Author Topic: A Geordie in Lincolnshire  (Read 11107 times)

Offline Bicycle Repair Man

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 14
A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« on: February 20, 2017, 03:33:55 PM »
Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

I assume there are some ladies and at least some gentlemen in this parish !
I am a Geordie living in sunny Lincolnshire. I spend most of my time building custom bicycle frames for the discerning enthusiast, despite trying to retire. People just keep turning up and enticing me with fistfuls of universal shopping vouchers and t'would be churlish to refuse to take it :D. When not making, repairing or painting bike frames I make knives and sticks (the walking variety) help with training our 5 gundogs and indulge my passion for blasting clay out of the air (with limited success  :doh:) I have a rather nice workshop here on our smallholding wherein resides a Colchester Master 2500, a Bridgeport mill, a Super 7, a Kerry Super 8 drill, an Eagle surface grinder, an ancient power hacksaw, and various woodworking machines. I also have a Lincoln tig welder, oxy acetylene gear and a paint shop with a spray booth and stoving oven. My justification for all this kit is that I earn a living by using it but I love playing with it all.
Pictures will follow a) if anybody is interested and b) if I can work out how to, technology having outstripped my limited knowledge of computerise.
You all seem to be a bit mad so I should fit in reasonably well, unlike some of the more serious forums !!

Cheers

Dave Yates
« Last Edit: February 20, 2017, 05:39:25 PM by Bicycle Repair Man »

Offline philf

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1106
  • Country: gb
Re: A Georgia in Lincolnshire
« Reply #1 on: February 20, 2017, 03:52:20 PM »
Dave,

Welcome.

Pictures are always welcome.

There's a guide to posting pictures here:

http://madmodder.net/index.php/topic,607.0.html

This method requires you to host the files online e.g. Photobucket

The alternative is to just attach picture files in .jpg format.

It's best to post photos at a 640 x 480 resolution (or 800 x 600 max) otherwise viewers have to scroll to see the photos and will soon get fed up.

There's also a topic on resizing photos:

http://madmodder.net/index.php/topic,4735.0.html

I once had a go at frame building but chickened out at the silver soldering stage and got a professional frame builder (Neil Shankland if you know him) to finish it for me. I still have a set of 531 tubes in the cellar.

Cheers.

Phil.

Phil Fern
Location: Marple, Cheshire

Offline DMIOM

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 676
  • Country: gb
  • Isle of Man
Re: A Georgia in Lincolnshire
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2017, 03:53:01 PM »
hi Dave,

I'm sure you'll fit in well here, especially with a name like that!  :beer:

Dave (Isle of Man)

Offline awemawson

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8966
  • Country: gb
  • East Sussex, UK
Re: A Georgia in Lincolnshire
« Reply #3 on: February 20, 2017, 04:05:18 PM »
Hi Dave, let me add my welcome to the other voices  :beer:

Sounds like a nice set up that you have there - I look forward to seeing pictures of your equipment and projects when the time comes.

As Phil says 640 x 480 is a good size compromise between vastness and detail, and if you upload them to the forum they will be there as long as the forum survives, whereas if hosted elsewhere threads tend to become meaningless as the pictures disappear as links become obsolete.
Andrew Mawson
East Sussex

Offline krv3000

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2183
  • Country: gb
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #4 on: February 20, 2017, 06:12:44 PM »
hi and welcome

Offline jb3cx

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 86
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #5 on: February 20, 2017, 06:53:00 PM »
Hi and welcome Dave ,long way from Whitley Bay Area ,if I remember correctly,
Regards Peter w

Offline Bicycle Repair Man

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 14
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #6 on: February 21, 2017, 02:38:29 AM »
Hi and welcome Dave ,long way from Whitley Bay Area ,if I remember correctly,
Regards Peter w

Hi Peter

You do indeed remember correctly, what is the connection? I moved away from the area in 2001 and moved down here in 2005.

