Noob saying hello, cranks & Dave Hinde wheels

..hopefully! Hi all, first post so please be gentle! I recently got hold of a Carlton racer on ebay and am in the process of 'fixing' it up. I've mainly used info from this forum, so thanks already for help you didn't even know you've given me! The frame is 60s but I think quite a cheapy as it is really pretty heavy so I don't feel too guilty doing a quick and dirty (aka 'retaining 'many 'period features') first fix to see if I like it. At the moment it is at a bit of a half way house, I've got it going as a single speeder by shortening the chain and running it on the big chainwheel at the front and one of the sprockets in the old derailleur cassette at the back, a bit of spacer-y pokery has got the chainline looking OK, however...
The chainset is a dodgy looking Aero Coronado (or something like that). The chainring is really insert proper term here off round. First question I'd really appreciate some help with: how much off centre-ness can you safely get away with on a fixie? From the highest to the lowest point of the wobble is about a centimetre and probably a bit more. As the chainring and crank is a one piece pressed steel affair it is impossible to do Sheldon's trick of adjusting the stack bolts and rounding it up a bit. The chain binds slightly when it is stretched the most, and has quite a bit of slack when stretched the least, but it seems to run OK (nice and silent and free feeling most of the time). However every now and again, usually when I am pedalling hard and I go over a bump it comes out with a strange zipping kind of sound, which sounds sort of like the chain almost jumping off the teeth of the cog at the front. So first question: does this sound like a potential death trap or excusable behaviour from a slightly eccentric old timer?
I suspect it might be the latter, and if so I'm going to aim and convert an old multiple cog crankset (probably from ebay unless anyone's got a spare they want to get rid of cheap?) to keep in line with the no frills approach. So another question here: What multiple ring cranksets have you successfully converted to a single cog one for a fixie, which also looks nice (silver and minimal)? I'm not sure what bottom bracket I've got but might get a new'un anyway so this isn't too much of a problem.
Just a for info on wheels too, I went the way of the devil and ordered some el cheapo (£90 for a pair of new handbuilt mavic ma3/suzue track hub) track wheels from none other than Dave Hinde, before I had the presence of mind to check what you guys think of the lad. Gulp, I'm crossing my fingers! Will let you know how they turn out when they arrive in case anyone else is tempted... Hmm, to be fair they were shipped the day I ordered them but the courier (ANC) has been absolutely diabolical, I am hoping they will 'redeliver' them again tomorrow after three aborted attempts. I note from forums that people with these wheels have had experience of them spontaneously self distructing. Is there anything I can do in terms of checking spoke tension (I know nothing about this at all) before I ride them to try and stop them going bang on me?
Sorry for longness and bags of questions! And many thanks in advance for your help! I promise to post a pic of the beast when I've finished it!

My look at the size of it, my first post was [size=7] - tiny - [/size]

SS OK but don't try run fixed with an oval chainring, the chain should be a might tighter for fixed and I believe it will give you no end of trouble.

Welcome!

Well Carlton aren't known for making rubbish frames and so even though its heavy and from the 1960s its probably got a decent ride, as well as being handmade in the fine city of Nottingham.

They're not the finest wheels known to man (MA3s have been replaced with the Mavic Open sports and I bet they're Suzue Jnr hubs, which are no longer made) and I'd urge you to exercise some caution when installing cogs on these hubs.Get a good lockring (Dura Ace) and cog and install well. Periodically check that everything is snug as the Jnrs have a habit of stripping, under back pressure, if theres any play between the cog and lockring.

They're also loose ball and tend to have a weird mix of hardware. When they first arrive make sure they're well adjusted (ie spin freely and without play). That way they'll last, as they often have a tendency to turn up poorly adjusted (often coming straight from Suzue set really tight).

However, after all that negativity, if you're not much of a skidder/skipper then you should get quite a lot of miles out of these things.

I got lost after reading your username, but, welcome!
Driveline noises that sound like a chain about to fall are NOT what you want riding fixed!
Tight links in chain, chain too loose, too tight? I can't that post now my eyesight you see.. maybe later.. ;)

Something like a biopace chainring?

Yeah, could have been fitted.. lots of 80's road bikes had 'em. Pics Mr. OP? (that's Original Poster btw and means you witness)

Hey people, thanks so much for your help here, it is most appreciated!

MA3K and hippy - I'm now sure I need to do something about the dodgy chainset, thanks so much for probably saving my life! Any suggestions for a good conversion, or will most work?

On the pic hippy (and thanks for the jargon heads up, new to these forum thingys!) The bike is at a mate's at the moment, but will send photos when I get it back over the weekend, although I'm pretty sure it is just a really bad made bit of kit and was meant to be round - the crank and cog is all one piece of pressed steel by the looks of things.

Pip - think you might have saved my hubs with your advice, thanks v much! Must admit I was going for a cheapy lock ring but will invest in a good'un on your advice. Got a surly cog which seems to be well made. By installing well, I take it you mean greasing the threads and tightening with the proper tools? I think it will be a while (if ever!) before I get skidding and skipping, so hopefully get some life out of the wheels (if they ever turn up..!)

the cruffatin liveth, ONE FIX ONE QUEST!

You've got the best username on fgss !!! Why didn\t i think of it.

i mean what the fk is 'lpg' anywayzzz.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotafix

Check the link out for deatails of tightning your cog look at the link at the bootom of the page for pictures. Then whack on your lock ring nice and tight. good luck.

Any road crank can be converted to a single with short stack bolts, try and buy a pair that is 165 mm idealy although 170 mm can be ok but stear clear of 175 mm cranks. Short stack bolts you say, what that you say?, take your old bolts and add an angle grinder or go to hubjub and buy them there. You will almost definatly need a new b.b to get the correct chainline, but they are cheap.

By installing well, I mean grease well, install by hand and then snug down with tools/rotafix. Then go for a quick ride (without using any back pressure), which will probably tighten the cog on further so you'll need to snug up the lockring. Your wheel should be good to go now.

The problem with the Jnrs is that the threads/hub bodies seem 'soft' so a cog tends to a 'bite' a little into the hub body over time. This introduces a little play between the cog+lockring and as the lockring threads are also a little soft, the hubs have a tendency to strip under back pressure.

So they just need a little babying. BTW DA lockrings are only a fiver from http://www.hubjub.co.uk amongst others, so hardly a real expense. Well worth it.

your name is good, because he filmed the video for that at my old primary school, and went there as well (a few years before me). i dont really have any advice on your progect, but felt like adding a comment.

And the video is filmed in and around primrose hill park, where I went to school.
Funny, that.

Someone is on a vendetta mission I see, exhuming long dead threads as they go.