Alex Dark

Anyone?

Lovely pictures, ace choice of frame too

http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/bikes-and-gear/components/disc-brake-systems/1267182424637-1tyx4i2nvigcm-670-75.jpg Quad Dime pro.

Aha that's a great idea. I was wondering about broaching actually. Did you heat when you did that Adam? Piss, I knew i'd get that thread size wrong :$ Cheers for that

Just ridiculous well impressed with your riding especially mate! Cool edit too.

Thanks mate! I quite like it without the stickers to be honest. They are now, really well made frames at bargain prices. Pm me if youre interested in finding out where to obtain them

Sooo, I decided to try and get my machining skills up to scratch recently. Started making a few little parts for the steed in the lunch hour / some that don't exist yet...some that do and I just wanted to have a bash at . First little project was for my trialtech fork and new zhi stem ( same as the try-all 3d forged ). I wanted to retain the threads inside the steerer ( so no jamming a star not down there! ) whilst using the cool sloped top cap. The idea I came up was this: 1. Machine a lump of billet down to the right OD, ( after a quick call to Tarty , cheers! ) I got the thread size. After some piddling around with the CNC lathe I took it down to the m12 x 1 thread the forks use. Uploaded with ImageShack.us 2. I stuck the threaded section into the manual lathe and drilled a 5mm hole straight the way through, then I used the tail stock to sticka tap through it to get the M6 threads for the top- cap bolt. 3. I chucked the threaded section into the manual mill and made a small flat so I could drill accurately into it. Then drilled through with a 3mm bit near the base of the threads. 4. While I was using the mill I machined a flat onto the M6 bolt about 1/3rd into its diameter and 1/2 way up its length ( leaving the first few threads intact ) 5. Then tapped the threaded section out to M4 and inserted a grub screw ( from a pre 05 magura reach adjustment ). The M6 bolt now goes through the top cap into the threaded section and tightens into it. You turn the milled section of the bolt towards the grub screw and tighten the brub against it to hold it captive. Hey presto, an adjustable 5mm head m12 x 1.0 adjustable length bolt. Works great Second Project was some homemade magura mounts because I didn't fancy spending £20 odd on some Echo TR mounts. These were relatively simple to make, and actually work pretty well haha. They look a little ghetto at the moment, but I havent had time to really finish them off yet. 1. First step was to turn the central hole out. I clamped the billet into the lathe and drilled out he centre, increasing sizes until I got to 19mm. I then used the internal boring bar to take the centre out to 24mm I think it is? First one I used a fairly slow chuck speed, but second I was less concerned and took it up to 1220. Hence why ones got such a smooth bore finish. 2. All the downwards milling was done now to give the stepped shape. I used a 12mm 2 flute end cutter to give the castellated style shape. Did one side, then flipped. Also milled the ends down to the same protrusion from the central hole. 3. I then turned the clamps in the vice press so the tip of the mount lined up with the top. this gave me a datum so all the angles would be the same. Again I milled downwards with the end cutter. Uploaded with ImageShack.us 4. Now I had a roughly maggie mount shape I started on the bolt holes. Unfortunately we have no 5mm milling bits so... I used a 10mm cutter to centralise the head with the middle of the magura mount ( the billet I used was 10mm thick so when one edge was lined up I had the centre. Then I marked and drilled with a 5mm drill bit straight through at each end. I then changed to a 4mm end cutter and elongated each hole until they met cleanly. flipped the mount and repeated. 5. Now the mount had it's rough shape I set about cleaning it up. I used a higher speed and some WD40 to skim the places where it would contact the bolts / frame and the top of the mount and then started fly cutting the outside. 6. A Junior hacksaw was then used to part each side of the mount apart. I then skimmed the bottom of each mount to remove the burrs from cutting. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Fly cutting is such a great technique, it gives the most beautiful CD like finish to aluminium, especially when you use WD40 as a lubricant. ( Imagine a strimmer with a blade ). I took 0.3mm off the outside of each mount, and I was pretty much finished ( at least for now ) I plan to take a bit of material off the top, maybe a 3mm cutter through the centre a la old Echo CNC mounts. I was really chuffed with these though. When I got my new Zhi Z3r frame I had one problem... my Chris King hub refused to fit in the frame, the axle caps were the tiniest bit too big. Instead of filing them down I thought Id just make my own . These had to be the easiest thing to make, and were only done to take up the waste material from the project below. I used 2d design to draw the shape, then exported to our Routercam. Unfortunately the depth sensor was a tiny bit out, so I had to punch through 0.5mm of material to get the beggars out. They turned out pretty well and certainly do their job. I was only going to use them for Sunday, and make some on the CNC lathe this week, but I guess there's no point if they work! I also made my adaption of an RB designs booster.....slightly more crossover protection and a nub at the front that covers my hydro splitter nicely Works REALLY well, but I forgot to smooth the edges and took a small chunk out of my leg on sunday with it Also need to finish fly cutting the top surface of it. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Ill be updating this topic with whatever else I make in my lunch breaks haha so do comment be it negatively or not! I could do with the feedback.

There is no way that I am aware of.

