Workshop (3)

次回この記事の日本語版を投稿します。

As mentioned in Workshop I have recently moved and I am in the process of getting settled in. In Workshop (1) I gave the workshop a heart by restoring on old bicycle shop clock, and, in the previous installment, Workshop (2) I gave the workshop a torso by building a workbench.  In this installment, I will give the workshop extremities in the form of hand tools. Extremities? Yes, indeed extremities as hand tools are simply temporary body parts or extensions used to perform a task, turn a screw, hold a nut, cut threads, etc.  The User is the force and control behind the tool, thus the tool is simply an extension of the body.

Old hand tools bear the same characteristics as old bicycles. They are simple, made to last, bear the manufacturer’s trademark and, in some cases, even have the manufacturer’s trademark designed-in. 

There were many tool manufacturers; however, some of the more well-known include the following as indicated in a 1953 export catalog.

1.  Hataya
Established nearly a century ago the company still exists today, though they changed their focus and today only make a few bicycle tools.

2. Hozan (HKC)
Established over a half century ago the company still exists today and manufactures a wide variety of bicycle tools.

3.Ohtsuka (Key Brand)
Unable to trace this company.  One interesting fact of Ohtsuka brand was that the company trademark was a key, and, the company often designed-in their trademark.



Old hand tools is a fascinating aspect of vintage bicycles and I look forward to posting more information on tools and their usage in the future.  I still have a chest of old tools to sort through, not to mention larger tools that wouldn't fit in the chest.  But all in good time.

作業部屋（２）

I'll be back with another English post soon until then stay trued and happy wheels.

前回作業部屋（１）にて、最近引越をして整理中と述べました。

家の中はほぼ片付き、
家の周りに芝生を植える準備の土づくりで一苦労。小石、石、大石を取り除いています。
石があまりに沢山で、昔は採石場だったのでは？と思うほどです！

土づくりと芝生を植える間、作業部屋も僅かに進んでいます。
作業部屋の心臓が出来て、次は胴体になる作業台を作ることになります。
数キロほど先に大きなホームセンターがあり、軽トラを借りて木材などを運んでいます。
追加分は軽運搬車で運んでいます。
今までは作業台がなく、床の僅かに空いたスペースを使っていました。

インターネットで作業台を検索したら簡単な設計 と作り方 がありました。
これに基づいて寸法を変えたり、引き出しを追加したり。

作業台の隣に作業用の流し台を取り付けました。
今まで部品など家の前の排水口 の上か、家内の目を盗んで　お風呂場を使っていました。


作業台のサイズは長めで、高さは低め。必要に応じて自転車を乗せられます。

これで作業部屋の心臓と胴体が出来て次は四肢、つまり工具へ。

つづく。

Workshop (2)

次回この記事の日本語版を投稿します。

In the previous post Workshop (1) it was mentioned that I have moved and I am currently in the process of getting settled in. With the interior finally close to completion I am in the midst of the very laborious task of turning up soil and removing stones, rocks and boulders in preparation for laying sod.  There are so many rocks I am starting to think my house was built atop of a former rock quarry.

In between digging out rocks and laying sod I have made incremental progress on the workshop. Having given the workshop a heart, the next order of business is to give the workshop a torso, ie a workbench.  Until now I never had room for a workbench and basically just used the floor as my workspace. At my new location, there is an amazing DIY store just 8 kilometers away which allows me to haul some of the smaller materials via the steel beast of burden.

In setting out to build a workbench I searched the internet and found a great set of easy to build workbench plans and instructions.  I modified the dimensions to my liking and added a large deep drawer for storage.

Next to the workbench I added a deep sink.  Until now I had to wash and clean parts either outside in the street above a storm drain, or, when the wife wasn't looking, clean parts in the shower.


The workbench is long enough and low enough so that if necessary the bicycle can be set atop of the workbench.

Now that the workbench has a heart and a torso, the next step is to give it some extremities in the form of tools.

作業部屋（１）

I'll be back with another English post soon until then stay trued and happy wheels.

前回の記事でお伝えしましたように、最近引越しをしてまだ整理中です。
先日、やっと自転車工具や部品などを開梱し始めました。

自転車工具や部品の開梱は楽しいですが、それにしても重労働で時間が掛かります。
しかし、ちょうど桜の時季で、開梱作業をしながら作業部屋の中から桜の儚い美しさを味わえました。

昭和自転車だけではなく古い家具やゼンマイや分銅引き柱時計のレストアも好きです。
下記の写真は15年前です。
家を建てるために2年前から断捨離し、
レストアした古時計を手放したため、残念ながら今は一部しか残っていません。

私にとっては、各部屋にゼンマイか分銅引きの時計が欠かせない物です。
リズミカルなチックタックチックタックは、まるで部屋の心臓音。
従って、先ずなによりも先に「作業部屋」に付ける「心臓」を探さなければなりません。
オークションで壊れた古時計に一目惚れし、落札しました。

文字盤に「カワスミの自轉車」で6時の真下に「Made in Occupied Japan」と書いてあります。
連合国軍占領は昭和20年～27年なので時計は約65年～70年前に製造されたものです。



壊れた古時計購入にはリスクがあります。
ムーブメントが見えないので、どのような状態か分かりません。
直してみるつもりで壊す場合は少なくはありません。
幸い誰も弄っていなくて部品交換も不要でクリーニングと調整だけで精確に時間を刻んでいます。

昭和自転車と同じように、古いゼンマイ時計や分銅引き柱時計も一生以上長持ちします。
良いことは、合成素材（プラスチック、ビニール、合成木材など）でできていません。
つまり本物の材質、（木材、ガラス、真鍮）などでできているからこそ味が出ます。

作業部屋の心臓、次の70年も持ちます。

Workshop (1)

次回この記事の日本語版を投稿します。

As mentioned in the previous post I have recently moved and I am currently in the process of getting settled in.  Last week I finally had a small amount of time to turn my attention to starting to unpack bicycle parts. 

