Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Classic & Vintage
Reload this Page >

Guess the vintage tool!

Search
Notices
Classic & Vintage This forum is to discuss the many aspects of classic and vintage bicycles, including musclebikes, lightweights, middleweights, hi-wheelers, bone-shakers, safety bikes and much more.

Guess the vintage tool!

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 03-14-13 | 01:55 PM
  #1  
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 542
Likes: 2
Guess the vintage tool!

Just picked up a couple old frame fixin tools.... I know what they are, lets see if you do

Here's the first one...






ericbaker is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 02:00 PM
  #2  
JohnDThompson's Avatar
Old fart
Titanium Club Membership
20 Anniversary
Community Builder
 
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 26,404
Likes: 5,339
From: Appleton WI

Bikes: Several, mostly not name brands.

Park fork alignment gauge, model #FT-4
JohnDThompson is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 02:01 PM
  #3  
Junior Member
10 Anniversary
 
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 124
Likes: 22
From: Los Angeles
I think it makes sure the fork is straight; although, I may be thinking of a different but similar looking tool.
heytchap is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 02:06 PM
  #4  
Banned
 
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 43,586
Likes: 1,380
From: NW,Oregon Coast

Bikes: 8

+1 with JDT, I got a out of whack fork made right going to a shop that had one,

A good score, since They stopped making them years ago .. now tweaked forks just get replaced.
fietsbob is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 02:08 PM
  #5  
noglider's Avatar
aka Tom Reingold
Titanium Club Membership
15 Anniversary
Community Builder
Community Influencer
 
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 44,320
Likes: 6,605
From: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA

Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem

I've used this tool TWICE in the last couple of weeks!

First, I used it to straighten a steel fork on a racing bike with 700c wheels.

Then I used it to widen and de-rake the fork on my 1973 Raleigh Twenty.

It's a great tool. I mentioned to my LBS that I'd like to buy it, but the folks there only chuckled in response.
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog

“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author

Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
noglider is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 02:13 PM
  #6  
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 542
Likes: 2
that was quick, heres another..



ericbaker is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 02:21 PM
  #7  
ilikebikes's Avatar
K2ProFlex baby!
 
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 6,134
Likes: 59
From: My response would have been something along the lines of: "Does your bike have computer controlled suspension? Then shut your piehole, this baby is from the future!"

Bikes: to many to list

Its a 1950s car jack thats been altered into some kind of bicycle tool. Did I guess it?
__________________
You see, their morals, their code...it's a bad joke, dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. I'll show you. When the chips are down, these...These "civilized" people...they'll eat each other. See, I'm not a monster. I'm just ahead of the curve
ilikebikes is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 03:16 PM
  #8  
Chris_in_Miami's Avatar
missing in action
 
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 4,483
Likes: 54
Bead jack for Challenge tires?
Chris_in_Miami is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 03:22 PM
  #9  
squirtdad's Avatar
Senior Member
Titanium Club Membership
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,499
Likes: 4,919
From: San Jose (Willow Glen) Ca

Bikes: Kirk Custom JK Special, 86 De Rosa Pro, '84 Team Miyata,(dura ace old school) 80?? SR Semi-Pro 600 Arabesque

tubular tire stretcher? I haven't the faintest, but am guessing I will feel dumb when the answer comes out
__________________
Life is too short not to ride the best bike you have, as much as you can.





squirtdad is online now  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 03:26 PM
  #10  
rootboy's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 16,748
Likes: 138
From: Wherever
Bent fork straightener. No?

Chrono-synclastic infundibulator?
rootboy is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 03:27 PM
  #11  
Sixty Fiver's Avatar
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
 
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 27,266
Likes: 152
From: YEG

Bikes: See my sig...

Originally Posted by ericbaker
that was quick, heres another..



Seatpost jack.