The Echo will be far easier to learn TGS style moves. If I were in your shoes that's exactly what I'd buy

Pull the lever so they stick out loads, 3 in 1 oil around the piston. Leave for a minute or so, then continuously pump the lever. Sticky piston should have gone

Hardly bad

Thanks Jack! Praise indeed from you mate, I've been watching the little snippets you've put on youtube now for ages, eagerly awaiting a full video on the new steed

Haha no worries Jake Cheers man! If you want one you know where to MSn haha Thanks dude!

I asked you haha and you said it wasnt for sale

Hey just thought I'd put some pictures up on here of the new and old ride! So happy to finally get it after loads of messing around with currency conversions / money transfers it eventually turned up . I've put pretty much all the parts on that I've always wanted, real coust pads, try-all esque stem, Ti bash, and rear king so I'm pretty chuffed now! Only things that I'm going to be changing are the crank bolts . There's a few home made parts on there at the moment and plenty more to follow when I get the time, and some I just haven't got round to putting on yet. Only had a about half an hour on it, before it started drizzling here but I love it. Definitely the bike that's suited me the most for sure. Zhi Geometry is: 1078, 378, 72, +58 with TT forks. Zhi Specification is: Home made parts: Trialtech fork insert, to allow m6 bolt to be used and thus sloped top cap, without ruining integral threads. RB inspired booster, wider to cover cross over and longer to cover splitter. Chris King axle washers, as the originals wouldn't quite squeeze into the frame. Homemade mounts, a bit like the old zhi mounts. but made on a manual mill and lathe Rear Wheel Chris King Classic hub Superstar components 14t cog DT spokes ZHI - R rear rim ( Try-all h0le ) Front Wheel Onza pro series front hub ( lathed out, with homemade axle washers and preload caps , -30gr ) Sapim DB spokes ZHI - R front ( Try-all h0le ) Drivetrain KMC Z610HX Middleburn RS7 cranks Middleburn Titanium bash, lathed down. FSA Platinum 128 DH bb Wellgo magnesium pedals Controls Zhi 3D 127 x 27 stem ( try-all / rockman basically ) Viz pro 720 bars Some form of foamies? Brakes Rear RB designs Lever blade Magura HS33 2003 quicksilver, resprayed silver. Koxx Yellow pads up front on a light grind. Echo TR clamps Front RB designs Lever blade Magura HS33 2003 quicksilver, resprayed silver. 'Real' Coustellier pads up front on a light grind. Echo TR clamps Chassis Zhi Z3r frame Trialtech 4 bolt forks By dark_biker at 2011-03-12 By dark_biker at 2011-03-12 By dark_biker at 2011-03-12 By dark_biker at 2011-03-12 By dark_biker at 2011-03-12 By dark_biker at 2011-03-12 By dark_biker at 2010-12-21 Bionic Spec is: Bionic before frame Zoo python forks Try-all gold rims RB designs front lever on magura slaves Rear 2004 magura, nyloc'd lever. Heatsink coust pads on back, koxx up front. Zhi disc rear hub, onza master front Try-all cranks Tensile FFW Trialtech BB KMC Z610HX Viz forged stem Neon bars, changed to montys now Gold chris King headset By dark_biker at 2011-03-12 By dark_biker at 2011-03-12 By dark_biker at 2011-03-12 So tempted to go dual disc on this frame, but that means new forks and brakes. Geo is: 1005, 71.5, 350, +70.

Cheers guys glad you liked! Andrei's riding was pretty cool across the ice. Highlight for me was getting that small kid to runa cross the ice though haha

I personally dont think you can. Isopropyl alcohol is the best bet ( recommended by Hayes and magura ) for cleaning rotors / pads. Other people will say fill a tuna can up with meths, chuck pads in then set on fire to burn away the contaminants. Other way of doing it is over a gas stove with the pads in some mole grips. Dishwasher is a good bet for the rotor

How are you getting there? Im well up if i can steal a lift for some pennys!

Herne Bay in Kent, 270 miles for me

Right, cheers for the advice Jake, but i actually just chucked some 3 in 1 oil on the slaves and master after reading the wiki. Thanks

I rode a coustellier v2 for nigh on 2 years, just changed to an XTP mod, then a bionic mod and now have a Z3r being built. Personally I really disliked the mods ; they were really good fun, but hard to do anything big. I get really intimidated by how big everything is! I say keep the Mist Have a go on some other bikes and see what YOU want though bey.

Awesome! If one other person confirms this i'm going to be very happy it doesn't make the ( nylon? ) pistons swell does it? This forum seems to say different

Righto, my master pistons in my old quicksilver 2004 hs33s are starting to stick again. I've put brand new O-rings in both levers, so this has probably exacerbated it. What kind of lube can I use? Apparently Vaseline eats away at the nitrile rubber, due to it being petroleum based. I know Silicone grease would be ideal, but id love to ride this weekend with nicely working smooth brakes! To hand I have: Silicone spray , red lithium grease and general household items haha. Anything safe to use from the above? Cheers, Alex

I'd weld a magura evo style horseshoe booster on top, or make a nice one and weld/braze it on

I've never thought of it as a mod technique? Just maybe more of a compy technique that lends itself to stocks. I'm only happy if i sidehop directly to two, I hate pulling it up with the front! This