patches

As someone whose idea of bike fitting is "does this bike fit in my car, in my garage, and in with my bicycle gang", personally I don't see benefit in changing crank length (not at 2.5mm anyway) for the purpose of pedal efficiency or fit. Especially on an MTB where there are so many other factors at play. However, as 95% of my riding is enduro/trail rides in forresty singletrack, laden with roots, rocks, berms, jumps, and all manner of fun, I do see a benefit in shortening my crank length (currently at the OEM 175mm) to 165mm to reduce pedal strike on trails. That 10mm extra clearance could be the difference between shredding and tasting dirt.

I spent way too much time making noise and sawdust this past weekend, but here were a couple of tools that will make life easier.. Digital Angle Finder I bought it for setting saw blades, but can also use it to check head angles on bikes or that type of thing. Table Saw Sled Home made and still a work in progress. I'm trying to pack loads of features into it. More detail on the Woodwork Thread, but yeah should be super handy once done!

So after many hours spelunking down a youtube rabbit-hole on table saw sleds and jigs, I decided to design and build my own. My CAD file titles it "Matt's Makita Super Sled", but I guess the "Super" part can only be verified once it'm done, and it works. After measuring, drafting, and spending WAY too much time and money procuring materials, the build began... Runners/Sliders: I started off buying some HDPE strips from a specialist woodworking shop. They claimed to be the perfect size fro mitre slots (3/4" x 3/8"... I hate imperial, but anyway). They slid well, but had some lateral play, so went for the more traditional hardwood option. Local hardware store had kwila decking planks. They were cheap and the thickness happened to be perfect for the mitre slot width, bonus! I ripped down a bunch of them, then test fitted and selected the 2 best ones. I used the "penny" (or NZ 10c piece) and superglue trick to fasten them to the sled base (18mm ply), before driving in some screws. Here's the sled upside down with the hardwood runners being installed. Base Options: Most of my Youtube research has shown me that woodworkers either run dual runners if they want a crosscut sled (or something based on a crosscut sled) or a single if they want to be able to move to the sled to either of the mitre slots. Fortunately with my little table saw has an extending base, so I can have 2 runners and still move it to each mitre slot to allow for different usage options. Both runners in slots - crosscut sled applicationsRight runner in left slot - bevel cut applicationsLeft runner in right slot - tapered cut or jointing applicationsSo I ran the base on the left (bevel) and right (square) slots to trim it down to the width. I haven't run it down the centre for the crosscut yet, as I need to build the front and back fences first or I end up with 2 sleds Accessorise: The plan was to run some universal T track all over the top so that I can accessorise with hold down clamps, moving fences, stop blocks, etc. I routed out a bunch or 19mm dados, and used the very sled and dados to cut down the T-track on the table saw (they say cutting alu is fine. I know the purists will cringe, but it worked well). Once I had all the cut pieces, I epoxied and fastened the T-track into place. The screw were a pain as 12mm was the smallest I could get and they were too long so outcame the visegrips and angle grinder and I shortened them all so that they wouldn't protrude out the bottom of the sled base. Progress so far: So here it is... so far Right runner in left slot for Bevel cuts. Both runners in both slots for crosscut sled applications (once fences are installed) Left runner in right slot for tapered cuts, jointing, etc. Next steps: Next steps will be to make a perfectly square fixed fence with T-track and stop block for cross cuts, and a floating (also with T-track and stop blocks) for repetitive tapered cuts. I'll post those up once they're done!

Swedish jukskei But yeah, pretty much finished the set. A lick of paint. Just need to build a crate for it,

I watched these vids while on the bus this morning. Made me realise I pack WAY too much, even for a 3 day trip through comparatively developed areas.

I see Strand does a combo kit. Does that work out at a reasonable price, or is it better to buy individually? https://www.strandhardware.co.za/makita-impact-driver-and-cordless-drill-combo I also see it comes with the Makita Makpac case. Great system (almost as good as Festool's Systainers without the need to sell a kidney). Here in NZ, as impact drivers are hugely popular (with our houses made out of sticks and all) it's quite common to get them in a combo kit with a drill. My local hardware store has 3 combo options ranging from approx R4075 to R5250 to R9050

... I think I have a problem! My foray into cycling started with the purchase of some Fox gloves. Initially purchased to keep my mitts a little warmer in winter, these (along with watching some downhill videos) then spurred on the purchase of some Thor goggles, then a full face helmet, finally my first real bike (a Morewood DH bike). Within 5 years of purchasing those gloves I'd had 13 bikes (no more than 5 at a time though, but 7 of them were Morewoods). Fortunately 6 years after that I have calmed down to a manageable 3 MTB's and 2 dirt bikes. How is this related to the toolbox thread... Well yesterday I bought a Makita Rapid Charger as it was a great deal. I don't even own any Makita battery-powered tools, or batteries That Makita charger is the equivalent of those damn Fox gloves that started it all off!

