Bicycle Alchemy

[Zoot Katz]

Turning scrap into scratch.

Since mid-November, I've been searching and scrounging some LBSs'
recycle bins to gather tires, sprockets, chain and spokes. As a
beggar, I'm choosey but the results have been worth it.
I've been turning their junk into belts. They're being well received
and sales are picking up with the season.

If you want to have a look at my chicollage, scroll down to "high zut
street gear" http://bikebling.blogspot.com/
--
zk

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article >,
Zoot Katz > wrote:

> Turning scrap into scratch.
>
> Since mid-November, I've been searching and scrounging some LBSs'
> recycle bins to gather tires, sprockets, chain and spokes. As a
> beggar, I'm choosey but the results have been worth it.
> I've been turning their junk into belts. They're being well received
> and sales are picking up with the season.
>
> If you want to have a look at my chicollage, scroll down to "high zut
> street gear" http://bikebling.blogspot.com/

Sweet looking stuff, Zoot! I like the lockring belt buckles.

--
Ryan Cousineau http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos

[Zoot Katz]

On Fri, 16 Dec 2005 23:59:23 GMT, Ryan Cousineau >
wrote:

>> If you want to have a look at my chicollage, scroll down to "high zut
>> street gear" http://bikebling.blogspot.com/
>
>Sweet looking stuff, Zoot! I like the lockring belt buckles.

Those are Jim's creations. They're elegantly simple and profitably
quick to make. He'll gladly sell you some at Red Square on Saturday
afternoon. It's a juried craft sale so most of the stuff is decent.

I'm still working to develop a method for quickly cutting the tires
into belt blanks. Because of the molded crown and bias of the casing,
they don't lend themselves to cutting with a knife and straight edge.

I'm thinking rollers and rotary cutter blades might do it, but trying
to keep it more simple than that. There probably already exists a
machine that does it, I've just not seen one yet.

I'll eventually get something worked out. That's half the fun.
--
zk

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article >,
Zoot Katz > wrote:

> On Fri, 16 Dec 2005 23:59:23 GMT, Ryan Cousineau >
> wrote:
>
> >> If you want to have a look at my chicollage, scroll down to "high zut
> >> street gear" http://bikebling.blogspot.com/
> >
> >Sweet looking stuff, Zoot! I like the lockring belt buckles.
>
> Those are Jim's creations. They're elegantly simple and profitably
> quick to make. He'll gladly sell you some at Red Square on Saturday
> afternoon. It's a juried craft sale so most of the stuff is decent.
>
> I'm still working to develop a method for quickly cutting the tires
> into belt blanks. Because of the molded crown and bias of the casing,
> they don't lend themselves to cutting with a knife and straight edge.
>
> I'm thinking rollers and rotary cutter blades might do it, but trying
> to keep it more simple than that. There probably already exists a
> machine that does it, I've just not seen one yet.
>
> I'll eventually get something worked out. That's half the fun.

Reverse-engineer the easiest way to get a flat tire: lubricate your
knife. I recommend either water or oil.

-RjC.

--
Ryan Cousineau http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos

[Zoot Katz]

On Sat, 17 Dec 2005 08:08:28 GMT, Ryan Cousineau >
wrote:

>> I'm still working to develop a method for quickly cutting the tires
>> into belt blanks. Because of the molded crown and bias of the casing,
>> they don't lend themselves to cutting with a knife and straight edge.
>>
>> I'm thinking rollers and rotary cutter blades might do it, but trying
>> to keep it more simple than that. There probably already exists a
>> machine that does it, I've just not seen one yet.
>>
>> I'll eventually get something worked out. That's half the fun.
>
>Reverse-engineer the easiest way to get a flat tire: lubricate your
>knife. I recommend either water or oil.

Lubrication helps but doesn't solve the problem of flattening the
tire's crown so that a straight edge will lay flat. I used to strip
wet rubber for model aircraft motors. That was easy with the rotary
blade in a "rubber stripper" as you've a nice initial straight side
for positioning a fence to guide it through the cutter. Optimally I
hope to cut both sides of the tread away from the sidewall
simultaneously and parallel.

The best I've been able to accomplish for flattening the crown is
stapling the tire to a plank about every three inches and
repositioning the straight edge before cutting the other side. It
takes about as much time as with a scissors following a molded line.

I'm working on some adjustable (tires and buckles come in different
widths) two blade cutters that permit me to draw the tire through the
blades. Tension must be kept equal on the take-up side for both the
off-cuts and tread section or you get a wavy line. Downward pressure
has to be sufficient to flatten the crown where it passes through the
blades while not causing so much pressure that it's impossible to
pull the rubber through the blades. Something about the thickness of
plane or chisel blades are necessary to keep the blades from
deflecting and producing a wavy line. . . even with wet rubber.

Like I said, it's fun.

BTW: Nokian tires _are_ tough with a capital tee.
--
zk

[Patrick Lamb]

On Fri, 16 Dec 2005 00:29:57 -0800, Zoot Katz >
wrote:

>Turning scrap into scratch.
>
>Since mid-November, I've been searching and scrounging some LBSs'
>recycle bins to gather tires, sprockets, chain and spokes. As a
>beggar, I'm choosey but the results have been worth it.
>I've been turning their junk into belts. They're being well received
>and sales are picking up with the season.
>
>If you want to have a look at my chicollage, scroll down to "high zut
>street gear" http://bikebling.blogspot.com/

What are the odds an ordinary 'murican could get on a plane wearing
one of those belts? They LOOK dangerous, even if you've rounded off
the teeth...

Email address works as is.

[Chris Z The Wheelman]

Group: rec.bicycles.misc
Date: Sat, Dec 17, 2005, 2:07am (EST-3) From:
(Zoot*Katz)

>Lubrication helps but doesn't solve the
>problem of flattening the tire's crown so
>that a straight edge will lay flat.

Have you tried tubular tires ("Sew-Ups")? Since they don't have to hold
a specific shape (the air does that), and the tread is thinner to begin
with, they lay flat on their own.

A little harder to find nowadays, but you could try scavenging the pro
shops.

- -
These comments compliments of,
Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman

My web Site:
http://geocities.com/czcorner

To E-mail me:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net

[Zoot Katz]

On Sat, 17 Dec 2005 22:13:14 -0500,
(Chris Z The Wheelman) wrote:

>
>Have you tried tubular tires ("Sew-Ups")? Since they don't have to hold
>a specific shape (the air does that), and the tread is thinner to begin
>with, they lay flat on their own.
>
>A little harder to find nowadays, but you could try scavenging the pro
>shops.

Yep, I cut up one of my old tubular tires just to try. It was a bit
thin for a belt. Might make nice watch bands though. That's another
design yet to be realised. Thanks for the thought.
--
zk

[Zoot Katz]

On Sat, 17 Dec 2005 20:43:49 -0600, Patrick Lamb
> wrote:

>>If you want to have a look at my chicollage, scroll down to "high zut
>>street gear" http://bikebling.blogspot.com/
>
>What are the odds an ordinary 'murican could get on a plane wearing
>one of those belts? They LOOK dangerous, even if you've rounded off
>the teeth...

Wear one of the chain or chain wrapped sprocket types.
--
zk