"A bad workman...": the tool-chat thread.

I'm a big believer in this thread. Surprised it's not taken off compared to some of the dafter ones.

Saw an old woodworking toolset in a custom wooden box for £60 in a (closed) house clearance shop the other day. I asked my wife to go in and get it on the Monday, but she didn't (because she hates me), and when I went back it had sold :(

Here's an odd one. My cassette tool has a little stick in the middle to centre it in the hollow axle. However, I've come to tighten a cassette up and the axle is too narrow for the stick. Whut?

They're Hope hubs, and a QR skewer goes in OK. Really effing annoying.

Never seen the point of those ones over their non stick adorned brethren.

Have both at work, never reach for the sticky one.

It's quite handy to keep everything in one piece.

Now I need another tool to do the EXACT SAME JOB as one I already have.

Ah well.

Yup, also doesn't like hubs with cassettes and solid axles. I don't really see the point, I've never had a cassette locking tool sit at a funny angle.

hubs with cassettes and solid axles

Can't recall ever having to deal with one of those: is it a MTB thing? Or are you thinking of a freewheel?

No doubt a tool without a locating pin will do more often than not, but anything that reduces the odds of me skinning my knuckles and/or burring someone else's lockring is worthwhile to me.

Certainly saves time over using a QR to do the same job.

Assuming it fits the axle, of course...

Solid axle + cassette is pretty rare but I own one such wheel that I think would have been like this as stock (dirt jumpy/dh kinda wheel) and I have also replaced the hollow axles in cassette hubs with solid so as to grip track ends on singlespeed builds better.

You gotta piss with the dick you got but I guess if anyone is deliberating which tool to buy themselves then the one without the stick can’t do a couple things the one with can’t.

As a thrilling coda to this rollercoaster story, I can reveal that it's in fact the end cap that reduces the ID of the hole, rather than the axle. HOWEVER, you can't remove and replace it with the cassette lockring on, so my mild frustration persists.

Drilltime.

Someone recently asked for a cassette tool recommendation and Tstr took issue with me suggesting something with both a locating pin and a handle.

I stood my ground, but pretty sure I came off second best...

Mild frustration is the worst.

We're here for you.

Nevar lean, nevar evar argue with Tstr.

Yeah some old XT hubs take cassettes and have solid axles.

Well I've learned some things, which is no bad thing.

However, neither your example nor those of M_V have convinced me that a tool with a locating pin isn't the best choice for the majority of home-mechanics, servicing their own bikes.

Either way, the tools are cheap enough that you don't need to be a pro-wrench to have both in your box if you want!

I have one with and one without. I had to get the one without a pain when I got centrelock discs and the locating pin wouldn't fit into the axle.
#csb

Just ask Campag about the wisdom of using one tool for two separate tasks.

And one size Allen key for a whole groupset!

Also, centrelock disks on alfine hub needs a tool with no centre spindle thing. I too now have two cassette tools and spent an afternoon with much frustration.

Aha, that's what it was that made me buy the second lockring tool - some good old Alfine goodness.

Anyone has / ever used one of these?

I've bought one second hand off ebay. without having an immediate opportunity to try it out Im a bit dubious that some damaged threads (at the base, near the handle) will stop it from working correctly, as one half can't fully screw in to the other...

Hope that my ramblings make sense, should I be concerned?

I'm sure I've seen a design of chain wear indicator whereby one end hooks into a roller as usual, and the other end has just one a fairly long curved piece that slots in a certain distance to indicate wear. Anyone know what I'm on about?

A bit like this, but longer and not stepped:

Rohloff? I seem to recall Sheldon (and others) know of better chain wear indicators.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ProGold-11022-Progold-Chain-Gauge/dp/B001AYMR7Y

EDIT: Found in UK too - Tredz though - probably means they’ll order it from their supplier after you pay for it, even though it says in stock...

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.ProGold-Chain-Gauge_61721.htm?sku=179493&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google_shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8vaPpsvx2AIV7rDtCh22xg3kEAQYASABEgIQpvD_BwE

Ooh that's it, but pricey though!

While we're all here: grease application tooleys.

I was thinking of buying a grease gun, but then I also saw tins of grease with a built-in brush. Anyone got opinions? I've used one tube of grease for the last 8 years and it's only just coming to an end. Smearing it on with a finger has always kind of worked...

Hmmm...

Re. chain wear, Sheldon says:

The standard way to measure chain wear is with a ruler or steel tape measure. This can be done without removing the chain from the bicycle. The normal technique is to measure a one-foot length, placing an inch mark of the ruler at the side of one link pin, then looking at the corresponding link pin 12 complete links away. On a new, unworn chain, this link pin will also line up exactly with an inch mark. With a worn chain, the link pin will be past the inch mark. For accurate measurement, the chain should be held under some tension -- either on the bicycle, or hanging. Also, use a metal ruler or tape measure. Wood, plastic and cloth all can expand or shrink. Measurement is also possible with a metric ruler -- see below.

This technique gives a direct measurement of the wear to the chain, and an indirect measurement of the wear to the sprockets. first, let's look at how to do this with a ruler that measures in inches.

• If the link pin is less than 1/16" past the mark, all is well.
  
• If the link pin is 1/16" past the mark, you should replace the chain, but the sprockets are probably undamaged.
  
• If the link pin is 1/8" past the mark, you have left it too long, and the sprockets (at least the favorite ones) will be too badly worn. If you replace a chain at the 1/8" point, without replacing the sprockets, it may run OK and not skip, but the worn sprockets will cause the new chain to wear much faster than it should, until it catches up with the wear state of the sprockets.
  
• If the link pin is past the 1/8" mark, a new chain will almost certainly skip on the worn sprockets, especially the smaller ones.
  
  

...

There are also special tools made to measure chain wear; these are a bit more convenient, though by no means necessary, and most -- except for the Shimano TL-CN40 and TL-CN41 -- are inaccurate because they allow roller play to confound the measurement of link-pin wear.

I just used the ruler method on a chain that's been ridden in all weathers on my commute since about May. Looks to have zero wear, which I don't believe...