to duplicate.
> +++++++++++++++++
> From one swap meet or another, I have two home-made two-notch freewheel
> pullers. each (and they came as a pair) is a strip of heavy sheet
> metal, bent into a "U", with a hole in the center part (for the axle or
> QR) and two notches on the legs to grip the FW.
> Very elegant, and might have worked well. Not my own creation.
>
> not to mention the various cheap screwdrivers that have had blades
> reground for special functions for bikes, locks, or whatever.
>
> harvey sachs
> mcLean va