some quick questions re: fixed conversion!
 

1) I bought some cheap track wheels for converting an early 80s road frame to fixed. the front hub is a sovos track hub. The solid axle diameter is too big for my fork dropouts! Is this expected? Can I take a dremel to the dropouts and widen them a little? The shortfall is very, very small, but enough that i cannot just jam the axle in there.

2) Chain line - how to adjust the horizontal position of the cog? by my estimate, i'm within 2mms of the dead on chainline with the cog flush against the hub. how can i get it outboard? with spacers? are there spacers with widths as little as 1mm?

3) any tricks for tightening the chain? no matter how hard i pull, i can't seem to lock down the axle as far back in the dropouts as i'd like...

Thanks! already read sheldonbrown.com cover to cover, but still have these questions! thanks!

dremel the axle, not the dropouts.

spacers do come that thin.

cram a rag between the seattube and the tire to get the chan tight, then tighten one side so that the wheel is sligtly diagonal to the frame. pull the wheel straight, then tighten the other side.

remove the rag ;) and ride.

Thanks!

But dremel the axle? that seems too difficult - i'd need to thin the axle only in the part that contacts the dropouts, while leaving the rest intact so that the threading is still usable.

any other thoughts on this issue? Thanks.

You can dremel the whole length of the axle if you want too, just don't go all the way around it. making a side of the axle flat will not affect the usefulness of the nuts.

Speaking of Sheldon and Harris Bikes, they have (or used to have) Sovos hubs with flattened axles. Basically, they did the Dremel thing at the factory. Maybe you can get replacement axles from them.
I'd advise taking the hub apart, securing the axle and carefully shave some metal off. Keep the sides parallel! Good Luck!

i filed out my fork dropouts a bit on my old fork, it worked alright, never really had any problems till i bent the fork itself. Also, you shouldn't really have your chain that tight. It'll be noisy as sin. You want like a 1/2 inch of play or so in the middle of the chain, just not enough so that it could come off.