Any question answered...

n3lson was the old me, where I had a job and prospects.
n3il is the new big society me, where I claim jobseekers allowance due to outrageous personal values that prohibit me from working in the private sector, so i remain persecuted by Dave Cameron.
Also, got annoyed by meeting people IRL and being called by my last name.

you can work your way up through ever finer abrasive compounds until you are satisfied. Autosol might be a good next step. Brasso or decent quality toothpaste after that. Then get hold of some jeweller's rouge (fine iron-oxide powder) if you have any patience left.

Cheers. In the end I got so pissed off with rubbing a bit of metal with none of the gratification the hand movement usually generates that I jus got a good shine and left it at that. I need a ride and can't wait any longer for this.

but once you have it nice & shiny, how are you planning to keep it that way?

I've got some spray on lacquer that I'm hoping will do the job.

I'll be putting it up on current projects tonight or tomorrow if you're interested.

Q1. the top screw thingy (the one in red) moves about half a mm

Q2. warrant new forks?

A1. "top screw thingy" is the "locknut" and should be tight. You'll need a couple of comedy big spanners. Would be worth pulling the forks out to check the threads on the steerer.

A2. Bloody shame, but doesn't look too serious. (I'm sure someone will contradict that and say you need to replace them at once.)

A2. does the front wheel still sit true when snugly at the top of the fork dropouts? If no, then i have personal experience of one failure mode that would suggest riding it would be a bad idea.

thanks 36x18 and moth, i'll check those things!

think the front wheels still true, but i'll have another look :)

n3lson was the old me, where I had a job and prospects.
n3il is the new big society me, where I claim jobseekers allowance due to outrageous personal values that prohibit me from working in the private sector, so i remain persecuted by Dave Cameron.
Also, got annoyed by meeting people IRL and being called by my last name.

Nelson is a cooler name than Neil. You should rock that name with pride, being known only by your surname is most often a sign of reverence and respect.

You would normally have to become a famous writer, academic, musician, sportsperson, politician etc to earn that accolade.

Or be in prison

or be a cartoon

nelson is nelson's first name

ah yeah i forgot his surname was muntz

Nelson is an admiralable name

Yeah and Neil isnt

that looks gay, maybe stick with neil

i see what you did there

where's that look-a-like thread?

Roughly how much does a 54cm steel track bike weigh?

Less than 10kgs.

This may be a daft question but ive just brought my first piece of carbon which is a seatpost.
Do i need to use a dedicated carbon assembly paste with it or can i get away with using copper slick anti seize as I already have a pot of that!

I told you, either.

i just wanted to double check!

My memory suggests that no, you can't, but I don't own any carbon components. Yet.

does copper slip have petroleum in it? If so, don't use it on carbon.

apparently so.