hmmm... I was going to suggest one of the flexibles available at Builder's Warehouse, but with the requirement for decent leverage it may not do the job. There are options on Aliexpress, but those take anywhere between 2 months - never to be delivered. BUT wait! There's more! Seems Gumtree may have what you're looking for! https://www.gumtree.co.za/a-screwdrivers/heathfield/screwdriver-bit-extension-150mm/1008618877560911405748109

This is probably the best way forward. I have AEG and Ryobi impact bit kits, for quick change and odds and ends on wood, plastic, and metals. I then have a 112pc Hitachi/Hikoki kit with all sorts in it for. All fairly decent quality (although I've snapped the 3mm bits in both the AEG and Ryobi sets ) The Ryobi set retails for about R300 equiv here The AEG impact bit set. Also retails for about R300 equiv The Hitachi/Hikoki set. Retails for about R100 equiv, but I bought it with Flybuys (NZ's lame version for eBucks) But when I need a bit for that's a specific size, or for a special purpose, I go and buy a high quality version of that singular bit. Like when I had to drill a hole into my Husqvarna 450's frame to mount a rally kit. I got a high quality cobalt bit. The drilling had to be precise and I was drilling into a very expensive piece of Chro-Mo, so it was worth spending about R320 equiv for 1 good bit. As for masonry bits, now that I live in the land where the little pigs build houses out of sticks, I don't think I've used one in years. But in SA I had a Bosch Rotary Hammer drill and I found the Bosch SDS bits to be pretty good. They may make equivalent bits out of the same material for conventional chucks.

I bought from Torpedo, but simply based on price. For a Giant Trance they're probably still a decent bet, even though they do have the Cyclelab vibe. I'd buy from them, but service elsewhere. For anything more exotic or servicing, Lewis & Co in Ponsonby is one worth looking at. They sell all the nice things that one can't get in the regular stores, and have a knowledgeable team.

So I collected the Makita, gave it a clean-up, put in a new 32T blade, squared everything up as best as I could and gave it a whirl! First mini-project was making a kubb set from some treated pine fence posts (100mm x 100mm x1800mm). Kubb for those who haven't played or seen it before. All set up. The seller included the little stand/table. Original fence post Left. Trimmed down version on right. Cleaned up all the sides to give a 70x70mm profile for the kubbs. The king will be 90x90x300mm The kubbs cut down (on the mitre saw) to their rough size, 70x70x150mm So yeah, first impressions from a quick test after work... so far so good! PS. all that sawdust on the lawn is from using an electric hand plane to slim down a fence posts, prior to the acquisition of the table saw. Table saw is so much easier!

I was reading on some Australian forum and they also seemed to think the arbour length was the limitation, but then someone mentioned that there's a flange kit that allows dados on the on the arbour. This one I think: https://www.makitatools.com/products/details/192693-8 Perhaps that may work?! Are dado stacks illegal in South Africa? I believe they are in some European countries, and maybe the SA version of the saw is based on those and they did indeed shorten the arbour so that even the flange set won't work. In the US one can apparently only use a dado stack if there is no alternate, safer, method to accomplish the cut (ie. a router).

Sheesh! Is that how crazy the market has gone! If I recall correctly you guys were originally feeling that around the $1m mark was where you wanted to be. If people's budgets have to increase 1.5-2x where they were about a year ago, it paints a grim picture for nearly all first time buyers from here on out.

I don't. Sad reality is that there isn't really one. There are a few groups of FB that dominate the classifieds side of things. A mate and I trialled a very basic version of the Bike Hub, but with FB groups being the go-to it didn't gain much traction (and we were lazy). If it did hit off we may have expanded into the forum side. So yeah, that is one thing SA definitely wins on... the Hub!

Peter Dutton won't like this https://www.domain.com.au/news/high-property-prices-in-new-zealand-could-see-more-kiwis-look-to-move-to-australia-in-future-1033735/?fbclid=IwAR0XcbiQcvQ0dX4M67a3wqlgTL2-KrLKo2Zg71xVgriEEDr1fMnbMAs2oXk

I believe that in Aus real state agents aren't as cagey about discussing reserves as they are here. Over here, as a prospective buyer, if one asks an agent what the ballpark around the reserve is, they'll spin you some BS about how they don't know what the reserve is, only the vendor knows. They'll then very quickly ask what your budget is, and even if you know the house will be way over that, they'll say that "you're in the ballpark" (the very thing they just said they had no clue about), to try entice you to go to the auction, throw your money on the table, and try incite the bidding frenzy. Is it true that in Aus they will at least give you a little more of a straigt answer, or are they as scumbag as the ones we have here?!

