Thanks for watching and commenting. Enjoy your Bromptons 😊

Thanks Conor, I didn’t know that and just assumed that everyone using plastics in whichever trade had now moved to only using pre-made elbows and bends. Very familiar with the trapped spring effect in copper though from my younger days 😂

Ah, nice! I tried to find a link to somewhere that sells them here in the UK so i could add it in the description but no luck. There’s a company that sells a complete standalone device that does the same thing though. When I worked for the college we had the run of the plumbing, welding, vehicle repair, timber trades and masonry departments and with an annual summer break of 7 weeks with no students and thus not so much work it was like craft heaven 😂 I also got to do all my qualifications for free (you could apply for any course they ran and they’d sponsor you). Unfortunately the pay was shocking so after about 5 years i moved on and the place has long since closed. Thanks for the info on your setup 👍

Ah do you know I meant to include exactly that because the college I worked at taught exactly the same. And the process reminded me of the guys in the early days of small arms ramming the wadding into their muskets 😂 I’ll be honest and say I don’t remember the vents but the sand and wooden plugs is familiar. I actually meant to include it because we used it for plastic pipe but the trouble with filming unscripted is I forget 😂😂. If I can find my missing former I’ll do a short with it balanced on top of the machine to try and illustrate what I meant about turning a guide from some stock.

Thank you, yes indeed, soapstone. Tailors use it as well. Although I’m in my 60’s “white out pens” meant nothing to me but now I know it’s what I call Tippex! Correction pens 😊. Strangely that’s exactly what I use normally but I couldn’t find it and the chalk was to hand. I was actually a tech at a welding college in my 20’s and the one thing we didn’t teach at all was flux core. It got explained as a process but we only actually taught gas, stick, mig and tig 🤷🏼. I guess there wasn’t enough call for it in industry here at the time. Thanks for watching and commenting 😊

Haha yes for sure 😂 There’s a recurring theme of “I really need to make an ????? because it would be so useful” Sometimes even finding the previous iteration having just completed the B, C or D version and also having forgotten I’d built an A version in the first place…. Thanks for the comment 😊

No problem, glad to help

If you’re in the UK and you don’t want the expense of the UJK setup (which is pricey) there’s places online that sell CNC cut MFT style tops. I did a video on my setup and how it works: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHfOdH6boLRmgaMsi=UGX1O6WSLTihdxI9

Hi, I only have the original Shark to compare with but looking at the spec for the Shark 2, the major points seem to be that the Shark series are a more robust unit and you can deflate a board with the Shark where you can’t with the Dolphin. Shark 2 says it’s good for 3 boards without a break whereas I think the Dolphin is 2 from memory. Hope that helps

I guess it’s something I’ve learned to live with, I have two batteries that won’t charge in it at all so they go in the standard low power chargers that I have hanging on the wall. Two others charge only if I switch it on after I insert them. Is it perfect? No. Am I too much of a skinflint to give it up and buy the newer version? Oh yes 😁 But I fully get your point. Thanks for watching and commenting

Great stuff! I’m debating whether to take my disc cutter and welder to mine and make it point in the right direction 😁

Roberto, thank you for your comment and the very valid points you make. Sorry, I had to wait until I could get on my pc and use google translate. For those who, like me, wondered what Roberto was saying, here is the google translation: "There is no such thing as the perfect object: in every field, environment or sector. The Bromton is, fundamentally, a folding bike: its strong point is portability and minimum bulk. It is impossible that the best folding bike on the face of the earth can also be the best in comfort and/or purely cycling performance on or off-road or in postural riding ergonomics. What the Bromton manages to do, on a strictly cycling level, is still valuable, despite its obvious limits in terms of comfort, performance and environmental versatility. To soften the harshness of riding, instead of keeping the stock tires inflated to 100 PSI, you can try the Shalbe Marathon Plus puncture-proof tires and inflate them to 80 PSI: the difference could be significant, in terms of comfort."

