Tool Boards

[RayB]

Task:

-Create 5 identical tool boards

To do list:

1 - Walkthrough the shop to decide on sizes and locations.

The size we came up with is 48x48" to best fit the areas.

2 - Create a list of required building materials.

3 - Create/copy tool template or *list of tools to be included.


4 - Price, source and buy new tools.

5 - Buy materials and gather building tools. 40% complete

6 - Create and assemble the boards. 20% complete


Tools:  (proposed tool list for each station)

1. Basic Wrench Set - 8mm-17mm
   
2. Adjustable Wrenches
   
3. Hammer   
   
4. Screwdriver    Phillips #2
   
5. Side cutters   
   
6. Cable cutters   
   
7. Vice Grip   
   
8. Pliers    linesman and needle nose
   
9. Channel lock pliers - 8' and 12'
   
10. Fourth hand
    
11. Nut Driver    Tri Key 8,9,10 mm   
    
12. Allen Keys    Tri Key 4,5,6 mm
    
13. Allen Key Set    Full set of sizes
    
14. Spoke Keys    Black, red, green
    
15. Cone Wrenches    13,14,15
    
16. Pedal Wrench    15mm
    
17. Chain Breaker   
    
18. Crank Extractor   
    
19. BB Spanner Wrench   
    
20. BB Pin Spanner   
    
21. BB Cup Wrenches
    
22. Tire Levers    Set of 2
    
23. Tire pressure gauge    High pressure
    
24. Tire pump    High pressure 100psi
    
25. Valve tool   
    
26. Presta adapter   
    
27. Metal file   
    

Below is: Darcy and Ray's suggested to buy toolists after meeting (Thurs. Mar. 26)

Specialty Bike Tools:

Product	Code	Quantity	Price	Total
Pin Spanner – green	Park Tools – SPA-1	3		0
Pin Spanner – red	Park Tools – SPA-2	4		0
Cup remover (drive side)	Park Tools -			0
Crank Tool	Park Tools – CCW3	4		0
Crank Puller (might not need?)	Park Tools – CCP22	3	18	54
Cone Wrench (13mm)	Park Tools – SCW-13	3		0
Cone Wrench (14mm)	Park Tools – SCW-14	3		0
Cone Wrench (15mm)	Park Tools – SCW-15	3		0
Spoke Wrench (black)	Park Tools – SW-0	5	6.5	32.5
Spoke Wrench (green)	Park Tools – SW-1	5	6.5	32.5
Spoke Wrench (red)	Park Tools – SW-2	5	6.5	32.5
Tire Levers TL1	Park Tools – TL1	5	2.25	11.25
8/10mm Combo Wrench	Park Tools – CBW-1	5		0
Cable Cutters	Park Tools – CN-10	3	42	126
Y wrench Hex key (4,5,6)	Park Tools – AWS-1	3	9.75	29.25
Fourth Hand tool	Hozan Tools – C-356	3		0
			Subtotal	318
			Tax	1.13
			Total	$359.34

Common Tools - Canadian Tire:

Product Name	Product #	Quantity	Price	Total
Steel 8-oz Claw Hammer	57-4112-6	4	3.99	15.96
Mastercraft Digital Caliper	58-6800-4	3	39.99	119.97
Mastercraft Micro Chrome Adjustable Wrench 6”	58-4756-2	3	9.99	9.99
Mastercraft Micro Chrome Adjustable Wrench 12”	58-4759-6	3	19.99	59.97
Mastercraft Locking Pliers 7”	58-4743-2	4	14.99	59.96
Channellock® 12-in. Pliers	58-4562-2	3	21.99	65.97
Mastercraft Maximum 8' Long Nose Pliers	58-4302-2	3	19.99	59.97
Mastercraft Maximum 6” Diagonal Pliers	58-4303-0	3	17.99	53.97
Releasall Lubricant, 340 g	38-1530-4	3	6.49	19.47
			subtotal	465.23
			tax	1.13
			total	$525.71

Building Materials - Home Depot:

Material	Quantity	Price	Total
3/4x4'x8' - Plywood	5	37	185.00
1”x3”x8' – Framing	6	1.71	10.26
6D Finishing Nails – box	2	4.89	9.78
		Subtotal	205.04
		tax	1.13
		Total	$231.70

TOTALS (so far.. not all prices have been entered):

Supplier	Total (So far!)
Babac	359.34
Canadian Tire	525.71
Home Depot	231.7
Grand Total So far	$1,116.75

Layout/Locations:



The first board is complete!



