Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Breaking apart an old cassette to make single speed

Was reading how to convert to single speed and it simply said to get a desired single speed cog then bust your old cassette apart and use spacers with your new cog. What is the best way/how do old cassettes come apart? Thanks

how to remove the cassette
http://bicycletutor.com/replace-cassette-cluster/

What is the best way/how do old cassettes come apart?

do you mean a freewheel?

http://www.singlespeedoutlaw.com/main/articles/singlespeedhowto.shtml

Step 5 says remove cassette and bust it apart to get the cogs and spacers. I also think it is mentioned on sheldon brown.

Should be a little allen bolt holding the ramped cluster together. You should have at least one or two that isn't attached to the main cluster and isn't ramped.

no allen bolt I can detect, it looks like they are all pressed fit together but they seem locked. it is from an old motobecane if that helps.

Time for the mallet.

I plan on taking a torch and mallet to it tomorrow at the shop.

Being clear about whether its a freewheel or cassette would help.

If its a freewheel, you need chain whips to remove the smallest cog while the freewheel is on the wheel. After removing the smallest cog, all the others will come off and you will then need spacers as you reassemble the freewheel.

If you have removed the freewheel, you might be better to just get a single speed freewheel for replacement than modify the old freewheel.

depends on freehub (cassette) or freewheel. figure out which one you have, then get the proper tool for removal. or just take it to a shop.

if it is a freehub and you indeed have a cassette, then the first few smaller cogs should come loose along with some spacers (you're going to need a couple more spacers though and also play around with them to get a straight chainline). or you could just order a SS conversion kit from nashbar/pricepoint/etc.

if it is a freewheel, remove and replace with a SS freewheel.

If it is a freewheel here are some good hints to using one in a SS capacity

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=373319 (http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=373319)

its a free hub but does not look like a standard cassette hub. luckily I also have an old tire with a free wheel that I will just use a ss freewheel on.