fun with tools.
So, the last time we all got together, I mentioned that Peter had found a power impact tool in his huge pile of crap in the garage. This prompted the unexpectedly difficult search for hex impact sockets. Now, OK. I cannot be the only person on god's green earth who has ever needed to remove a hex bolt via power tool. Not that you'd know that from the hardware stores. I've found more 6- and 12-point impact sockets than one could ever need, but no hex impact sockets. It's a conspiracy, I tell you.

I finally found a set of 3/8" hex impact sockets being sold online for $30. More than I wanted to spend, since I needed all of one 6mm socket, but beggers can't be choosers. This guarantees that I will never again have a stuck hex bolt.

Thursday night, I put on my schleppy clothes and went out to the garage to power tool my troubles away. Except, of course, that my new hex sockets were 3/8" and the impact wrench was 1/2". So onto the bicycle I went, and rode over to Home Depot for an adapter. It will ultimately be our downfall, living three blocks from a Home Depot. Late at night, if you listen carefully, you can hear my credit card weeping.

Anyhoo, even with the power tool, those bolts weren't coming out. The impact wrench made an ungodly amount of scary noise (it's approximately three million years old) and did, as far as I can tell, nothing. The bolts were held on with space alien technology.

Yesterday, Peter and I ended up back at Home Depot (shocker), and I caved in and bought a Husky 1/2" air impact wrench. Peter was skeptical. I gave what must have been a very poor explanation of torque and removing bolts and how -- even with my 3' breaker bar -- I was incapable of putting more than about 75 foot-pounds of torque onto the bolts. The air impact wrench, on the other hand, can do up to 500 ft-lbs of torque. Peter remained skeptical. I ignored him and bought the wrench.

It was dark when we got home, which allowed us to confirm that running the shop lights, the overhead lights, and the air compressor would, in fact, blow a fuse. Peter wandered off to the circuit breaker while I sat in the dark and ran the air compressor off a different circuit. There's nothing quite like running an air compressor and then using an air impact wrench by the romantic light of a chintzy flashlight. The good news is that the air impact wrench did its job, allowing me to both (a) remove the rotor bolts, and (b) gloat to Peter.

So, now I have four wheels, two axles, two sets of forks, one set of rotors, and a sad and lonely Bandit. The next step is to try and sell the extra bits, and hope that it makes a dent in the cost of getting the wheels powdercoated.