Today's MacGyver Quiz

[ZBicyclist]

Yesterday, my daughter and I biked to a restaurant halfway between
us for lunch. On the way to the restaurant, she noticed that the nut
had disappeared from the quick release on her front axle.

She used some chewing gum in place of the nut, kept a close watch on
it, and then stopped in at a bike shop she knew along the way and
bought a new spring and nut..

I mentioned she could also have used duct tape (wrapped around her
seatpost for emergencies) to tape the quick release lever to the
fork, so it couldn't come out.

Any other ideas, using things which have a reasonable likelihood of
being available?

 

[SMS]

ZBicyclist wrote:
> Yesterday, my daughter and I biked to a restaurant halfway between
> us for lunch. On the way to the restaurant, she noticed that the nut
> had disappeared from the quick release on her front axle.
>
> She used some chewing gum in place of the nut, kept a close watch on
> it, and then stopped in at a bike shop she knew along the way and
> bought a new spring and nut..
>
> I mentioned she could also have used duct tape (wrapped around her
> seatpost for emergencies) to tape the quick release lever to the
> fork, so it couldn't come out.
>
> Any other ideas, using things which have a reasonable likelihood of
> being available?

I always carry a few cable ties with me. I've used them for rear rack
screw replacements, among other things. Very useful when camping too.

 

[[email protected]]

On May 26, 9:57 pm, "ZBicyclist" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Yesterday, my daughter and I biked to a restaurant halfway between
> us for lunch. On the way to the restaurant, she noticed that the nut
> had disappeared from the quick release on her front axle.
>
> She used some chewing gum in place of the nut, kept a close watch on
> it, and then stopped in at a bike shop she knew along the way and
> bought a new spring and nut..
>
> I mentioned she could also have used duct tape (wrapped around her
> seatpost for emergencies) to tape the quick release lever to the
> fork, so it couldn't come out.
>
> Any other ideas, using things which have a reasonable likelihood of
> being available?

Very resourceful, your daughter.

Your duct tape idea sounds like a great one. A couple of years ago,
the idiotic velcro strap holding my frame pump disintegrated during a
ride. I had no duct tape, zip tie, nothing to secure the pump back to
the frame and didn't really relish the alternatives. I wound up using
my watch-- a cheap Timex with a velcro strap to re-secure the pump.
Many lessons learned, not the least of which is that a real pump peg
is a truly beautiful thing that seems to have sadly gone extinct.

 

[Bob]

On May 26, 8:57 pm, "ZBicyclist" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Yesterday, my daughter and I biked to a restaurant halfway between
> us for lunch. On the way to the restaurant, she noticed that the nut
> had disappeared from the quick release on her front axle.
>
> She used some chewing gum in place of the nut, kept a close watch on
> it, and then stopped in at a bike shop she knew along the way and
> bought a new spring and nut..
>
> I mentioned she could also have used duct tape (wrapped around her
> seatpost for emergencies) to tape the quick release lever to the
> fork, so it couldn't come out.
>
> Any other ideas, using things which have a reasonable likelihood of
> being available?

Small gauge electrical wiring. Strip it and separate the strands. One
or two strands wrapped tightly into the threads work very well as a
jam nut. It's a bit easier to remove than either duct tape or chewing
gum too.

Regards,
Bob Hunt

 

[Leo Lichtman]

"Bob" wrote: Small gauge electrical wiring. Strip it and separate the
strands. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I did that when I was too young to drive to the hardware store. Didn't have
any money anyway. I thought it was an acceptable permanent fix.

There's a perfectly good nut on the other wheel. Just "borrow" that. <G>

I once used some rusty wire I found on the side of the freeway to replace
the master link clip on my motorcycle chain. It lasted 'til I got home, but
I didn't test it beyond that.

 

[DennisTheBald]

Take the skewer out and put it in your pocket or your pannier until
you get home.

Don't be popping any wheelies and you shouldn't really have much of a
problem, the wheel won't move laterally even without the skewer and if
you keep the front wheel on the ground it's not gonna fall out
either. Most of the bikes made in the last 20 years have some
secondary retention device too.

