This may not seem like much but it’s pretty exciting for me. Bending tubes is an important part of making things out of metal. Everyone that works with metal needs a bender of some sort or is looking to find one. I’ve had one for a long time, an old DiAcro #4 but because of … Read more
I’ve needed this tool for a long time. I knew I did but never really went down the road to it. Moving a nice Kurt D688 vise to my shop from another had me looking at my setup. Much of this late winter has been devoted to improving my CAD models and tooling. Much of … Read more
I know folks all over and going way back. Social media lets me see some of the cool stuff they do. Every now and then I see something they think up and I’m force to face palm myself. Obvious simple solutions that nobody sees until someone does. A month or so ago, Scott Parsley from … Read more
This post is about something few people hear but many need to. You are not an expert on bikes. You aren’t. No matter what you’ve convinced yourself of, you’re not. You make YouTube videos, you comment in forums, you go on lots of rides. Still, you really don’t know a lot about bikes. Everyone in … Read more
Everyone would love to own a full set of Enerpac hydraulic tools. For any mortal, that’s not going to happen. I’m lucky. I have an Enerpac A258 bech press, RC1010 cyclinder, and P392 2-speed hand pump. I’ve wanted to build on this for years but didn’t need or want expensive parts for cheap tasks. Everyone … Read more
My new CTX700DE has proven to be a pretty awesome motorcycle. It’s super comfortable, easy, and fun to ride. It even takes the hard roads well thanks to the super low center of gravity. I’ve been slowly fixing the various problems with the bike and tuning what is good. One of the most glaring problems … Read more
Making the rounds this last week was a photo of a 4.5kg “mountain bicycle”. It can’t possibly function, but I’m sure few realize that. Last week someone I know was bragging to me about how amazingly light their bike was (although, they get a pass, being pro AF). I’ve been planning to get around to … Read more
I am a critic. The clip below is from the Screen Junkies Honest Trailers and it got me thinking this afternoon. After a savage “Everything Wrong With:” from CinemaSins, and back and forth discussions with critics at ComicCon; Kong: Skull Island director Jordan Vogt-Roberts joined the fun with the Screen Junkies crew to help make this critique of his … Read more
I finally mounted the new Meade LX600 telescope to the newly fabricated pedestal in our observatory at work. This, just as the semester is starting and on the day of a major eclipse in North America. It looks so nice. It’s another great upgrade for the observatory. I now have just one last scope to isolate. … Read more
I love metal. It’s solid, it can be cut precisely, it can be welded together. Different metals are good at different things. Building steel bikes is especially nice. You can take a bike right from the welding table, toss some wheels on it and go. Like they say, “Steel is real….easy” If we are going … Read more
Today, we don’t design on paper… I was recently reminded of this topic by a message board thread. A kid wanted advice advice on drawing a frame. Countless people chimed in giving horrible advice. I often find that the less someone knows the more they will pass off their opinion as truth, while lacking any … Read more
Waiting around for wireless data to get to my computer is frustrating. We’re all impatient. We want all the data, now! These days we consume data at rates unimaginable just a few years ago. Video downloads, video uploads, gigabyte data hosts, it’s a massive load. It’s one thing if you are using technology properly and … Read more
Last winter, I bought some modern snowboard gear. New board, bindings, and boots. My old stuff was bordering on antique, 1997 era stuff. Ronen (my friend) wanted to help me enter the modern era and I took him up on that. We got some nice prices on some stuff that was good enough and I was … Read more
In August this year, I was lucky enough to take a break from work and meet up with my father (he came up from Florida) for a week in Washington, DC. I chose that spot as it was nice to not go to Southern Florida again to spend time with my dad but also to spend … Read more
A couple of weeks back I went on a trip to Washington, DC. I took a ton of photos. I’ll make an attempt to put some up in the next few posts. This post is about the library. Thomas Jefferson’s library and what became the Library of Congress. This place is totally insane. From Gutenberg … Read more
I recently came across an interesting situation with pedals and I figured that this would be a good opportunity to look into some fun topics: blind bearing extraction, slide hammers, and strange bearing sizes. I have a set of Spank Spike pedals. I don’t use them regularly but will on flow trail or jump park days. They are … Read more
One of the most important tool in a mechanics toolbox is the hammer. Yes, the hammer. Such disrespect it’s seen in its time that it rarely get’s mentioned. Today, I am sharing three important hammers in my arsenal that make a real difference to me. Two of them have been on my bench almost every … Read more
It had happened again. I had locked myself out of my car again at the start of a ride. This time over at China Camp. It happens to all folks. It sucks. What made this day special was that I had everything I needed to ride but my CamelBack and helmet were both locked inside the car. Since … Read more
Hole punches need to be in your tool box. So often problems with number plates and a host of other race day issues can be elegantly solved with even a cheap hole punch. I can’t count how many times I’ve wished to have one in my hand at just the right moment. A cheap punch … Read more
JIS – Japanese Industrial Standard I work on a lot of Japanese machines. Motorcycles, bicycle parts, cars, and electronics. A lot of people do the same. Here in the United States, many mechanics and technicians use the incorrect tools and cause issue to the fasteners of these machines. It’s a shame. Japanese produced goods use … Read more
Poor Maggie. She’s been through a war. Last night the dogs and I were out for a walk. Maggie tends to bring up the rear because she is so slow and old. She’s often about a third of a block behind Annie and I. At around 7:30, she got stuck under the wheel of a … Read more
Years ago, at an early Maker Faire in San Mateo, I was lucky enough to see and touch an early test mule and prototype for what is now the Lit Motors C1 vehicle. It was so cool. It had gyros and batteries and computers and sensors. It balanced on it’s own and corrected itself when … Read more
“Pictures came and broke your heart.” “Pictures came and broke your heart.” Isn’t that nice…and true. Looking at photos and video of ourselves riding can break our heart. The “sick whip” turns out to be a lame wiggle. The huge booter jump more of a hop. This combined with the difficulty of capturing just how … Read more
I have two Camelbak Maximum Gear H.A.W.G. (1100/100 cu in, older version) bags. One of them is the bag that I use bike commuting and otherwise taking to work and back. The hydration bladder is removed and that pocket is used for magazines, netbooks, or paperwork. The other is my large mountain bike bag for … Read more
I’m a fan of the WTB line of saddles. The company is local to me and they’ve been in the game since 1982. Legit. My current favorite is the Silverado. The long nose and thin line give me what I need on the trail. I can sit in comfort, hold fast, and slide forward on … Read more
I just got a Nightrider Lumina Micro 250. It’s an amazing little light. The purpose of this little lamp is to use it head mounted for night riding. I have a Nightrider Pro 1800 Race for my handlebars. I just need a crawler and a scouter. The crawler is a very low powered light that … Read more
On Sunday, November 9th 2014, Herb Neumann died. It was cancer that took him down. He was one of the toughest guys there was but just one thing was tougher. I never met Herb in person. Over the years I learned a lot about him. He was a legend in the New Jersey/NYC area. He … Read more
My day job puts me in the Physics & Astronomy Department at San Francisco State University. I’m primarily the department machinist and engineer. I teach a class sometimes which is nice, too. Pretty much, I help make sure our instruction and research folk are happy and have great tools. It’s a great gig. I have a machine … Read more
