Spotter's Current Project Collation

Rex 3 sounds like Scooby Doo saying 'XC'

youve cracked the rotor code

Made a fair bit of progress on the SSCX build. This is how it looked when i got it:

A total horror show, not heavily used but dirty and unloved.
The stickers had been degraded by the sun light so proved to be a nightmare to remove. Each sticker broke into two layers, the top 'clear' layer with the design on and then a brittle white lower layer which tore apart instead of peeling up nicely.
I tried a hair dryer, but as they were so brittle it didnt make much difference. So now, in possesion of some very sore fingers, I got to about this point...

...and realised that the glue was going to be the next issue, as you probably have guessed, it was all hard and sticky. I got a lot of it off with lots of acetone before I gave up with aching hands again and regretting not being somewhere with better ventelation. I decided to go to my LBS to use their heated enzyme parts washer.
This worked very well and with a liberal application of GT85 to clean it I managed to toally strip back the frame and fork, then bring up a nice finish. I also internally coated all the tubes I could get too with GT85 to give them a bit of rust proofing and then drilled a drain hole in the BB shell. Also cleaned and repacked the headset.

Thankfully most of the paint has been protected by the bastard stickers.
Crap orignal cranks went to recycling heaven and a new GPX BB and some spare 165mm Rival cranks fitted to, I need to do some shuffling of chainrings on other bikes to free up a 110mm black narrow wide to use on this.
Wheels are on my to do list, rims seem fine and they're both true, but the hubs are dirty and will benfit from a full service. That being said @cake said he may have some wheels for me so we'll find out next week. Got home to fine the inline setpost I'd orderd has arrived too.
The chain was so filthy I couldnt tell how worn it was, so I popped it in the dishwasher on the hottest cycle and some how that managed to blue it. Turns out it was just dirty and not that worn at all.

Also found a good chainring to use with the Rotor cranks for the 29er

I think you should have kept it as was.

Those are quite a nice shape. Are they printed on or laser etched?

The cranks? If so, etched.

Don't worry I saved you all the sticker scraping so I can post them in my next DK shipment

Ah, damn. I wish more manufacturers would offer 'stealth' options

SSCX wheels aquired, DT swiss TK540 rims laced with DT swiss spokes to Goldtech hubs. They need a clean/service and rear needs a true and a new spoke, but still far more flash than this build deserves really. Thanks @cake

Quite the progress, wow! Looking forward to see it finished.

Sacro Coire, best pizza ever! Nw10!!!!

The dough is just amazing

Thanks, Just dropped the wheels off at my LBS for a service and bought a Halo Fat foot SS cog and some Hex head QR skewers for it, hopefully they can stop the rear slipping

They won't

I also chaintugs and a deore skewer

I dont think they'll do anything more than good old Shimano closed cam ones.

Edit: Deore skewer is all good then.

Money saved then!

Yeah Shimano cam over anything imo

You can buy stickers now.

Ha, I have some stickers from @t0-ster saved for this actually.

♡♡♡

How's the Vagabond riding? You got it dirty yet?

Not finished yet alas, I only get time to work on it every so often and I want it to be not rushed.

I did a whole load of soildering on the weekend though for the lights and their bullet connectors. (please dont judge me on my poor work eletronics nerds)

And did most of the cable routing

Also, I made this removeable bike rack for the van

which uses these MT Zoom axle mounts, with interchangable ends for QR/12mm/15mm/boost

Fits two bikes side by side

and a third in backwards between them with the wheel off also

I also finished this (I need to, and will, take better photos)

How does the plug ride? I had one of those and it was definitely a bit of a lump, even compared to the pompino I replaced it with. That paint job is nice though.

its fun, for a parts bin build i cant complain at all. If I had paid anything other than not a lot of £, I would probably have more complaints. I do have to say though, the spacing and eyelts are well thought out, easily clears 35c + mudguards and I think you could get 45c in with room for mud.
My one addition was a stick on cable guide between the two on the TT, as the current ones allow the the cable to sag a bit.