Reddit mentions: The best strap clamps

You should try to place the axle of the pedal near the ball of your foot when you pedal to be the most efficient. Longer term it's also more comfortable because your arch can absorb more of the road vibration and lead to less arch fatigue (although this won't really be a factor for commuting).

For rain, I have basically given up from the waist down. A rain jacket with pit zips is usually vents well enough for my upper body, but this depends on how sweaty you get. I haven't found pants that hold up very well for more than a season or so. After that, the constant rubbing of the legs wears out the waterproofing. I also find that I sweat a lot more with rain pants, so I forgo the pants and just pack a pair of pants, socks, and underwear in my bag and change at the office. Poncho's work okay but there's the splashing of water from below that will still get you a little wet (and dirty, the water off the road is often filthy). My wife uses a poncho and seems to like it.

Rear Rack: You've got the eyelets you need at the bottom and they're the most important. They support the weight. The mounts on the seatstays are just to keep things level and keep the rack from rotating. You can get a pair of P clamps in the right size and mount the rack arms to that. It works really well.

Putting weight on the rear is prefered as it doesn't mess with bike handling as much, but it's a bit trendy to have a big front rack at the moment (not panniers, but just a big rack). For you, I'd recommend the rear panniers.

Shifting sounds like a setup issue. You should be able to shift the rear cogs independently from the front chainrings. Have a bike store look it over; they should be able to dial it in for you. Although it could be worn teeth, stretched chain, worn out derailleurs, etc. so be prepared that there might be some parts that need replacing. Whether it's worth it is up to you. On the subject of shifting, watch out for too much cross chaining. That's when you go in the lowest gear in the front (small ring) and the highest in the back (smallest cog), or vice versa (largest largest). It's not catastrophic, but it's a combination you want to avoid because it puts the chain at a steep angle and can accelerate wear.

Lights are a personal thing and it depends on whether you're trying to light your path so you can see, or if you just want to be visible to other drivers/riders. Being visible requires a lot less power. Lighting your path needs a bright light. Rear lights are different (because you're not lighting your path). By a decent rear light that's pretty waterproof, and is bright enough to be seen. You can get all sorts of other features, but these are the minimum. I like the cygolite hotshots at the back, but every decent accessory company makes a fine rear blinky.

Locks are also dependent on your area and situation. If you're bike is locked outside overnight in an area where there's a lot of thefts, then you want a really good lock (and just as important, something really solid to lock to). The common advice is to be locked better than the bike beside you so that your bike isn't the lowest hanging fruit. Of course, if everyone does that, we're all screwed. Personally, locks aren't something that I skimp on, because regardless of the value of my bike, I'd be heartbroken if it was stolen. So I spend about US$50-75 on a lock. In general, I suggest getting a mid-tier lock from Abus or Kryptonite. Two reputable brands that are well known enough to thieves that they will often move on to another bike. Having said that, a determined thief can get through any lock.

There's also a matter of how you lock (yup, there's a technique for everything). The 'modified Sheldon Brown technique' is the most popular, and it requires a lock and a cable to secure the front wheel. Whether you need to go this far depends on your circumstances.

I buy stuff from Wiggle and ProBikeKit, both of which will ship to Germany. But for you, I would suggest finding a good local bike shop. You'll get the benefit of their expertise and building a good LBS relationship can pay off over time because they'll treat you well, teach you about your bike, and can make sure that you get what you need. Look for one that's welcoming, and doesn't make you feel bad because you're not riding a $6000 carbon fibre road bike.

So sorry for your loss..

A miter saw will be completely adequate. These plans look pretty accessible:

http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/making-memorial-flag-case/

Any major home store (Lowe's / Home Depot / Menard's / etc.) should have all the supplies you'd need.

As for wood, Walnut is a nice hardwood that finishes very well. You can order online via Home Depot, this board will be sufficient for the frame.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Builder-s-Choice-1-in-x-4-in-x-6-ft-S4S-Walnut-Board-W16010406X/206201594

The "S4S" designation means that all 4 sides are finished, so you don't have to do any major flattening or smoothing work. Any hardwood will be fine, so cherry or oak will also work.

After you cut the miters for the frame, normal wood glue is fine to hold it together. They show it being held in shape with a strap clamp, which you can find pretty cheaply online or at a store. But it's also fairly straight forward to just make your own with some cardboard / rope -- You don't need a ton of pressure, just enough to hold it in place while the glue sets.

You can have a glass shop cut the glass, otherwise it's not too tough to do it yourself. You can buy panes at hardware stores, and then you can mark the lines, clamp a straight edge to the glass and score it with a cutting tool.

I think the hardest part of that design might be the rabbets for the glass to sit in, but you can chisel those by hand if you're patient. It's slow work but pretty meditative.

I was totally thinking about this too. If I didn't have a full-time job and a ton of other commitments, I'd try to design and sell one!

Seems to me that you could make something pretty slick and fairly universal by using articulating fingers, kinda like a Gorillapod. In my mind I'm seeing something that resembles a 4-fingered claw or a hand that grips the phone. I think it would look cool as well.