Please comment with any ideas, additions or even just to say that we are on track. Thanks!

[RayB]

Darcy and I have planned a meeting this Thursday at 4pm to walkthrough the shop and size everything for the construction of new tool boards; all are welcome to join. Please comment with any tools that you feel should be definately included on these workstation boards.

[Mike K]

I know I commented on this before, but maybe I forgot to hit send? Regardless.

Thanks for doing all of this work! Mostly it looks fine, although it's always hard to say what is missing, if anything, when it is in the conceptual stage (and once the boards are built it's too late ). Some thoughts though:

1. I think hanging tools vertically is just easier than horizontal (one fixed point vs 2);
   
2. For the new work area boards that are longer side to side rather than top to bottom will be more useful;
   
3. If we go side to side on one set we should do it for all if they fit in the space;
   
4. Leaving some blank space on every board for the tools we forgot is probably a good idea.
   

Not thrilled about cans of hairspray

1. toxic shit;
   
2. much more waste than product;
   
3. expensive for what you get (lustrous, shiny, full bodied handle grips?).
   

The soap & water seems to work fine (for me at least) and if we can avoid the hair spray I'd say lets, but I'm not willing to fight for this one.

[anoppen]

Ray,

The plan looks good. It's obvious lots of work & research went into it. Thank you! This is something that is long overdue.

Here are my comments:

- The lighting near the back of the shop if quite lousy (where the proposed 2 new stations will be located). We should add 1 or two extra fluorescent lights back there.
- What will be used to color-code the stations & tools? Spraypaint? Do people already have colorful cans of Tremclad around or should we add to the shopping list for Home Depot?
- In terms of the tool station size/tools, has anyone visited Recycles lately to see how they set up their work stations? If not, I can try to swing by to take some pictures we can use as a reference.
- I spoke to Peter recently who was talking about removing the "bike holding shelves" (not sure what to call it) that take up a lot of room and hang bikes vertically instead along one wall. As we have experienced with the current configuration, there is hardly any room to get past one bike stand to get to the next one. Removing those bike shelves would free up a lot of room. More room for our sales area as well. We could move the rest of the shop stuff that is in currently in the back of the shop more to the front, within visible range (safer) and more accessible to all bike stations. We could then store more bikes in the back so less client circulation. Right now, if people want to look for parts they go to the back of the shop, hidden from view. That and it's also a pain in the ass for us to to have to go back there for parts. The down side would be potentially less storage for bikes.
I wonder if there's be enough room back there to put up part of a bike shelf?
- I'm up for helping with the reconfiguration, board building, etc.

Again, thanks for putting this plan together.

Cheers,

Alex

[Mike K]

Re Alex's comments

Re: Lighting - We have 3 new sets of flourescent lights which Darcy & I were discussing last night. He says there is enough power to daisy chain 2 more in that back corner.

Re: Recycles visit. Excellent suggestion which I will support. Be sure to ask them what they would do differently and why as well.

Re The Racks - I am divided on this one.

I agree that the corridor space is an issue, BUT the current plan had been to use the upper racks for parts (clearing up a lot of the clutter in the back). If we don't do that we're stuck with the parts mess at the back, and not enough room for the work stations since it assumes we're clearing a lot of those wheels out, and that leaves nowhere to put another truing stand and vise table.

I suggest that for now we clear off the top racks and push the racks back against the wall thereby creating a bit more space, (and to be honest if people are consciencous about it you can push the stand right over and be sure to keep the travel path free of tools and parts and then it's not such a big deal. Not great, but quite manageable). As well if people use the 2 corner stations first, and then the others only as needed, then it is not a problem until at least 3+ people are working on bikes;

OR remove one of the racks and hang bikes in that section ... although I'll bet it's no time before we are storing bikes on the floor too as soon as we need the space...