So the other day I was wandering through the hardware store, just having a gander (as one does), and my gaze fixated on the table saws. I'm having an internal struggle to justify NOT buying one (based cost and the fact that I have access to a VERY nice Sawstop cabinet saw at my local Men's Shed) and the other part of me that tries to justify buying one (based on convenience, ability to make custom sleds, & jigs, and install dado stacks... all things I can't do for the Sawstop as it is not mine). Anyway, due to space limitations I knew that I could only get away with a jobsite tablle saw, so these were the 2 that I had my eye on: Dewalt 7491 - approx. R16,000 once adding the mobile stand 254mm blade79mm max cutting depth @902000WCan accept dado stacksRack & pinion fence (nice and sturdy) Hikoki C10RJ - approx R12,000 (stand included in package) 250mm bladealso 79mm max cutting depth @901500WCan accept dado stacksalso rack & pinion fence (nice and sturdy)Initially I was hell bent on the Dewalt as that's what most of the reviews recommend. However it seems that's just because Dewalt has such a big following in the US, and reviews on the Hikoki are also good, and hey, about R4000 equivalent cheaper! So... I looked at my finances, ummed & aaahed, set a savings plan.... ...then BAM! Last night as an impulse purchase, disregarded ALL the planning, reviews and research I had done and bought one of these as it was a sweet deal! Makita 2704 - approx R13,000 (new, excl stand) 260mm blade90mm max cutting depth @901650WCan accept dado stacks (with aftermarket Makita arbour flanges)no rack & pinion fence, but dual locking (so way more sturdy than the smaller Makita MLT100)But the best part... I found one, second hand, light use for DIY work, and the guy was willing to sell it for around the R3500 mark! So yeah, I'll go pick it up this weekend, and see how it fares!

The good, the bad, and the funny... Kiwis LOVE an auction. Better yet a $1 reserve auction. TradeMe (Kiwi "Gumtree") users here will know all about the $1 auction section. So recently I was doing a little garage clear-out and decided to put up a lawn mower and a drywall auto-feed screw gun. I put a $150 buy now on each, with a $1 reserve. (I only paid $150 for the screw gun, 2nd hand but I did clean it up and service it, ) Anyway, the Buy Now prices were completely ignored and the bidding frenzy began. The mower ended up going for $226 (so about 50% more than the buy-now) And the screw gun for $267. I actually made a profit on the bloody thing So it's good for me... but bad in the sense that this mentality of naively thinking "ooh I can get it for cheap" in stead of just opting for the certainty of a fair price. Auctions are definitely one of the big reasons behind the NZ house prices running rampant and the much publicised "housing crisis"

Like these? https://www.bunnings.co.nz/ryobi-450mm-1-4-hex-drill-extension-bar_p0056799 Someone in SA must have them. Maybe not Ryobi, but I know Irwin makes them too.

I may have stolen some scientific terminology from one of my YouTube heroes... AvE. If you ever want to see a tool review, he's the guy to watch!

hahah hey! I haven't got a kiwi accent! ... although apparently I don't have much of any sort of accent anymore

