Other What currently makes your life awesome?

Will have to try that, sounds useful!

 

Motorcycle insurance renewal.
1.8 litre modified M-Bike, fully comp....£230

 

The Mantis Blade print has sortofnotreallybutmaybe started;



This thing is going to be ridiculously large. And it's not going to help my desire to make a functioning version that folds up all neat and tidy.

 

Someone on Reddit posted the comment section of one of my YouTube videos and it has 10k+ upvotes in 15 hours so far.

https://www.reddit.com/r/cringepics/comments/mworo1/the_original_poster_is_a_madlad/

 

Ah poor sod, he just wants to be liked.

 

As the remains of my enemies pile high on the battlefield, I have emerged victorious from the battle of KALLAX

 

The weather, our balcony, the collection of mezedes (think tapas, just Greek) we've slowly been preparing over the last few hours, the book I'm reading, and life in general.

 

Do you not need that bag of screws just there to the right?

 

This started as quite probably the biggest bloody ball ache ever.



They looked OK. Tatty, and a bit scabby, but OK. Before I carry on with the pics let me just explain something. These cranks cost £160 new. If you need bolts? £35. They are specific. If you need a new axle (the spline part)? £96. So basically if they need a new axle and bolts they would cost me more than new ones. Hence me asking numerous questions, and most importantly this, as they are going on a show bike.



So I figured cool. Tenner in paint, £35 in bolts, they will owe me £80. Used sets go for about £100, so after a day of work I would save £20. This is what arrived.







The worst of his crimes though was this. "They need new bolts". I disagree.



As soon as that came out after tremendous required force I knew the axle was f****d.



And I was totally right. See, it's what happens when you try to force an M10 bolt into a 3/8 U.S 24 thread. Needless to say the axle was f****d too.

OK, I will send the pics I took back to him, get a refund right? he just stonewalled me. "I'm just a poor kid trying to make a few quid". Funny, given you have about 200 listings on Facebook and when I reverse looked up your addy your house was £600k. Then he just went into total denial before blocking me.

I reported him, he got banned from a total of 5 groups. Seems the admins take things like this very seriously. I am sure that will lose him far more than the £45 he scammed out of me. However now I am in a hole. I don't have time to get onto Paypal and start disputes and the weeks of waiting between actions, so before I even wiped them down I got hold of my mate and we hatched a plan.

Axle stock. It looks weird in 3D.



Our plan. Force fit.



With M8 easy to get bolts. Shoulder was modelled.



he has the axle. Right, so it was my turn. Strip.



Gave them a vinegar bath then went to work with the file and some alu oxide. This is etch, because these things flash rust like no other.





Still had visible damage on one arm, so JB weld Cheesecake.









And then yesterday.





And today.





And that is why I've not posted here much in a couple of weeks ffs.

I guess I kinda got the bug. These are unstamped older models of Profile cranks, and thus much more desirable. They are also bipolar sprocket, which again are quite desirable. Bottom line is? they now look good. Even if my arm is totally shafted.

 

Project Binky notification.

 

I had no idea unstamped Profiles were even a thing that happened (Shimano DX 4 Lyfe). I'd still take the two minutes to file a Paypal dispute about those, because balls to that little gobshite.

Are there 19mm 48 spline axles around that fit but aren't old profile? Or is that sacrilege to suggest not having the actual brand even if it can't be seen?

 

There are, but they are notoriously expensive. A profile cro mo axle? £96. A cheap and cheerful one is about £40. Both of which would have put it past the point of bothering. The bolt set with the shoulders? £20-£35. If you can get them.

Yeah the very early ones were unstamped. Just the length and "USA" stamped on them on the back side. Because they are tubular they always had issues with the stamping.



That is what they look like new. Rub against it for a year? most of it vanishes. Now they don't bother stamping, they etch them.



Most of them are spline drive now too. So no studs, let alone bipolar for LSD and etc. That's pretty much how you date them.. I don't even really like them myself. Like really. I think they are over priced, and there are tons of cranks that are waaaay better for street and park riding. They dent very easily because they are pretty much race cranks and always were. Hence why I specifically asked him first "no dents" and if the axle was OK. He lied.

The *only* reason I have gone to so much bollocks is because they are era correct. That usually doesn't bother me with bikes, but this bike is a very special one that is very close to my heart. I've wanted one since they came out in 2000, but by that time I was told my SWMBO V1.0 that I was not allowed to ride any more (that said she did it out of fear because bugger me I had a terrible crash and had to have two surgeries).

I also have this, see



So I reaaaaaally wanted to keep it Profile. There is a lot to hate about them though. Like, the arms are not threaded for an extractor so you literally have to smack them off. Hence the dents, and why I questioned him pretty hard before I bought them ffs. They are also over priced, IMO, due to being made in the USA and most cranks for BMX now use a hollow 22 or 24mm axle, not a 19. Which is lighter and waaaay stronger and easier to install and remove.

 

Hard bloody work and reward.









Two stages of paint left on the frame and it will be done.

 

Few tattoo sessions rebooked for later in the year, entirely goes against my debt repayment plan... but this has been planned years ago and I’d also put down larger deposits than normal way before covid started so should be able to budget for this easily if all goes to plan.

 

Bought something from the auction described by the auctioneer as "Oh this old telephone, nobodies buying that are they?? £3..? or shall I skip it?"

Yes they are... that person is me and I've just made a tidy £157 profit on my £3 investment in under 24 hours

Yaaas!

 

Three things:
Jab number two on saturday
Got a date today and another on May 7th

Spoiler

I'm polyamorous, both are cool with it

Switching to injectable estradiol valerate. Two year supply costs about the same as a month worth of patches

 

Whilst it did take quite some time over a couple of sittings, I just finished a magnificent job of soldering a bunch of cables.

No pics though because I'm self conscious and can't handle anyone suggesting they're anything less than magnificent. But they're super tidy and professional, just take my word for it, honest.

 

I went to a pub today. An actual pub with actual (appropriately distanced) people where someone bought a round then I bought a round then someone else bought a round. I froze me balls off because outside and the chairs were damp because rain, but... PUB!

 

More flux!

 

Nothing like a job done.

FYI: There are three types of soldering. Type 1, sudo-professional, has all the fancy tools, but still burns pads off for lack of training. Style two, it works and I didn't break anything. Style 3, Pencil iron? I was just going to use my brazing torch.