Valid points Steve. It’s definitely doable to commute wth it but if I were commuting every day I’d stick with the traditional Brompton also. I’m now 66 and not in any way a competing athlete but I still find a non electric Brompton very easy to ride in most routes. I bought mine primarily to haul shopping which it does fine and my wife likes the assistance it gives. I kinda feel that Brompton were doing a bit of bandwagon jumping and although it sells, it’s nowhere near the success of the original. That’s also shown by the lack of development of the electric. I really ought to do an update video with those thoughts…

I am retired now but for 25 years I commuted 34 miles per day, 5 days a week, all year in all weathers but on a regular light weight racing bike. Didn't have a Brompton then and it would have made the commute very long. I used to get up to 300 miles per week in total with dedicated training included I wouldn't commute to work all that way on a Brompton. They are ideal though for short commutes, that is their target audience. I even get a bit of training in on my Brompton, when space is at a premium and I can't carry a full size bike these days, whilst in my camper van / caravan.

Thank you Simon 😊

Thank you Dan 😊

Thank you 😊 I appreciate the comment

Can’t bring myself to put pozi and Philips together 😂😂 But you’re not wrong. Good point on the blade, I guess the genuine Leatherman and others fall in the same boat 🤷🏼

Yes ain’t that the truth, and not just with folding bikes either….. That’s a great shout on the backpack bike, I like your thinking 👍🏻

I guess I agree it's a pain but I'd also say that in most of the areas of construction and engineering that I've worked in, all equipment wears / gets damaged / gets used by someone else who doesn't work the same way and thus one ends up at least checking, if not adjusting on a pretty much daily basis. Do I check and adjust my kit on a daily basis? Nooooooo, only when I have a task where accuracy demands it. Thanks for watching and commenting

And he was right! Also it works if you CAN shut the water off especially if there are taps at a lower level than you're working at. Thanks for watching and commenting!

Thank you ☺️

Hi, that’s exactly the problem I came up against along what I’ll call the front edge of the deck. I ended up redesigning the deck to move the front joist back by about 60mm (from memory). I then added spacers to support the bullnose edging and the fascia. If you look at the last two drawings in my blog post here www.oldmanwith.com/post/the-composite-decking-project you can see what I did. Hope that makes sense, if not, let me know and I’ll add a better explanation to the blog.

@@oldmanwith I can see this now. So you've essentially cut little noggins on the end and attached the fascia to this? How did you attach them? What lengths did you do?

@luketorkingtondrums Apologies for the delay in responding, I’ve just put up a video including that detail kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZynn6RsjLeAm68si=bRSdm5D2dF2MQ36j

Hi, yes it does turn off at 15mph ish, you can go as fast as you like but you won’t have any assistance from the motor. So the highest recorded I’ve had on the Brompton was about 38mph downhill. That applies for UK and Europe, it’s different (higher) in the USA I think. Also there are classes of electric bike right the way up to unlimited but essentially you have to get a licence etc once you move up the classes. Very similar to the way they classify mopeds and motorbikes in UK

@@oldmanwith Thanks. I'm thinking about getting an electric Brompton or Hummingbird in NYC but I would hate to spend $6K on a bike and the motor cut off at 15 mph based on UK laws. US e-bikes don't have this limitation but we don't have great folding bikes.

@davidhunternyc1 I’ve just tried to check and although I can’t find an official Brompton answer it looks like you’re right, it seems the Brompton is set to 15.5 max assist wherever you buy it. Unlike many other e-bikes I’ve also never seen anyone talking about a US upgrade or any form of chip or mod to adjust the limit. All the comments I’ve just read about it seem split between people who feel 15mph is plenty enough because it gets a bit twitchy above that (I don’t entirely agree) and people who say “if it’s limited to 15 I’m not buying one”. The only other thing you could do is add an aftermarket kit onto a standard Brompton. I’m pretty sure when I converted a Swytch kit for someone, the Swytch website said the US version is set at higher speed and can also have a hand throttle where local law allows. Don’t take my word for it but it might be something worth looking at

Hi, no I’d say not at all. Certainly the boards expand and contract and you can see the end gaps change. But the warping that was evident in the base beams doesn’t seem to affect anything.

Thanks Peter, glad it helped. I think Outdoormaster do a battery SUP pump now but I’ve no info about it I’m afraid.

