Wheel advice needed please - 126 rear dropouts

I've bought a 531 Ron Cooper frame with 126mm rear dropouts which I want to use as the basis of a fixed gear commuter. I'm struggling with the rear hub - Dave at Putney Cycles has suggested that I send the frame off to Mercian to get it changed to 120mm spacing and then use standard track hub. Mark at Stratton suggested that I need a 126mm track hub (only option I can find is ordering one from PW).

Both seem a little extreme - are there other alternatives. Can I use a 126mm hub (plenty of cheapish ones on fleabay) and what do I need to do to change it from a 6-speed hub to a fixed hub. Is it easy?

Will

Use washers to space out the rear hub, can't get any cheaper than that

get a 120, and squeeze in the stays.

hey Murtle you are back!! How was holiday

hey it was great, gotta better tan than dogs :p

get a 120, and squeeze in the stays.

+1. Been doing that for years without a hitch.

I wouldnt spend £££ on a PW for a daily commute/conversion - spacers or squeeze it.

Yeah 3 mm either side is not much of a squeeze at all. One of the wicked things about a steel frame is its bendyness.

if i squeeze, am I going to have chainline probs...total newbie when it comes to doing this, as you can guess

I am currently squeezing in a steel frame by 15mm and it works fine. Just make sure you squeeze equally at either side. London Fixie Bike sell spacers too. You need a pair of cone spanners to install them.

if i squeeze, am I going to have chainline probs...total newbie when it comes to doing this, as you can guess

Basically, no, though it's a tiny bit more fiddly to get the wheel lined up straight when you're putting it back on after changing a tyre or something.

just stuff the wheel in boy ;) if it don't fit get a hammer :P