Sixty Fiver is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 03:45 PM
  #12  
noglider's Avatar
aka Tom Reingold
Titanium Club Membership
15 Anniversary
Community Builder
Community Influencer
 
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 44,320
Likes: 6,605
From: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA

Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem

It's a head tube straightener. We had that at a shop where I worked.
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog

“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author

Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
noglider is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 03:50 PM
  #13  
auchencrow's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,303
Likes: 60
From: Detroit
Cool tools Eric.

Is there any chance you could show us a pic of these things in action?

- Not that it isn't immediately apparent to ME how to use these things - Oh nooooo.....
__________________
- Auchen
auchencrow is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 04:01 PM
  #14  
kc0yef's Avatar
Senior Member
Titanium Club Membership
10 Anniversary
 
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,394
Likes: 20
From: OZARKS
Frame alignment jig the second one
__________________
riding
kc0yef is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 04:25 PM
  #15  
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 542
Likes: 2
Originally Posted by ilikebikes
Its a 1950s car jack thats been altered into some kind of bicycle tool. Did I guess it?
It is actully, although it is also a bicycle specific tool sold to bike shops by the guy(s) that modified them.

Known around here as a "Fork Jack" for pushing out stuffed forks.

Originally Posted by noglider
It's a head tube straightener. We had that at a shop where I worked.
Heres the headtube straightener, you pre-guessed my next one. Looking at it now, maybe with a little ingenuity, you could actually use the fork jack to push out a buckled headtube.
ericbaker is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 04:34 PM
  #16  
dddd's Avatar
Ride, Wrench, Swap, Race
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 9,834
Likes: 1,809
From: Northern California

Bikes: Cheltenham-Pedersen racer, Boulder F/S Paris-Roubaix, Varsity racer, '52 Christophe, '62 Continental, '92 Merckx, '75 Limongi, '76 Presto, '72 Gitane SC, '71 Schwinn SS, etc.

This thread is interesting in that I have been at work with the design of a "lowest-cost fork/headtube straightener" for home use.

Also working on a system of removing toptube/downtube dents from the inside.

I promise to post what I come up with.
dddd is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 04:37 PM
  #17  
jimmuller's Avatar
What??? Only 2 wheels?
Titanium Club Membership
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 13,501
Likes: 995
From: Boston-ish, MA

Bikes: 72 Peugeot UO-8, 82 Peugeot TH8, 87 Bianchi Brava, 76? Masi Grand Criterium, 74 Motobecane Champion Team, 86 & 77 Gazelle champion mondial, 81? Grandis, 82? Tommasini, 83 Peugeot PF10

Walnut cracker. Or headset installer/remover. (Just guessing but it looks familiar, like I should know.)
__________________
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
jimmuller is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 05:21 PM
  #18  
rootboy's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 16,748
Likes: 138
From: Wherever
Originally Posted by ericbaker
Known around here as a "Fork Jack" for pushing out stuffed forks.
So, I guessed right, eh? ...that's a first.
rootboy is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 05:40 PM
  #19  
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 542
Likes: 2
Originally Posted by rootboy
So, I guessed right, eh? ...that's a first.

yes, but it only straightens in one direction! ... or i guess two if you turn it around
ericbaker is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 06:46 PM
  #20  
obrentharris's Avatar
Senior Member
Titanium Club Membership
10 Anniversary
 
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 5,058
Likes: 4,926
From: Point Reyes Station, California

Bikes: Indeed!

We tried, with limited success, to use the fork jack as a head tube straightener in a shop where I worked in the early seventies. We would put one of those super-beefy MX forks (Cook Brothers?) in the headtube to be straightened and use the jack to push on it. Unfortunately any frame with serious crimps under the top tube and down tube would often end up with small crimps on the top of the tubes as well after this treatment!
Brent
obrentharris is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 07:20 PM
  #21  
Banned
 
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 206
Likes: 3
From: Jacksonville Florida
Originally Posted by noglider
I've used this tool TWICE in the last couple of weeks!