Another option: 4 flexible corner brackets that are strung together with a tension wire that cinches down when you twist a knob, like a "band clamp" for building picture frames.

I use this strap clamp on my projects, and it makes things so much easier if you're being a perfectionist. I get a bit obsessive about cutting the angles as close to perfect as I can, and dry-fit things together to make adjustments as needed. I use a longer-setting glue, so that i had plenty of time to get things set up first.

... that's probably directly related to why it's taken me a month to finish a rectangular light fixture, though.




I've also seen people use it to make an 8-sided table. It's pretty awesome.

Like one of these?

They're a little tricky but great when you get used to them. Generally the problem is the frame isn't thick enough and doesn't hit the center of the jaws. The jaws then rotate a bit and slip off of the frame.

I keep some ~3"x3"x1/4" blocks around to place under each corner. This lifts the frame a bit so it hits the jaws in the center. I put a little square of wax paper on the blocks each time so the glue doesn't stick.

One other piece of advice, related to gluing:

You're gluing end grain which is tricky. I have better luck coating all 8 glue faces and letting it try for about 5 minutes. This allows the endgrain to absorb a little and get better penetration. Then, add another coat to 4 faces (I always do the short sides for consistency) and assemble like normal.

Those clamps are super awesome for mitered glue-ups like this. I have two of them for making boxes and the like. It's a Bessey Vario Angle Strap Clamp

I did something similar when I made a chess board table: https://imgur.com/a/nGKF1

I didn't do anything special, but used biscuits to help with alignment, glued it up. A band clamp might be useful: https://www.amazon.com/POWERTEC-71017-Clamp-Quick-Release-Levers/dp/B00NJ023YO

I made some cold frames this very weekend with some in fact. I also made a box frame for stretching a painted canvas with the same tool earlier this week. (I figured I would take care of some back burner projects that all need the frame clamp.)

It's this cool belt with a deployer wheel, 4 corner clamps, and then finally this handle for the last 2 or 3 inches of tightening. It's much higher torque than the deployer wheel, so basically you get your belt situated, bring it in with the wheel, and then when it's snug, you crank the handle down and it puts a ton of force on it -- equally!

Here's a picture. I wasn't taking a picture for you, so please forgive the darkness.

http://imgur.com/vuBbO1X

Bessey brand. I got mine at my local hobbyist store for 60 dollars, then saw it at Lowes for about 20 bucks.

Here's a referral free amazon link http://www.amazon.com/Bessey-VAS23-Vario-Angle-Strap/dp/B0000224B3

I agree. On a side note and probably overkill, I use these thumb turn hose clamps to keep the MD Inline filter secured: https://www.amazon.com/TSellk-Adjustable-Stainless-Steel-Self-bringing/dp/B077LP8R4H/ref=pd_day0_469_5?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B077LP8R4H&pd_rd_r=ZZ8C15VA9XZZFH3KWYBD&pd_rd_w=Lybvt&pd_rd_wg=YO0WM&psc=1&refRID=ZZ8C15VA9XZZFH3KWYBD Is your Omega Farmhouse IPA yeast blend IPA finished? If so, how did it turn out?

Looks like this one. One of my favorites for frames.

Strap clamp

Strap/band clamp.

I have something similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/HORUSDY-Clamp-Woodworking-Holder-Picture/dp/B07BW2T7YH/ref=pd_day0_hl_469_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07BW2T7YH&pd_rd_r=5e83d6c1-2648-11e9-9e3c-7da984d71310&pd_rd_w=SasKz&pd_rd_wg=JdFIB&pf_rd_p=ad07871c-e646-4161-82c7-5ed0d4c85b07&pf_rd_r=G2JQ2JHZZP08MVQRZZP9&psc=1&refRID=G2JQ2JHZZP08MVQRZZP9

Try searching for conduit -or pipe- straps, clamps, or hangers. It should be what you're after. A quick search finds items such as this. But with a little work you should be able to find something very similar to the example you posted.

https://www.amazon.com/Bessey-VAS23-Vario-Angle-Strap/dp/B0000224B3

They come in very handy for clamping large and awkward jobs where a regular bar clamps doesn't work.

I'll update the post if I survive the process.

I clamped one of these at the apex 90
http://smile.amazon.com/Rockler-29190-Clamp--Assembly-Square/dp/B001DSZ7L0/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1452828830&sr=1-1&keywords=rockler+square

and used 2 of these to give me 360 clamping pressure
http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JCLNQ4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

These things:

Wolfcraft 3051000 Corner Clamps ES 22 (2 Pieces) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001W7ARXK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_tDnwybQQWCM0E

They're spring loaded, which means they're super simple to setup, but they don't exert as much force as normal corner clamps. They also have a minimum wood thickness which is just under what I normally end up using which is a bit of a pain

I recently bought a reconditioned keg and found the rubber handle to be unreliable. With an old bicycle tire and some hose clamps, I've now got a sturdy handle to move this keg here or there.

I've read others have used Liquid Nails or some other adhesive to re-attach handle to the keg. That approach would not work for me due to the severe failure of my handle. This solution is reliable and low-cost.