Thanks for the question Angela. Ok, a couple of things: 1 - The kit I built is the older version with a battery that is bigger than either of the current options. 2 - I built it for a friend and only rode it to test it worked. The one I personally ride is a full Brompton Electric so most of my knowledge comes from that. However, here’s my thoughts: I didn’t find it noticeably different, in fact the only thing I really spotted was that it can be a pain leaning it against something to ‘park’ it because the handlebars want to swing one way or the other. The thing that is noticeable though (and this applies to all front wheel drive bikes) is the ‘pulling from the front’ sensation. It’s no big thing once you’re up and riding but if you’re starting off from stationary and you have the bars pointed left or right, the pull of the front wheel can be a bit unnerving especially if you’re in a higher power setting. It can also skip a bit on slippery surfaces. It’s all easy enough to get used to but it is a different sensation. Outside of all that, the only other thing to consider is the effect on your warranty if yours is only 2 years old. As noted by a commenter earlier today, the Swytch kit will potentially void your warranty. Brompton themselves fit heavier duty forks on the factory model and there are stories peddled (no pun intended) about fork failure on bikes with motor kits added. The Swytch kit tries to address the issue by using a special fit system and in honesty I’ve never seen any evidence of actual failures. If I were buying from scratch now, I’d definitely go Swytch kit and secondhand bike rather than new Brompton own make BUT I’ve spent 35+ years in engineering so none of the scare stories scare me 😊 Good luck!!

Thanks David 😊

Thanks for the comment Harry, I actually fitted a Velcro strap as a result of thinking about it while editing the video. On the seatpost, I don’t lubricate it but I do clean it and wipe it over with a cloth with a bit of silicon spray on it which stops the dirt and dust sticking. I’ve adjusted the clamp once since new.

Thanks Mick, I appreciate the comment

Hi thanks for your comment. I’ve seen a lot of folk locally using Dahons and some of the other electric folders that are now available. The jacket is a Boardman (Halfords own brand now), just checked and they still sell it. It’s actually Navy although it looks black in the video. As at April 2024 Halfords are doing 20% off on 3 items or more. I’ve no connection with them, just noticed while I was checking.

Great tips, thank you for the comprehensive explanation. In fairness I’m now retired and my only Brompton use is leisure but this should help others starting on their commuting journey.

Hi Sydney, thanks for the question. This machine isn’t going to really do what you want. If you already have one then the best approach is to make a series of “mini” bends (the smaller the bend and the more you make, the better the finish) but ideally what you really want is an adjustable 3 roller bender. If you search “metal roller bender” you’ll get a number of results, here’s a reasonable DIY version I found: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aH2mZYWii7SFqbssi=qqLMyBHjVfsLKqSj. Good luck.

UK? Check Machinemart. I think I paid about £80 for mine but that was a while back

Hi James, assuming you’re talking mild steel, I’ve used it on 1/4” bar and the manual (such as it is) says up to 5/8” bar or 1/2” rebar

@@oldmanwith cold rolled steel rod. Not flat steel.

@@jamessparks9617 Yup, round bar, rod. To me it’s round bar or “bar” as opposed to flat bar or “flat” or square bar or “square” but I was talking about the same as you. Manual says it’ll do it but I’ve never tried 3/8 or bigger diameter personally.

Hi Darrol. If I had time I’d do a video on this but sadly I don’t at the minute so here’s my take on it: In absolute honesty I don’t use the angle indicators on either of my saws if I want accuracy. I tend to use a traditional sliding bevel or the Miterix to set the angles whichever plane I’m cutting in. Without doubt on both my machines a bevel cut with the board upright yields a better result than flat. A sharp blade is an absolute must. I’d surmise that the pull of the blade canted over at an angle applies stress to the structure of the saw and any slack in the slide and bearings (whether obvious or not) will result in a potentially skewed cut. The blunter the blade and the more effort you apply to force the blade through the wood, the worse it will get. Depending on the height of your board, putting a block against the back support to bring the work forward will allow a deeper cut (subject to blade diameter). Would a better saw yield better results? Well, the Festool guys will tell you they have the answer but I for one don’t have that kind of money….. In my opinion the Metabo isn’t better than the Dewalt, it’s just bigger. To get a “better” unit I’d say you’ve got to look at pro level DeWalt or Makita kit at least which puts you well on the way to a Festool. So, is a good job possible without that investment? The revelation for me (with skirting and architrave) came with watching guys use CA glue and gluing up the external corners before fitting. I can be a degree or two out on my cut and nobody would ever know. Use coping cuts for the internal angles. Have a look at some of the stuff on Finish Carpentry TV’s channel a couple of years or so back, he did a lot on fitting skirting (baseboard) and there’s a few other folk on here with some good install videos, Scott Brown Carpentry is another. Get a good blade for the Dewalt, practice a bit and good luck!!

