...a good replacement for the Bic biro lid?

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
colin54
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Re: ...a good replacement for the Bic biro lid?

Post by colin54 »

This thread proves the saying ; 'There is more than one way to skin a (little grey) cat.
I reckon a cotton bud cut in half on the slant would make a good substitute for a Bic top if that's the method employed.
My ' method' is, I put a little pile of grease on a suitable surface, metal tray or whatever, smear a bit around the race then put the balls in with my fingers after passing them through the grease pile, I believe this is called the 'Artisinal' Method in some more trendy parts...There's enough grease on the balls to make them stick to your fingers for a few seconds whilst you put them in place, works for me.
I think I'll give the pen top method a try - I'll try and make sure I don't chew it after.
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Hellhound
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Re: ...a good replacement for the Bic biro lid?

Post by Hellhound »

After reading all this I'm glad all my bearings are RS Cartridge types :lol:
colin54
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Re: ...a good replacement for the Bic biro lid?

Post by colin54 »

Hellhound wrote: 19 Oct 2021, 10:28am After reading all this I'm glad all my bearings are RS Cartridge types :lol:
Most sensible folk head off on a different bearing after I've bored 'em...
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Sweep
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Re: ...a good replacement for the Bic biro lid?

Post by Sweep »

rogerzilla wrote: 18 Oct 2021, 5:48pm Magnets aren't ideal unless you are throwing away the balls, as they magnetise the balls, meaning they attract wear particles instead of sweeping them aside.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bfdiO04Px4M
mm - can't help but think that's a bit too concerned.
Where are these wear particles swept to in a hub/headset?

I use ball end hex keys which came magnetized. The small ones from the set which just have slight magnetism. The bigger ones are more strongly magnetized and so pick up the neighbouring bearing as well, which you don't want of course.

So I'm essentially with MickF on this I think.
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Mick F
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Re: ...a good replacement for the Bic biro lid?

Post by Mick F »

The idea of using anything other than a slightly magnetised tool, seems fraught with dropping issues, especially as the balls will be small and greasy.
Yes, Allen keys come magnetised as do screwdrivers. Small ones have less magnetism of course.

We have a very big horseshoe magnet which I purloined from an I Band radar magnetron years ago. Consumable items, so I brought one home.
We use it to fish out nails and screws from the fire-grate as we often burn scrap wood and we have been known to burn chopped up pallets too. Loadsa scrap iron in them!

It's too big and powerful to use on a bike bearing. Could be used for armoured tank wheel bearings though! :wink:
Mick F. Cornwall
LittleGreyCat
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Re: ...a good replacement for the Bic biro lid?

Post by LittleGreyCat »

The biro lid is an official engineering tool.

As shown on Page 216 of The Bike Book by Haynes.
1994 edition so more or less the same age as my MTB. :D
colin54
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Re: ...a good replacement for the Bic biro lid?

Post by colin54 »

LittleGreyCat wrote: 19 Oct 2021, 3:39pm The biro lid is an official engineering tool.

As shown on Page 216 of The Bike Book by Haynes.
1994 edition so more or less the same age as my MTB. :D
I was thinking about this whilst out on a ride today, do you line up all the bearings on a bed of grease and use the concave curve of the bic clip as a 'magazine' ? I like the sound of that if so.
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Jupestar
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Re: ...a good replacement for the Bic biro lid?

Post by Jupestar »

Serviced the hubs today, they did need it, but really I just wanted to try a biro lid. Brilliant.
Eyebrox
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Re: ...a good replacement for the Bic biro lid?

Post by Eyebrox »

Jupestar wrote: 19 Oct 2021, 9:55pm Serviced the hubs today, they did need it, but really I just wanted to try a biro lid. Brilliant.
Think the pen lids are colour-coded to suit certain ball sizes - ie blue for 1/4" and above, red for 3/16" and below. Black for brand new bearings etc.
axel_knutt
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Re: ...a good replacement for the Bic biro lid?

Post by axel_knutt »

This is such a non-issue I can't recall what I do. Getting them out, I probably reach for the nearest metal implement, which is likely to be an Allen key. Putting them back, I use a MkI Digit, with the ball stuck on the end of it.

Magnetic Tools
..are the work of the devil. I wouldn't give them house room. There's nothing more infuriating than struggling to get some fiddly mechanism assembled, then having it all jump out of place as soon as you approach it with a magnetic screwdriver. Then there's the furry coating of swarf they accumulate, it stops them engaging properly with the screw head. Lastly, it's like a disease that infects everything else in the toolbox. At the first sign of any magnetism on my tools, I get the demagnetiser out. The last time I bought a screwdriver I had to search high and low for one that wasn't magnetised, so I'm not optimistic for the future.
“I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
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Mick F
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Re: ...a good replacement for the Bic biro lid?

Post by Mick F »

A simple basic screwdriver is gently magnetic ............. as I showed with my photographs.
It will pick up a couple of balls (brand new) and then they aren't magnetic afterwards.
Pick 'em up, and drop them into the prior-applied grease in the bearing race.
They stick to the grease.

Simple, basic, no special tools required, no worrying about a Bic biro lid ............... just a basic common or garden small screwdriver.
Mick F. Cornwall
colin54
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Re: ...a good replacement for the Bic biro lid?

Post by colin54 »

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rogerzilla
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Re: ...a good replacement for the Bic biro lid?

Post by rogerzilla »

The only time I use a weakly magnetic pointer is for M323 or M324 pedals. One of the races is so deeply recessed that it's the only way. The stickiness of the grease has to be stronger than the magnetism.
AW_hub
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Re: ...a good replacement for the Bic biro lid?

Post by AW_hub »

RE Hellhound's comment about RS Cartridge bearings.

Cartridge bearings have two disadvantages and one advantage: easy to fit in the factory (no skill required) - and reasonable to change at home if that variant is still available, though expensive.

However they inevitably can only carry a smaller load for the same size (fewer ball bearings thanks to the cage inside). They can not be realistically rebuilt/re-lubed or adjusted to take out slack at higher mileages (unlike the beautifully simple standardised loose ball bearing design). How good the plastic seals are at keeping road water out compared to the rugged labyrinth seal on loose bearings, only time will tell.

At the end of the day, the factory always wins.

Now to find my old BIC pen...
scottg
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Re: ...a good replacement for the Bic biro lid?

Post by scottg »

How about ball bearing tweezers ?
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Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-AG
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