Dave Yates

Offline Biggles

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 236
  • Country: gb
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #7 on: February 21, 2017, 08:49:17 AM »
Hi Dave and Welcome, I’m sure you’re not the only one who likes blasting things; Looking forward to your pictures.  :borg:

Offline Eugene

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 150
  • Country: gb
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #8 on: February 21, 2017, 01:49:50 PM »
Never mind t'injineerin' what about the gun dogs?

With five you're either picking up or beating, or perhaps both? I've just hung up the whistle and stick after 35 years of gun dog work, and I'm down to the last Lab, who like me is old and knackered. I was picking up big time until a couple of years ago, plus working dogs for my own gun.

Eug


Offline jb3cx

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 86
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #9 on: February 21, 2017, 03:35:04 PM »
Evening Dave ,I bought some equipment from you in the mid 1990 s prior to your move ,can't even remember what it was ,but I will always remember the fantastic workmanship on the bike frames,and the price ,at the time a one off frame made by you cost more than what I paid for my van
Peter w

Offline Bicycle Repair Man

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 14
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #10 on: February 21, 2017, 06:47:32 PM »
Never mind t'injineerin' what about the gun dogs?

With five you're either picking up or beating, or perhaps both? I've just hung up the whistle and stick after 35 years of gun dog work, and I'm down to the last Lab, who like me is old and knackered. I was picking up big time until a couple of years ago, plus working dogs for my own gun.

Eug

Hi Eugene

Quite right, both!, my wife is the picker up I am the beater and we both shoot when the opportunity presents itself. I used to do a bit of picking up with her but lost my dog about 6 months ago. We got onto a new shoot last year and it worked really well with her picking up and me beating. Only one car needed !  We have 3 Labs and two Welsh Springers. We spend all the season working on various shoots and the rest of the year doing working tests and Game Fairs, I fit in work where I can :coffee:

Cheers

Dave Y


Offline Bicycle Repair Man

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 14
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #11 on: February 22, 2017, 05:07:40 PM »
Evening all

I shall try posting some pics. First one is a collection of sticks I have made, second one (if this works) is a collection of knives I have made and the third is my Myford Super 7

Offline Bicycle Repair Man

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 14
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #12 on: February 22, 2017, 05:34:08 PM »
Now then,

Having established the principle  here are some pics of a project completed last year. Belt grinders are expensive bits of kit so I did what most of you do, made one. I have always believed that inside every rusty piece of steel there is a shiny piece trying to get out so I started of with what is in pics 1 and 2. Chopped it into various bits with the power hacksaw,welded the bits together, skimmed the ends off square, welded some more bits on. Stopped and had a coffee, then started marking out the quadrant plate for the rollers, then drilled and reamed the centre hole to mount it on rotary table to mill the curved slot.
Next installment tomorrow as its getting past my bedtime !!!

( mods, if you want to move this to a more suitable place, feel free)

Cheers for now

Dave Y

Offline edward

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 100
  • Country: gb
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #13 on: February 23, 2017, 04:26:53 AM »
As a keen cyclist and lover of the steel frame machine, Any chance of a frame pic to drool over?

Offline John Rudd

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2521
  • Country: gb
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #14 on: February 23, 2017, 04:59:21 AM »
Dave,
Have you joined a forum elsewhere with the same nickname?
You seem familiar?

Anyway welcome from me too...
eccentric millionaire financed by 'er indoors
Location:  Backworth Newcastle

Skype: chippiejnr

Offline Bicycle Repair Man

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 14
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #15 on: February 23, 2017, 08:47:57 AM »
As a keen cyclist and lover of the steel frame machine, Any chance of a frame pic to drool over?

I shall do some this afternoon, got my own bikes and a couple of customers frames.

Cheers

Dave Y

Offline Bicycle Repair Man

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 14
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #16 on: February 23, 2017, 08:51:22 AM »
Dave,
Have you joined a forum elsewhere with the same nickname?
You seem familiar?

Anyway welcome from me too...

Hi John

I am on  the British Blades forum and YACF with the same handle.

Cheers

Dave Y

Offline malbenbut

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 29
  • Country: gb
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #17 on: February 23, 2017, 10:59:39 AM »
WelcomeDave

I remember when you were trying to give a Milnes lathe away for free, I think it finally went to Tom Reed from Catterick.

