Man hours: 2
Hours to Date: 5.5
$0.00
Removing cottered cranks off of a 32 year old bike is no trivial matter.
I carefully read the venerable Sheldon Brown's instructions on the removal of cottered cranks. (Cottered cranks are an older style of crank that is secured to the crank spindle by means of a tapered metal dowel [cotter] that is wedged into a hole through the spindle and crank arm.) I was able to remove the cranks without much difficulty after rigging up a contraption of 2x4's and firewood to act as a support for the bottom bracket cup. Sheldon suggests using a length of pipe, but, having none at hand, I placed the firewood directly under the bottom of the cotter as I prepared to bludgeon it with my framing hammer. Since the firewood was relatively soft, it accepted the struck cotter to a depth of about a quarter inch—just enough to loosen its bonds and allow me to remove the wood and give the cotter a final smack to remove it.
Removing the cranks aided in my sanding, and I finished removing the majority of the paint from the planar surfaces. I will have to attack the smaller crevices by hand. I'm considering using aircraft stripper or somesuch, but I have a strange attachment to a.) the lining of my lungs and b.) my state of malignancy-free health. So we'll see. Regardless, I think I'm going to be ready to paint next weekend—the Saturday of which is supposed to be 80 degrees and sunny: perfect painting weather, and I have no lack of faith in Google weather.
In other news:
I have wrapped (after re-cabling/housing) the starboard handlebar on my Felt racing bike. For Michael A.'s sake, I must say that it is perfect. Without the aid of lowbrow electrician's tape, it emerges as it were by generation from the bar itself—like a carbon fiber vine sprouting at the perfect distal interval from the stem, and winding its sinuous way round the hoods and drops in loops too symmetrical to be of human origin.
Another notable achievement: I had my first official success BBQing chicken. I was grilling up some breasts to be sliced for chicken caesar salad, and they actually turned out great (I've been through some chicken fiascos in the past): 6 hours in a basic herb marinade, and then I added a healthy dose of Shiraz to the plastic bag and sloshed everything around. I basted the upward side with the marinade whilst they cooked.
Stay tuned for Saturday's birthday BBQ for Josiah, when I attempt a Jack Daniels/pepper/garlic salmon feast. I think the marinade is going to go something like:
1/2 Cup Jack Daniels
1/2 Olive oil
1/2 Brown sugar (packed)
Like, 1/4 cup chopped up garlic
Some good shakings of Tabasco. Smoked Tabasco if I remember to grab it.
One half of a lemon, all mashed up and squeezed out into the bag.
Lots of peppercorn
A bit of garlic salt
[Whatever else strike me while I'm putting stuff into the marinade bag... maybe some halved grapes? Maybe some sauteed mushrooms?]
So, marinade for about 2 or 3 hours (since it's fish), lie by the pool, toss the frisbee... and then heat the grill up to high for 10 minutes to get it nice and hot. Then about four minutes each side, basting with the marinade.