First, I used it to straighten a steel fork on a racing bike with 700c wheels.

Then I used it to widen and de-rake the fork on my 1973 Raleigh Twenty.

It's a great tool. I mentioned to my LBS that I'd like to buy it, but the folks there only chuckled in response.
Excuse me but didn't you just tell me if I rode my very slightly bent fork after straightening "You will die"
in the "Love of English 3 speed" thread?

And the second tool is actually a fork straightener as well- it's exactly like the one we had back in '73 and ''74- the summers in college I worked at the Bicycle Peddler at 38 th and Georgetown Roads in Indianapolis. It worked pretty well on the cheap bikes I personally used it on once or twice- but I wouldn't want to have ridden them much either- and never in a race!

The flats behind the moving "jack" part rest up against the BB and one of the hook slots of your choice on the red part of it fit on the hub axle- you pump the handle and - voila- the car jack pushes the axle away from the BB.

By the way, I ordered a used replacement fork for the 3 speed- but then found some new ones on Amazon too, shipped under $20- although they are out of stock on the chrome I would have preferred. Don't know what a shop wants to straighten a fork these days-

the park tools are listed on ebay starting about $65.

Last edited by harpon; 03-14-13 at 09:16 PM.
harpon is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 07:37 PM
  #22  
noglider's Avatar
aka Tom Reingold
Titanium Club Membership
15 Anniversary
Community Builder
Community Influencer
 
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 44,320
Likes: 6,605
From: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA

Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem

Originally Posted by harpon
Excuse me but didn't you just tell me if I rode my very slightly bent fork after straightening "You will die"
in the "Love of English 3 speed" thread?
Busted!

But that Huffy's fork is very bent, and it's a Huffy, not a Raleigh.

My LBS won't bend steel frames any more. They got rid of all their tools for steel frames and had forgotten about the gauge that eric showed us. They let me use it myself, since they don't want to do it.
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog

“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author

Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
noglider is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 08:00 PM
  #23  
JohnDThompson's Avatar
Old fart
Titanium Club Membership
20 Anniversary
Community Builder
 
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 26,404
Likes: 5,339
From: Appleton WI

Bikes: Several, mostly not name brands.

Originally Posted by fietsbob
now tweaked forks just get replaced.
If your carbon fiber fork gets whacked out of alignment, it's time for a new one anyway, I suppose.

Here's one I've only seen in this catalog drawing. Hint: it's made by Campagnolo, but hasn't appeared in their catalogs since the 1950s:

JohnDThompson is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 08:09 PM
  #24  
Senior Member
 
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 693
Likes: 20
Wow! This is the sort of stuff I love about this forum. Thank you for sharing, I hope there will be more to come, perhaps from others as well.
bici_mania is offline  
Reply
Old 03-14-13 | 09:14 PM
  #25  
Banned
 
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 206
Likes: 3
From: Jacksonville Florida
Originally Posted by noglider
Busted!

But that Huffy's fork is very bent, and it's a Huffy, not a Raleigh.

My LBS won't bend steel frames any more. They got rid of all their tools for steel frames and had forgotten about the gauge that eric showed us. They let me use it myself, since they don't want to do it.
No, it's actually only slightly bent- an inch out at the furthest point- I still think the flat tire in the picture emphasizes it- I really have to get a straightedge against it-

and it is a Huffy- and not a Raleigh- sometime in the 60's I guess they quit importing them- so its a heavier American frame with a big bottom bracket-

a '69 I believe- just took the crank off tomight- a great big 48 tooth sprocket HEAVILY chromed- higher quality than they got later even-

One of the reasons I bought it was to have the option of motoring- though I doubt I will- that always messes up the paint- so it's a cheap throwaway of sorts- I'm just overhauling- got burned another $19 for the fork beyond the 39.95 I paid for it.- Cleaning up nicely tho.
harpon is offline  
Reply


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.