Rat Klein pinnacle build - Selfmade parts content!

[Thias]

After having sorted the thumbies, I had to revisit the brakes. The rear ones were looking kind of sorry for themselves.
And it was also time to assess the wear on them after 3 years of use.


Note the cable hanger. I made that as an original design. And I used random steel washers I found in some drawer. They didn't take the street salt very well. Reminder to self: Don't use untreatet steel parts on bikes.

I hope I fixed it by makeing thick Aluminium washers. Time will tell.


Most of the parts cleaned up nicely. Especially the bronze parts look like new. As does the titanium and stainless steel.


The Aluminium parts though I really should have protected. Elox. I need to learn how to do that stuff.


After scraping:


I mean... its a rat build.

But I just couldn't leave it like that.


Much better!

Looking at the wear side of things, to my great satisfaction, there was none. The bronze bushings fit perfectly inside the brake arms with just the right amount of play. I couldn't be happier. I really thought those might not hold up. But they did.



So that's a win!


What isn't a win is that crack i found in the frame right below the seat clamp.
Crap.

To quote that vice grip garage guy I like so much:

That'll hold!

Nope. It'll brake. So I'll do the right thing and

just pretend I didn't see that.

 

[pw_pw_la]

I'm already mourning the end of this build...

This thread is just too good!

 

[Jamesbike]

Sorry to disappoint. I'm not a turner.

But telling you what I do or am as a profession is strangely difficult in my case. I struggle with it every time I am asked about it. I'm a generalist. I do everything to a certain degree. But I can't do anything perfectly. I'm really good at repairing stuff. Electrical, mechanical, buildings - doesn't matter. And I understand computers fairly well. So I worked a lot as a computer consultant and Administrator. But also as a programmer and service tech at the same time. Made most of my money by buying and renovating houses at the same time. So - what am I?
Someone told me a few moths ago, I am the richest janitor he knows. So maybe I'll go with that.

Wait! Did you even ask what I do for a living?
Well. too late.

..

.....


I also draw... https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEuIBkAwys39Od1kqwSD1xA/featured

Wow you are very skilled!!

You were at the front of the queue when skills were handed out!!

 

[Thias]

Next up the line: The rear derailleur.
I'll go with the standard. Simano XT. Well used and bent. Of course it bent just right. So you don't realize it until you spent an hour trying to adjust the gear change and it just wouldn't stop making weired noises while feeling like youre trying to tune a bag of nuts.



On the positive: The paralleogram is still tight. So I can work with that.

A little tuning is a must. Not too much.


Tried this blue center bolt. That would be one of those "too much" cases.


I setteld with the raw Aluminium one instead.


I like the derailleur like that. Not sure about the cage yet.



What do you guys think? To cage or not to cage. That is the question.

 

[pw_pw_la]

You know, I would normally be pro the sans cage look, but there's something quite fitting with the rest of the machine shop build having that back there...

Although... only if you've made it yourself!

 

[Thias]

Just like me. Normally I wouldn't put anything like that on a bike. But I found that cage while searching for the top caps I made for the fork. I was wondering why I even had this ugly thing. But. Somehow. At that moment I thought - maybe it fits? So I bolted it on quickly. And I didn't hate it to my own surpise. Maybe I am getting old?
Later while writig this very thread and looking at the pictures, I realzed the bike came with that cage.
That's why I'll leave it on for now.

I wasn't able to find the caps. But I found this:


Ah yes! I love me some new decals.


And, of course I now had an excuse to make one more cap




What I also didn't show y'all yet is the cranks, I'm plannig to use. A pair of battered Cook's


I got them really cheap because of this:

I really hope that won't be a problem.

 

[narcotitlan]

100% enjoying this thread and the can-do spirit! And if you ever want to sell me a pair of those XT thumbshifter top caps...

Good luck with the rest of the build, looking forward.

 

[raidan73]

Really enjoying your thread @Thias

Please keep up the interesting work

 

[Blackers]

I just have to agree !
What an interesting thread to follow .
Great skills

 

[Prodigal Son]

Man... you could make an entire new Klein frame w/ those skills.