MBB

Offline malbenbut

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 29
  • Country: gb
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #18 on: February 23, 2017, 11:02:43 AM »
Sorry duplicate thread

Offline edward

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 100
  • Country: gb
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #19 on: February 23, 2017, 12:47:03 PM »
As a keen cyclist and lover of the steel frame machine, Any chance of a frame pic to drool over?

I shall do some this afternoon, got my own bikes and a couple of customers frames.

Cheers

Dave Y

lovely, thank you. Currently I have 3 steel machines, but all Taiwan built (admittedly one with reynolds tubing), one a 'Plug'  CX machine and two Genesis road bikes. I can't really justify a hand built job now with all the other demands on my cash.... :(

I'll be honest I still hanker after my 1990 Condor 531 frame hand built at the shop on the Grays Inn road, but that was written off by some plonker in a BMW and I've mourned its loss ever since.

Offline Bicycle Repair Man

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 14
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #20 on: February 23, 2017, 06:12:41 PM »
WelcomeDave

I remember when you were trying to give a Milnes lathe away for free, I think it finally went to Tom Reed from Catterick.

MBB

Absolutely correct  :clap: what a memory, do you know if he still has it?  The lathe was in a bit of a sorry state but would have responded to a bit of tlc.

Cheers

 Dave Y

Offline Bicycle Repair Man

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 14
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #21 on: February 23, 2017, 06:22:43 PM »
Edward

Your steel Condor was actually made by me !! or at least by my company M Steel Cycles. We made all the steel Condors from 1982 until around 2004
Pictures tomorrow, need to reduce the size

Cheers

Dave Y

Offline Brass_Machine

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5504
  • Country: us
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #22 on: February 23, 2017, 09:07:35 PM »
Hi Dave.

Welcome to the collective :borg:

Looking at your knives... the one on the right as you look at it. Can't really be sure from the photo.. but, Damascus?

Eric
Science is fun.

We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.

Offline tom osselton

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1255
  • Country: ca
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #23 on: February 24, 2017, 12:04:38 AM »
Looks like it from here.

Offline Bicycle Repair Man

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 14
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #24 on: February 24, 2017, 03:13:32 AM »
Tom   Eric

It is indeed Damascus, a purchased blade that was simply a handle and sheath making exercise.  The one to the extreme left is the same, the rest are made from scratch. The one with the ebony handle and brass guard and end cap was forged on one of Owen Bush's courses, super 3 days knocking 7 kinds of s--t out of lumps of red hot steel :D

Cheers

Dave Y 

Offline malbenbut

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 29
  • Country: gb
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #25 on: February 24, 2017, 03:45:48 AM »
Hi Dave (bicycle repair man)
Unfortunately Tom Reed died a couple of years ago. He still had the lathe when he died and used it regularly, but the last year before he died he couldn't get into his workshop much, It was a quiet machine when running I think that's why he liked it.

MBB

Offline edward

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 100
  • Country: gb
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #26 on: February 24, 2017, 06:42:42 AM »
Edward

Your steel Condor was actually made by me !! or at least by my company M Steel Cycles. We made all the steel Condors from 1982 until around 2004
Pictures tomorrow, need to reduce the size

Cheers

Dave Y

Well you made a lovely job of it! I rode that bike for 3 years and loved it. Just how a bike should be, supple and responsive, comfortable for long distances but still let you get the power down. 

Then some daft bint overtook me, stopped and threw her door open. She seemed surprised when I arrived on her lap.... I was wearing a pink jersey and yellow shorts (hey, it was the 90's). Bike had top and down tube rippled at head tube, forks mangled, bars bust and wheel turned into a pretzel. It wasn't economically repairable!

I succumbed to fasion and replaced it with a Cannondale aluminium job. While it was a 'nice' bike, it just never had the feel of the Condor.

When I bought myself a new bike a few years back I went back to steel. While its not handbuilt, the Genesis is a lovely ride. I test rode carbon and ali bikes and they just didn't feel as nice.

