# Trade secrets and helpful tools



## HIGGINSFOREVER (Mar 24, 2013)

Alright lets give up some of your trade secrets and odd tools that you have used for some of you restores and rebuilds.I will start with step drills.These can be bought at harbor fright and after using then you can throw your drill bits away.Most of my drills are broken and so used they cant drill thru butter.Next is a spoke nipple driver.Cuts wheel building time in half.Last is a bike stand that can be used anywhere on a wall in or outside, a tree, a wood pole.Forgot my wheel truing stand. Put a hole in you bench and a used set of forks


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## Rustafari (Mar 31, 2013)

Nice! There was a cool old wheel truing stand on feeBay a couple of weeks ago that I really wanted and then I forgot to bid on it. :o  But I do have a spare set of forks I could use.  Don't know why I never thought of that, but great idea!


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## Boris (Mar 31, 2013)

I'm glad that you posted this thread Gene! I was thinking about posting the same kind of thread just the other night about small tools, but knew Vince would have a field day, when I mentioned small tools. Anyway here are a few that I find indispensable for cleaning (accidently left out the paste wax). The squigly thing is a pipe cleaner and there's a metal nail file in there too.


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## vincev (Apr 1, 2013)

You just want me to say something stupid dont ya Dave. I know your baiting me because you are a Master Baiter.


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## kunzog (Apr 1, 2013)

This old fashion monkey wrench is ideal for removing the large crank nut, sprocket nut and the stem nut.


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## Freqman1 (Apr 2, 2013)

kunzog said:


> This old fashion monkey wrench is ideal for removing the large crank nut, sprocket nut and the stem nut.




My tool of choice--can also be used as a hammer/mallet! V/r Shawn


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## tailhole (Apr 2, 2013)

*me too*

Yes, I have one of these held to the frame with magnets on any bike I ride.  Even the smallest ones work on the largest nut on any bike.  The really little ones can be used as cone wrenches too.


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## crankman3 (Apr 2, 2013)

I made a die from a old collar,check out the threads does a great job repairing
  damage threads, or just cleaning the dirt and rust out between the threads.

  I welded a allen wrench to a old pair of channel locks. This is what I use to remove 
  a kick stand from the frame, once that done then I can use the channel locks to 
  depress the spring and remove the pin.


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## Goldenrod (May 3, 2016)

Motorcycle way of tie wrapping a cable.  Cut a small piece of tube.  Run the tie wrap around the frame into the tube, around the cable and into the tube and then close.  The tube offsets the cable from the frame.


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## spoker (May 4, 2016)

am detailng a bike today,ill be razor blading some of the chrome,if the rust is on top of the chrome or lightly embeded,lightly drag or scrape the rust with a single edge razor blade and then go over it with 0000 wool and semichrome,protect with carnuba wax.happy trails to you!!!


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## Iheartbikes (May 18, 2016)

When tackling a rusty fastener, screw or nut.
Before you do anything, even oil. 
Strike the fastener to jar the threads together and break em free,
Then your oil of choice or soaking.


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## J-wagon (Jan 19, 2022)

I don't have a truing stand. Just mount wheel onto fork. Zip ties around fork legs, spin wheel to see lateral and radial deviations. For me good results.


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