Wednesday, February 16, 2011

A couple minor things to share

   I really never intend for this blog to become a DIY seminar but while putting the Hunq together I was reminded of a couple things I do which others don't.  One of those is in finishing cables.  I don't ever use the little metal plugs on the end of cables when they are cut.  I also don't ever use wire cutters to trim them.  Instead I coat the cable with a layer of plain (two part) epoxy

Then, after it has dried (usually overnight) I cut the cable where I want with a dremel tool.  The cables last indefinitely this way.  I have only had one or two fray at all over the years but it works a lot better than crimping one of those little caps on the cable.
      Another thing I ran across one day in a hardware store, is a small furniture clamp.
About 8 inches long with a racheted trigger adjustment these succeed at adjusting brakes where the "third hand" tools always fail.  As we all know from years of wrenching, the "third hand" tools don't work because their springs are never as strong as the brake  springs.  One day I was walking through a neighborhood hardware store, saw these out of the corner of my eye and the light bulb lit up.  It was one of those"whatthehellhaveIbeenthinking?" moments and has made brake adjustment really simple.
    After getting the pads where you want them, It is no problem to clamp the clamp around them with the wheel in place.
After the clamp is in place, simply pull the trigger repeatedly until the brakes are exactly where you want them.
The  clamp holds things right where you want them while your hands are free to install and adjust the cables.  Afterwards there is usually a turn or two with the barrel adjuster to fine tune, no muss, no fuss.

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