I was stripping a bike that I was working on for the Bike Exchange and when it came to the cranks I realized thea the drive side threads were stripped. The thing was really on there and I couldn't shift it with the use of 2 Automotive pickle forks . It had to come off or I would have to saw through the bottom bracket spindle . I thought maybe I could saw through it on one side which might allow me to pull it off. Then I thought maybe it would be easier to drill through the aluminum .

I clamped the frame to the table of my drill press and filed a flat spot on the crank spider then drilled a hole as close to the edge of the square taper spindle as I could . Then I drilled another hole next to it . By then I had drilled almost completely from the spindle to the outside of the spider. a small wood chisel was used to cut through the remaining sliver of aluminum . At this point a tap on the pickle fork wedged between the spider and the bottom bracket popped the spider off. It was at that point that I saw the tin wedge that had been inserted between the spider and the square tapered spindle.

I had taken this bike home because it was a Bianchi and they have some name recognition and thus a bit more value as a sale bike. After all was said and done though I realized that this bike was nothing special. It was a franken bike whan I found it and will be one when I am finished. It will be rebuilt with low value components and probably donated out to one of our client organizations.