Brompton owners

The bolts are threadlocked in, if you get one out you then faff for ages trying to get the other out whilst the spindle rotates. 6mm, buzz buzz, done.

explained method suggests it's always the case.

Usually is, if it come out easily, then it was installed incorrectly (bolt need medium strength Loctite applied).

You're into Bromptons now? How much seatpost is showing? ;D

Probably resembles somebody doing a pole vault over a child’s bike

A mate ecently explained his process to me - he puts a long 4mm Allen key in the bolt head and heats the key with a butane torch. The heat transfers to the bolt and softens the threadlock and the bolts come out easily. I’ve not tried it myself yet but it sounds good, and he reckons it works well.

I’ve found that when you drill the head off one side, the other bolt rotates when you try and decapitate the other bolt. How do you stop it rotating? I usually saw it off at that point. Also, what tap do you use? You screw it in and punch it back out from within?

Joseph or George suggested we try this since they changed the loctite compound - have yet to try. Have found you go through less drill bits thinif you drill really slowly with a lot of pressure on. (Even the supplied drill bits work when you do this but you need one per side)

Needs must. This much...

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Light is on

Not any more it isn’t because the stand light is broken. (Already)

Yup, drill speed is crucial depending on what material you are drilling out. The trick with bolt heads is low speed, medium pressure and, crucially, use cutting fluid to lubricate and cool it. Not easy when you’re drilling side-on and it makes a mess, but I got bollocked many times as an apprentice about the correct use of drill bits.

Daft question: how do you supply cutting fluid to something like this - I presume in a bike shop you'd use a pillar drill on a workbench? I know machine tools usually have a cutting fluid feed that you can point at the workpiece, but what would you use in this situation?

Just drill both sides, rarely the other side spins, just hold the rear frame snug and ever so slightly to one side of it starts spinning. Slow and steady.

Just drill, one drill bit does both sides, no need for faff.

Just squirt a bit of park cutting fluid on the drill bit. Really doesnt need tonnes.

I don’t have room to lay a bike on its side on a pillar drill, tbh. That would be ideal but doing it by hand is fine. I just use WD40 or Rothenburget cutting fluid and apply it gently over the drill tip from above. As @maynardeames says, you don’t need much, on a small job like a bolt it just helps preserve your drill bit and stops it from snatching. It does help if someone else applies it while you have both hands on the drill, tho.

Yeah, I get you. Will try that next time, ta!

I don’t have braize ons for a pump. Wonder what the weight saving is.

Huge savings. All about ride quality over weight though!

Stolen this pm from Great Russel Street, H6LX nickel.

Dog safe!

Was locked, stolen by white male, many witnesses. CCTV being recovered tomorrow.

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Scumbags

New to me bike day.

Now to make it slightly ridiculous.

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great starting point, looks good for it’s age... what you thinking?

Yeah. It's mint. Friend I got it off always looks after her bikes. And it's the first bike with Ti I've ever had.

All black erryting.

That's as far as I've got.

Other than ignoring Ameys advice on WhatsApp.

Please don’t cave, I know he’s persistent/persuasive.

One Brompton Abomeynation is enough for this world.