Homebuilt jigs & helpers

[pruckelshaus]

I needed some dummy axles. While perusing McMaster-Carr one evening, I realized they had everything I need to make a couple of dummy axles, and then I built a rear brake bridge jig that also works for barrel-type rear rack braze-ons. Rather than create a long, drawn-out post here, I uploaded the photos to my flickr account and made complete annotations.

Homebuilt frame jigs

I hope this helps someone, especially new builders like myself. I realize that most of you guys here are pro's, but if you can build something that everyone else is buying, and at a fraction of the cost, and it works just as well, why not? If you have any questions, post them to Flickr so I can answer there. The two dummy axles and the brake bridge jig took less than two hours.

I plan on building an Arctos-style jig at some point in the future out of 8020, which I will also fully document.

Pete

[Clockwork]

The threaded rod through the rack bosses is going to be really hard to get out. I use a stainless unthreaded rod.

-Joel

[anon.]

I use threaded rod for rack bosses and fender eyelets... it's not difficult to get out so much as it is irritating.

[pruckelshaus]

The threaded rod through the rack bosses is going to be really hard to get out. I use a stainless unthreaded rod.

-Joel

Comes out in ~15 seconds with one end of the rod chucked in my drill. Of course, I haven't tried that post-braze yet...

[Clockwork]

Post-braze is what I meant.

[pruckelshaus]

Post-braze is what I meant.

Yeah, I figured. If it's a failure, I'll go with your unthreaded stainless rod method.

Thanks,

Pete

[e.Gellie]

Good one
less fiddly than the one I used for a long time

No big deal, but your second version might eliminate the 1/2" or so of offset
the brake bolt axis isn't at right angles to the line between the centre of the bridge and the rear wheel axle.

+1 for unthreaded stainless rod. Threaded rod in my bottle-boss jig lets me get spot on alignment of the bosses but there's only a brief few moments between the silver-solder going solid and the flux hardening. That's when I have to ease the rod out the 3 turns or so... after that it becomes a pain I can do without.... just a bit of flux can set rock hard