Hits and Misses

I spent a few hours in the shop (read: basement) last night.  I think that my idea for the dropout block on the jig isn't going to work; I simply can't cut straight enough with the hand saw that I have to then get an accurate hole drilled in the block.  Since the only wood scraps left in the basement are lengths of 1"x1" hardwood, I think I need to take a trip back to Home Depot to beg for scraps from them.  They're close to the welding supply store, which will save me a trip.

I bought a length of threaded rod yesterday and cut it to length, as well as performing my first operation on an actual bike part - cutting the steerer to length and filing the end flat.  I'll have a more in depth write-up when I get the photos off my camera.

The hacksaw that I purchased from Harbor Freight is a little flimsy, but it gets the job done.  Unlike some of the more expensive options, this one only accepts 12" blades.  It conveniently came with a 28 TPI (teeth per inch) blade included; the blade was coated in some sort of blue plastic/polymer (presumably as either a preservative or safety mechanism) that stained the metal when I was cutting.

Cutting threaded rod is fairly straightforward.  The grooves offered by the thread provide a guide so that the cut doesn't start to stray.  I purchased a 3/8" diameter rod, which fits the dropouts almost perfectly, and it took about five minutes to cut through at a steady pace.

The steerer took about 10-15 minutes to cut through and another 45 minutes to an hour with the file.  Your arms will get tired.

One tip to keep in mind when cutting anything with threads - put a nut on the thread beyond the point of your cut, and then back the nut out through the cut section after you're done.  This will straighten out the threads that may have been damaged during the cutting process and will allow you to thread nuts back on to the rod more easily later.

The dropout block will use a total of six nuts to hold the dropouts in place.  Two nuts on either side will be used to set the location of the dropouts - tightening two nuts against each other will lock them in place so they don't shift during brazing.  The third nut on either side will clamp the dropout in place.

If I had a table saw and a drill press building the dropout block would be much easier, but I've only got hand tools and so will have to do my best.  The concern is that it's crucial to have the rod as accurate as possible; otherwise, the fork will be misaligned.

More shopping tomorrow - to the welding store and Home Depot.  I'm hoping the welding store will let me take a few photos to show some of the different consumables available.