As others have explained, the terminology can be confusing. Drill, hammer drill, impact drill drill driver, drunk driver, whatever! So here's my slightly silly way of looking at it... You know the DRILL... The drill. Drill driver. You know this. This is what most people use or associate with making holes and turning fasteners. These use the traditional 10 or 13mm 3 jaw chucks, most decent models have clutches to tap out of the torque is too high for the application (like driving screws into drywall). Can make holes in wood, metals, plastic,ad nearly any material where just a spinny-spin motion is needed. Can fasten/unfasten most screws/bolts/nuts with the correct bit and as long as they are't too tight. Advantages: Great for making holes and some light fastener work. Cheapest option. Disadvantages: Limiting in other areas. Not torque enough to undo the wheel-nuts on your car. It's HAMMER Time The most common type of hammer drill is just called that... a hammer drill (or in confusing cases, an impact drill). Still has the 3 jaw chuck and does spinny-spins, but now with some added tappy-taps (when set to hammer mode). The taps are axial (or along the shaft of the drill bit). They hammer mode is almost primarily used for masonry (brick, concrete etc). But almost all hammer drills will have a regular drilling mode (and sometimes a fastener driving mode) so they are very versatile. Advantages: Versatile, not too pricey Disadvantages: Not great for serious masonry work. Still won't undo the wheel nuts on your car. For dedicated masonry work and when some extra brute force is needed, a rotary hammer drill is the tool. Bigger, beefier, and will pull you pants down if you use the belt hook. Most of these use a special SDS (or some SDS variant) chuck, requiring special slotted drill bits. Like so: They can do harder tappy-taps (in the axial direction) while doing spinny-spins, to get though things like concrete lintels and such. Some can also do tappy-taps without spinny-spins as a sort of chisel/jackhammer function. Not ideal for driving fasteners due to size, weight, and the need for an SDS-regular chuck (or some other) adaptor. Advantages: Powerful. SDS chuck system is great. an come with chisel functionality Disadvantages: Pricey, heavy, too specific, and not great for anything else really. Deep IMPACT Now we get into the actual question at hand... the impact driver. These use a quick-release hex type chuck. They are primarily used for driving fasteners and unlike the hammer drill, the impact action is tangential (perpendicular to the radius... damn that sounds even more confusing)... so basically thing of using a decent sized spanner on a tight bolt, stuck bolt. Then to get the bolt loose you hit the end of the spanner in an anti-clockwise motion with a hammer. That is how the impact driver do. When a certain amount of resistance to the rotation is met, it starts a hammer/impact action in in the same direction as the rotation. They can create massive amounts of torque (like I mean more torque than a mid sized car. The impact driver pictured above puts out 280Nm). One can also get drill bits to fit the hex-chuck for making holes in stuff, however there is no axial impact/hammer action so no good for masonry. The impact driver drill bits have the hex shank like so, and can be uses in a conventional chuck.: Advantages: more compact than a drill. great torque for for tough fasteners. Can drill holes (best suited to soft materials though). Hex chuck is super quick and easy to use. It also doesn't loosen itself or slip, like conventional chucks often do. And yeah... it will likely undo the wheel-nuts on your car Disadvantages: Not suited for masonry. Not ideal for all drilling applications. You filthy WRENCH The impact wrench is very similar to the impact driver, with the main difference being the "chuck", or lack thereof. Impact wrenches use conventional square drives (usually 1/2") to attach sockets for the driving of fasteners. They also have more torque and are generally bulkier. Some more powerful models (like the one below) are even bigger, but boast more torque than a supercar... we're talking over 1500Nm for the variant below) Advantages: very powerful. Great for driving big fasteners and tech screws into tough materials. Fits your socket set. Can undo the wheel nuts on your car Disadvantages: Too specialised for general use. Pricey. Will strip the wheel nuts off your car. Conclusion: Impact drivers are amazing. I use mine far more often than I use my drill. Mostly because I fasten/unfasten more than I make holes in things, and the size and hex chuck make it convenient. However if I could only have 1 of all the above, it would be a hammer drill as it's the most versatile. If you have a hammer drill, the addition of an impact driver will not go to waste. I'm fairly certain that like me, you'll find yourself using it more and more.

hahahaha go for it! As much as I poke fun at GS's for being engineered as offroad bikes (or Harleys being engineered.... at all ) You're gonna arrive a lot more comfortable an refreshed after hours on the bike than I will on my Husky petrol-to-noise-and-vibration converter

I was suckered in by a sweet orange deal and ended up with one of these AEG Brushless Collated Screw Gun I've been doing a fair amount of dry-walling at home (new ceilings, walls etc) and I do have a pre-owned corded Makita version (which I bought form a Cash Converters), but cordless is so much more convenient especially when clambering up and down ladders and platforms.

Oh indeed, totally agree! Price and availability would be critical factors to consider. The KTM 500 or Husky 501 will be significantly more expensive than the Honda she went with. A brand new KTM 500 EXC Six Days (only option I could find available in SA) will set one back around R156k A brand new Husky 501 will make your wallet about R151k lighter And a used 2018 hand Husky 501 with low hours (47) will see you shelling out about R99k So yeah, even that 2nd hand Husky is about R25k more costly than a brand new CRF250L. As for availability, SA isn't as big on the 500cc Austrians as Aus and NZ are. I'd guess because the SA "off-road" scene is so polarised between the 2 extremes... namely 100kg 2 stroke enduro bikes or hippo-sized BMW GS pavement parkers. The lightweight and mid-size adventure following is small (but growing). The addition of bikes like the 790 & 890 KTM Adventures and the 700 Tenere, has been helping this growth in the mid-size adventure market. As for lightweight-adventure/dual sports and the 500s... I'd hazard a guess that most 500's sold in SA are to riders using them for rally racing as a cost effective alternative to 450 Rally replicas. Demand is low so stock will be low. They are out there though. But yeah, if one could come up with the extra R30-40k odd (for the used Husky and some aftermarket kit), it would be an amazing machine to do this sort of adventure on and still significantly cheaper and more capable than a midsize adventure (like a 790 or Tenere).