Offline Bicycle Repair Man

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 14
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #27 on: February 24, 2017, 03:03:18 PM »
Edward

First some bike pics for you. First ones are of my "posing" bike, I hesitate to call it a racing bike as it never has and never will be raced although in its day it was state of the art. Next is my old mountain bike, the original D.O.N.K.I.S. N.O.B which was our answer to Chas Roberts D.O.G.S B.O.L.L.I.X.  Third on is my Audax bike, ridden on all kinds of stupid distance events ie Paris Brest Paris, London Edinburgh London, End to End, all when I was younger and fitter! Last is a fixie I made for myself, ridden twice and now for sale cos I doubt I will ever use it again ( Icanuse the money to buy some more machinery :D

Cheers

Dave Y

Offline Bicycle Repair Man

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 14
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #28 on: February 24, 2017, 03:38:47 PM »
Some more grinder pics

Offline edward

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 100
  • Country: gb
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #29 on: February 25, 2017, 10:53:04 AM »
Dave I am drooling now - particularly over your 'posing' bike. Love the colour and lug pin-stripes on the fixie too.

Showing my age but I remember the dogs bollix coming out and being very impressed. My mountain bike is from a similar time (1992), and ali 'Quest'  job supplied by my local shop in North Harrow with 560mm bars, Onza bar ends, full Deore XT complete with thumb shifters and the then-new v-brakes. The geometry was stretched out, 140mm stem and low rise with rigid forks. Still doing sterling service towing the kids and more lately the dog around in a trailer.

Incidentally, what is going on with MTB geometry these days? I rode a mates new, expensive suspension bike the other day and it had a 40mm stem and bars so wide I felt like I would hit every tree on the way down, and it felt like steering a barge it was so long in the wheelbase. I suppose it must be better but it would take some getting used to for this old boy :)

Offline Chris Evans

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 5
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #30 on: March 05, 2017, 05:27:28 AM »
Just had my first look at this thread. Wow respect Man you do some good work. I finished with gun dogs when I lost three in a year, my old Lab started having fits and was put down. I had an old Springer that I inherited from a friend who died and she died of old age, that left me with a 10 month old Springer bitch who died from a blood disorder. All heartbreaking and I sold the guns.

Offline howsitwork?

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 360
  • Country: england
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #31 on: March 05, 2017, 05:08:48 PM »
Dave

firstly welcome. Impressive credentials there ! And a dog lover to boot  :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

I take it you view moving to Lincolnshire as "Missionary work" preaching to the heathens etc :D

I relocated to Yorkshire 22 years ago and I think I have started to "go native".

Regards Ian

Offline Bicycle Repair Man

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 14
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #32 on: March 05, 2017, 06:20:17 PM »
Just had my first look at this thread. Wow respect Man you do some good work. I finished with gun dogs when I lost three in a year, my old Lab started having fits and was put down. I had an old Springer that I inherited from a friend who died and she died of old age, that left me with a 10 month old Springer bitch who died from a blood disorder. All heartbreaking and I sold the guns.

Hi Chris

I know exactly how it feels, I lost my Lab x Springer Max about 6 months ago. I was in bits for weeks afterwards. Still keep getting flashbacks. He used to come with me to the workshop and lie in his bed until I got the biscuit tin out !! He was perfectly fit and healthy, I had been out pigeon shooting, he did three superb retrieves, came back home, wolfed his tea down, next morning he was dead. We presume it was his heart. 

Cheers

Dave Y

Offline Bicycle Repair Man

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 14
Re: A Geordie in Lincolnshire
« Reply #33 on: March 05, 2017, 06:32:46 PM »
Dave

firstly welcome. Impressive credentials there ! And a dog lover to boot  :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

I take it you view moving to Lincolnshire as "Missionary work" preaching to the heathens etc :D

I relocated to Yorkshire 22 years ago and I think I have started to "go native".

Regards Ian

Hi Ian

I've only been here 11 years  so still much work to do with the natives :D However once our neighbouring farmer discovered I could weld aluminium I was accepted on the spot as he had a pile of ally irrigation pipes that needed repairing  :clap:

Cheers

Dave Y