 

[ZBicyclist]

Leo Lichtman wrote:
>
> There's a perfectly good nut on the other wheel. Just "borrow"
> that. <G>

I got a good laugh out of that. Thanks.

 

[Bob]

On May 27, 11:23 am, "Leo Lichtman" <[email protected]>
wrote:
> "Bob" wrote:  Small gauge electrical wiring. Strip it and separate the
>
> strands.  (clip)
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> I did that when I was too young to drive to the hardware store.  Didn't have
> any money anyway.  I thought it was an acceptable permanent fix.
>
> There's a perfectly good nut on the other wheel.  Just "borrow" that.  <G>
>
> I once used some rusty wire I found on the side of the freeway to replace
> the master link clip on my motorcycle chain.  It lasted 'til I got home,but
> I didn't test it beyond that.

If we're trading "make it work" stories--
I use to own a Fiero. The headlights were a ring and pinion gear
driven "pop up" design. The ring gears were made of plastic but the
pinion was steel. When the car was five years old, the right headlamp
ring gear stripped. I drove it with one headlamp for about a month and
then the left side crapped out too. Pontiac said the only way to get
those gears was to buy two complete assemblies at, IIRC, $220 each. I
hand carved one gear from a chunk of ebony I had left over from some
woodworking I'd done and the other from a scrap piece of cocobolo.
They worked for another four years, outlasting the rest of the car.
They were also the prettiest gears you ever saw. <g>

Regards,
Bob Hunt

 

[Leo Lichtman]

"Bob" wrote: (clip) They worked for another four years, outlasting the rest
of the car.
They were also the prettiest gears you ever saw. <g>
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Bob, this is the scenario I'd like to imagine: Your car ends up in a
wrecking yard (Oh, excuse me--auto parts recycler) still equipped with those
wooden gears. Someone else comes along with the same headlight flip-up
problem you originally had, and finds those beautiful hand-made gears.
Question: does he buy them?

 

[Frank Krygowski]

On May 30, 4:23 am, Bob <[email protected]> wrote:
> I hand carved one gear from a chunk of ebony I had left over from some
> woodworking I'd done and the other from a scrap piece of cocobolo.
> They worked for another four years, outlasting the rest of the car.
> They were also the prettiest gears you ever saw. <g>
>
> Regards,
> Bob Hunt

This is OT, but I've got to ask: What were the original uses for the
ebony and cocobolo? What were you making?

- Frank Krygowski

 

[It's Chris]

My contributions to this MacGyverism thread:
http://geocities.com/czcorner/macgyver.html

- -
Compliments of:
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

If you want to E-mail me use:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net

My website:
http://geocities.com/czcorner

 

[Bob]

On May 30, 9:01 pm, "Leo Lichtman" <[email protected]>
wrote:
> "Bob" wrote:  (clip) They worked for another four years, outlasting the rest
>
> of the car.
> They were also the prettiest gears you ever saw. <g>
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> Bob, this is the scenario I'd like to imagine:  Your car ends up in a
> wrecking yard (Oh, excuse me--auto parts recycler) still equipped with those
> wooden gears.  Someone else comes along with the same headlight flip-up
> problem you originally had, and finds those beautiful hand-made gears.
> Question:  does he buy them?

He should but who knows?

Regards,
Bob Hunt

 

[Bob]

On May 31, 12:07 pm, Frank Krygowski <[email protected]> wrote:
> On May 30, 4:23 am, Bob <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >  I hand carved one gear from a chunk of ebony I had left over from some
> > woodworking I'd done and the other from a scrap piece of cocobolo.
> > They worked for another four years, outlasting the rest of the car.
> > They were also the prettiest gears you ever saw. <g>
>
> > Regards,
> > Bob Hunt
>
> This is OT, but I've got to ask:  What were the original uses for the
> ebony and cocobolo?  What were you making?
>
> - Frank Krygowski

The ebony was left over from a box I made to contain the ashes of a
dead pet (I'm sentimental I guess) and I regripped several pistols
using the cocobolo.

Regards,
Bob Hunt