cat63: (Default)
cat63 ([personal profile] cat63) wrote2012-05-05 08:31 pm

Fun with metalwork

Rob was planning to go on a long ride today, but yesterday, as I was helping him oil the suspension, the right hand steering rod came adrift from the frame - it was attached by means of a bolt on which it pivoted, which helpfully sheared and then refused to come out of either of the bits of trike to which it was attached.

So today he has mostly been trying to separate the head end of the bolt from the steering rod by means of WD40, 3-in-1 oil and, when those didn't work, heating it up on the gas hob and then pouring cold water over it, which finally did the trick.

So tomorrow, he has the equally fun job of trying to extract the other half from the frame. Joy.

On the plus side, at least it happened here, rather than when he was swooshing down a hill at 40+mph...

[identity profile] g8bur.livejournal.com 2012-05-06 07:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah, IC. I suppose some problems were to be expected, in that case - still a bit unnerving, though.

I hope the new trike performs well.

[identity profile] cat63.livejournal.com 2012-05-06 08:04 pm (UTC)(link)
He was supposed, to have a production machine, but it wasn't ready in time for his planned tour round the coast of Britain. The manufacturer sent this one as a last-minute substitute, in the expectation that the proper one would arrive in a few months, but alas, problems meant the production of these has been sidelined for the foreseeable future :(

The new one is much lighter too, so he should just whizz along :)

[identity profile] g8bur.livejournal.com 2012-05-06 08:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Now you mention it, I remember what you said at the time about the machine being sent to Rob in a bit of a hurry for his Tour. It does indeed seem that more work is needed before they make any (or any more) production examples.