So I suggest that we try living with the racks and see how it is. If it's still a royal pain we can take the next step.

[RayB]

RightBike is pretty well know already and has received some good press. They have some pics to get an idea on their website, although the space that the other shops have is not what we have to work with per se. We can squeeze in 5 stations no doubt, but to maintain a workable space, I think something has to give.

https://rightbike.org/

[anoppen]

Hello all,

Stopped by Recycles to look at their set up to help guide ours. Check out the following photos:

A single bike stand at each station, with individual working lights:

" />

Here's the tool line-up for each work station. The board measures 4' by 2':

" />

These shots provide more details for the work station set up:

" />
" />
" />

There's also a single board of tools to share between stations (for lesser-used tools):

" />

This system is used to line up bikes in their sales area:

" />

Truing stand set-up:

" />

[RayB]

Great shots Alex! Thanks for that, it looks like a great model to base ours on. Our plan is very similar, so that is encouraging. Looks like 3 identical work stations, a common/rare tools board, and wheel station. I really like the nice wide work surface for each station also. RightBike has something very close to this as well.

[darcyctrombley]

I can wire the lights in at the back as soon as a few more bikes are cleared out.

I agree with mike on the hair spray. It is a bike shop standard, but I just thought about how non enviro it is. We can make something up with a spray bottle, alcohol, water and sugar.

All the tools are as we discussed, but we could probably do with one digital caliper.

I really like the tool setup at Recycles. It really works, but we will have some space constraints.

I highly encourage the purchase of stuff at canadian tire. It is easy to return stuff if it breaks and we will probably be able to approach them to get the last advertised sale price on everything.

Since the workbench and tools is the primary thing of bike repair, I hope we can get the money in place and tools purchased as soon as possible.

[Mike K]

First off, kudos to Alex for the photos. That is very helpful. I have been late replying because i) I didn't spot that Alex had posted, and ii) having realized it, I wanted to think about it a bit more. Some not entirely random thoughts on the boards:

It looks like the Recycles boards are more stripped down than what we had been thinking, and I think I largely agree. Things like cup wrenches, crank extractor, fourth hand and a Presta adapter aren't needed that often, at least be me. For that matter, I don't use the large pedal wrench that much and I am not sure we need one for every station (once the pedal is loose I find the large wrench clumsy and prefer to switch to a 15 mm flat/cone wrench).

That being said, we may want to add one or two things such as a spoke multi-wrench for each station. Some (like Darcy) are good at truing a wheel on the bike. For the rest of us, sometimes I just want to tighten up one or two spokes on a wheel that doesn't really need truing.

• I know for sure I use the tape measure all of the time and would want 1/station.
  
• Tire levers would be another thing that I think every station needs a set.
  
• I would also add cleaning bottle and steel wool to every station as standard.
  
• A couple of empty nails to hang rags would get them up and out of the way as well.
  
• I find a punch (made from an old pedal stem) and hammer are used often enough to justify 1 each/Stn
  

That being said, we are not committed to a single "shared tools" station. There could be 2 of them that include tools used somewhat frequently, but not so standard as to be required all of the time. This commits us to 2 of some things we had been planning for only 1 of, but also only 2 of a number of things that we might have gotten 5 of. I like having at least 2 of everything as it provides a buffer should one of the shared tools be misplaced/lost/broken.  Or even 2 shared stations and then the drawers for tools used very rarely (eg hack saw)

I know expense is something of a concern, so I want to suggest that somethings can be phased in. We could go for a larger board (5 X 2.5?) and just leave some open space for tools we know we want but can delay acquiring, or tools that, a year or 2 down the road, we realize would be really nice to have at each station. So for some things (lets say tire levers just for eg) we could start with 2 sets, one at each shared station, and a yr or two down the road get some more and move them to the individual stations.

For the sockets the wooden pegs are nice, but in the short term roofing nails will work fine.

Thanks again to all who have moved this along. The sooner we make this happen the better.

[Sponsored content]