@oldmanwith thank you very much for the response. Help like this to a newbie is absolutely invaluable. I really don't like using the horizontal bevel on the dewalt, it's naff. I'll try putting the support block to bring the wood forward and see if I can cut vertically. I've got myself a new blade. 40 tooth I think??? (Whatever it was, It was more teeth than the stock blade) Thanks again.

@darrolhargreaves6828 Best of luck Darrol, I’d love to promise a video to help you but time availability just isn’t with me 🙄

Thank you ☺️

Thanks!! ☺️

Sorry, missed this comment. Certainly you can turn the saddle to a slight angle to make it easier to carry but having had a quick try of your idea I'm afraid I'd say no. 2 things: It doesn't carry like say a cyclocross bike where you see riders with a shoulder under the crossbar when they have to run but also the other issue is that if you raise the saddle enough to get a shoulder under it, the frame comes unlocked and you have a very floppy mechanical mess.... Thanks for watching and commenting

Interesting, I can’t find an actual power output for it so it’s difficult to surmise why the Makita is quicker other than it has a higher output. What’s also interesting now I’ve looked is that the Makita chargers seem to be cheaper. I’ve said in a couple of my Ryobi videos that I’d have gone for the Makita platform if I had the money so maybe I should have done some kind of “total. Cost of ownership” analysis….. Ah well. Thanks for the comment 👍

Ah… I could have sworn I talked about this in one of the videos but I just checked and I didn’t. So, first off, if it works for you (or anyone) as a fix I’m happy for you. I saw it talked about on a Facebook group and I did try it but it didn’t work for me. As an opinion there are two factors that link to how this works: 1 - How aggressively the bike is ridden. 2 - How many items the injection moulds that create the battery frame and mount bracket have produced because the moulds wear. So, brand new mould creates parts that fit perfectly. Worn out mould creates parts that fit loosely. I’d guess the parts on mine were created by worn out moulds. And I ride the bike like I stole it as they say. The tape trick would likely have worked for me if the tolerances in the parts had been a little closer and if I was kinder to the bike but I’d also point out that using the tape trick provides side to side support and the actual problem is up and down movement so the tape trick works by gripping the battery tighter rather than holding it down onto the bracket. So with tape, if you treat it harsh enough the battery will still move.

@oldmanwith u make the tape reach the top of the rails where the 2 little pop outs are and vwallla done. Thanks for ur input tho sir , the new clip is an easier solve tho

Thank you ☺️

Well, with respect that’s not at all what the video is about. Part two is nearer the mark for your comment but if that’s the interpretation you take from it then I’ll just thank you for the engagement and bid you adieu….

Thank you ☺️ Glad it helped

Thank you Julia, it seems a while back now so I’ve checked if the system is still available and it seems to be, so I guess the video is still valid

Yes, many thanks@@oldmanwith

Thank you Andrew, I have some more planned, I’m just struggling to find the time to make them 🙄

Yes I agree, very thorough!! Thank you!

Thank you 🙏🏼

I’ll try and have a look in the next couple of days, see if I can get any ideas

I’ll try and have a look in the next couple of days, see if I can get any ideas

Couple of things you could do if you do want to keep it. I’ve used stainless steel split rings (key rings) in similar situations to get a bigger loop. I’ve also used small stainless carabiners to the same effect. Alternative (but more fiddly) is make a loop in the elastic cord and feed that through the d ring then feed the clip through that loop. All the best, Paul.

@@oldmanwith Morning, yes I was thinking carabiners, have done similar on a Vango tent to help with some other poorly designed clips! Many thanks