fenders/mud guards, hammers, and pincers

I have learned that with a ball hammer, the thin side
of a warrington hammer, and a hard surface, it is
possible to hit damaged fenders/mud guards (?) into
near-perfect alignment once again.

The tricky part is not getting them straight which
isn't that difficult, but rather to do it without
leaving a mark where you hit it. Perhaps a combined
rubber + ball + warrington hammer would be optimal
for this?

Anyway, what I've been unable to solve satisfactorily
are the slopes on the below left-and-right edges of
the fenders. This is where there is sometimes a wire
to carry electricity to the rear light from the front
wheel, if there is/has been either an external dynamo
or a front wheel dynamo hub. The wire is easy enough
to pull off but often the fender slope is damaged at
points - it is folded, like the letter "v".

Did anyone came up with an intelligent solution how to
get those straight? I have hade some success with
a pair of pincers but it doesn't always work.

--
underground experts united
http://user.it.uu.se/~embe8573

On 11/15/2015 2:47 PM, Emanuel Berg wrote:
I have learned that with a ball hammer, the thin side
of a warrington hammer, and a hard surface, it is
possible to hit damaged fenders/mud guards (?) into
near-perfect alignment once again.

The tricky part is not getting them straight which
isn't that difficult, but rather to do it without
leaving a mark where you hit it. Perhaps a combined
rubber + ball + warrington hammer would be optimal
for this?

Anyway, what I've been unable to solve satisfactorily
are the slopes on the below left-and-right edges of
the fenders. This is where there is sometimes a wire
to carry electricity to the rear light from the front
wheel, if there is/has been either an external dynamo
or a front wheel dynamo hub. The wire is easy enough
to pull off but often the fender slope is damaged at
points - it is folded, like the letter "v".

Did anyone came up with an intelligent solution how to
get those straight? I have hade some success with
a pair of pincers but it doesn't always work.


Dents across the main sections are very repairable as you
found using well known auto body panel techniques and tools
such as smooth hammers and dollies:

http://image.hotrod.com/f/56190817+c...-dolly-set.jpg

or just about any heavy smooth thing (such as a second
smooth faced hammer)

Care should be taken not to overwork the piece which can
expand and deform the material also known as 'oilcan effect'.

I find removing the mudguard from the bicycle makes this job
much quicker overall. YMMV.

I don't have a good snappy answer for turned edges. Those
are formed on a English Wheel or something like one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v4Cbkm2_ug



--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

AMuzi writes:

Dents across the main sections are very repairable
as you found using well known auto body panel
techniques and tools such as smooth hammers and
dollies:

http://image.hotrod.com/f/56190817+c...-dolly-set.jpg

Cool I want that kit! But I think what I have is
sufficient so I'll get it only when I strike it big...

I find removing the mudguard from the bicycle makes
this job much quicker overall. YMMV.

No, this is what I always do and I didn't even think
this could be done with the mudguard on the bike.
So much easier to clean, examine, and hit (especially
against something) it if it is removed.

Removing the mudguards should be easy, but sometimes
it isn't because instead of using hex bolts which
would be super-easy to hold on the other side with
a ring wrench - instead of doing this, they often use
(mechanical) screws with round heads, for the
screwdriver. I don't know why they do it - aesthetics,
perhaps - but anyway it can be really frustrating to
fixate as the screwdriver is to big and/or you don't
get enough power either with that or with the
"polygrip" [1].

I always put hex bolts there instead, and so far that
hasn't came back to bite me.

[1] https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygrip

--
underground experts united
http://user.it.uu.se/~embe8573

On 16/11/2015 01:04, Emanuel Berg wrote:

Removing the mudguards should be easy, but sometimes
it isn't because instead of using hex bolts which
would be super-easy to hold on the other side with
a ring wrench - instead of doing this, they often use
(mechanical) screws with round heads, for the
screwdriver. I don't know why they do it - aesthetics,
perhaps - but anyway it can be really frustrating to
fixate as the screwdriver is to big and/or you don't
get enough power either with that or with the
"polygrip" [1].

I'd never use flat or cross-head screws for mudguard bolts - normally
Allen (hex sockets), or sometimes normal hex bolts. If I had a bike
which came with them I'd probably replace them.

[1] https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygrip

I prefer a mole-wrench/vise-grip.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locking_pliers

Clive George writes:

I'd never use flat or cross-head screws for mudguard
bolts - normally Allen (hex sockets), or sometimes
normal hex bolts. If I had a bike which came with
them I'd probably replace them.

Allen should work as well in close to all cases
because the keys are thin, and bent, which gets them
in and out of the way, and they get a good grip.
However hex bolts should be idiot-proof because you
get such a good grip from all angles with a variety of
common tools.

--
underground experts united
http://user.it.uu.se/~embe8573

On 11/15/2015 9:06 PM, Clive George wrote:


I prefer a mole-wrench/vise-grip.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locking_pliers

Regarding nomenclatu "Vise grip" makes sense to me. Why do Brits
call it a "mole wrench"? Perhaps because it has 6.02 x 10^23 uses? ;-)


--
- Frank Krygowski

On 16/11/2015 03:52, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 11/15/2015 9:06 PM, Clive George wrote:


I prefer a mole-wrench/vise-grip.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locking_pliers

Regarding nomenclatu "Vise grip" makes sense to me. Why do Brits
call it a "mole wrench"? Perhaps because it has 6.02 x 10^23 uses? ;-)

:-) (are you wondering if you'll invoke Gene with that?)

The wiki page has the answer - it was the brand name over here.

grate video AAA !

no vinyl fenders ?

clear vinyl with led

On Sun, 15 Nov 2015 21:47:25 +0100, Emanuel Berg
wrote:

I have learned that with a ball hammer, the thin side
of a warrington hammer, and a hard surface, it is
possible to hit damaged fenders/mud guards (?) into
near-perfect alignment once again.

The tricky part is not getting them straight which
isn't that difficult, but rather to do it without
leaving a mark where you hit it. Perhaps a combined
rubber + ball + warrington hammer would be optimal
for this?

Anyway, what I've been unable to solve satisfactorily
are the slopes on the below left-and-right edges of
the fenders. This is where there is sometimes a wire
to carry electricity to the rear light from the front
wheel, if there is/has been either an external dynamo
or a front wheel dynamo hub. The wire is easy enough
to pull off but often the fender slope is damaged at
points - it is folded, like the letter "v".

Did anyone came up with an intelligent solution how to
get those straight? I have hade some success with
a pair of pincers but it doesn't always work.

Body Men, people that used to repair damaged auto sheet metal, used a
"Plenishing hammer" to smooth out the tool marks caused by bashing it
back in shape. You can do the same thing with aluminum.

--

Cheers,

John B.

On 11/15/2015 9:52 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 11/15/2015 9:06 PM, Clive George wrote:


I prefer a mole-wrench/vise-grip.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locking_pliers

Regarding nomenclatu "Vise grip" makes sense to me. Why
do Brits call it a "mole wrench"? Perhaps because it has
6.02 x 10^23 uses? ;-)



It's a man's name, c.f. Allen, Phillips etc.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971