Although unpacking bicycle tools, parts, etc., is far more interesting than housewares, it is still labor intensive and time consuming.  However, it is cherry-blossom season here in Japan and the view from inside the workshop affords me the opportunity to enjoy the transient beauty of the cheery-blossoms while working.

As many of you know, besides restoring vintage bicycles I also enjoy restoring old windup or weight driven clocks.  The photo below is yours truly about 15 years back. Unfortunately, starting two years ago in preparation for moving I slowly began down-sizing and have parted with nearly all of my collection.

To me, each room should have a mechanical clock, as the gentle rhythmical tick-tock of a mechanical clock is the heartbeat of a room.  Thus, the first order of business is to find a heart for the workshop.  I started looking online and picked up the broken clock below.

The face reads "KAWASUMI Bicycle" and under the six "Made in Occupied Japan". 
So it was manufactured between 1945-1952; thereby making it roughly 65-70 years old.



Broken clocks are always a risk as typically one cannot see the condition of the movement.  Sometimes people try to fix them and in the process destroy them.  Fortunately for me nobody had messed with it and it was a quick fix, didn't even have to replace any parts, just a cleaning and adjustment.

Like old bicycles, old clocks too will outlive their owner.  The beauty is that they are made of real materials, no synthetic materials like artificial or "imitation" wood from synthetic polymers.  Simply genuine wood, glass, brass, steel and tin.  And because they are made of real materials, over time they age and develop character.

There she is. The heart of the workshop, ready for another 70 or more years.

作業部屋

I'll be back with another English post soon until then stay trued and happy wheels.

昭和自転車レストアは、長年借りていたテラスハウス２階の狭い6畳で行っていました。
25～35kgの昭和自転車を持ちあげて、途中90度カーブのある狭いキラー階段を上り下りすることは一苦労でした。
物置部屋で作業スペースを確保する際は、常に物を退けなければなりませんでした。

 

昭和自転車の部品や工具、自転車が増えれば増える程確保できる作業スペースがさらに限られてきて、余裕がなくなってしまいました。



今春、環境が変わります。
自転車専用の作業部屋がついた家を建てました。
勿論１階にあるので、重い自転車を持ち上げてキラー階段を上り下りする最後の日が見えています。

引越し中なので、質問やメールなどが追いつきませんが、落ち着いたら対応させていただきしますのでもう少しお待ち下さい。

Workshop

次回、この記事の日本語版を投稿します。

For years I have done all my bicycle restoration work in a  tiny room (less than 100 square feet) located on the 2nd floor of my rented Japanese townhouse.  Lugging 25kg-35kg bicycles up and down a steep narrow staircase which has a deadman's curve (90 degree turn) halfway up is back breaking work. The room doubles as an oversized closet which means that I am constantly having to move clutter in order to create just enough space to work.
 

Over the years as the number of parts, tools and bicycles increased my workspace diminished.  I literally have no more room to work.


However, this will all change shortly as I have had a small house built complete with a dedicated workshop. Yes, on the ground floor thank God!  Gone will be the days of lugging heavy bicycles up and down a steep narrow staircase.   

Please bear with me, I am in the process of moving and I am extremely busy.  I hope to catch up on answering questions and emails as soon as I am settled in.

大塚工具 商標

I will be back with another English post soon until then stay trued and happy wheels.

昭和20年代後半～30年代前半の自転車専用工具は、
当時の自転車と同じ特徴、つまりシンプルで一生に使えるほど頑丈で、商標が2回以上付いています。

当時の自転車業界では製造者が部品の一つ一つに商標を付けていました。
設計者は商標を作り込んでいました。
当時のチェーンホィールはその例の一つ。
特に日米冨士はよく部品の設計に商標を作り込みました。   

自転車工具製造会社も商標を工具に面白く作り込んだ例を一つ挙げましょう。
大塚（Ｏ．Ｔ．Ｈ）という自転車工具製造会社の商標はカギでした。

こちらは大塚製のＣ－スパナー。
良く見ると商標のカギと英語で「KEY BRAND」。

下記の工具も大塚製の泥除けステー穴開けの工具。
商標は分かりますか。

ハンドルの内側に商標のカギの形に設計されています。

古い自転車のレストアや修理に極力古い工具を使っています。
昭和自転車のみならず当時の工具も重要なので、今後も取り上げます。

Tool Trademark (Key Brand)

次回、この記事の日本語版を投稿します。

Vintage bicycle tools from the 1950's bear many of the same characteristics as the bicycles of the same period, ie,  they are simple, built-to-last, and, bear the manufacturer's name or tradmark, often more than once.

It has been mentioned repeatedly how bicycle manufacturers went to great lengths to place their name or logo on nearly every part, often more than once.  In many cases, such as Nichibei Fuji, the company actually cleverly incorported the design into actual parts.   This was often the case with chainwheels.

Let's take a look at an example of a tool manufacturer and how the manufacturer cleverly incorporated the trademark into the tool design.  The particular tool company is Ohtsuka (O.T.K), whose trademark was a key.

Here is a C-spanner which is stamped with the "Key" trademark.

Now, take a close look at the fender stay hole punch below.
Can you see the key trademark?

The key trademark was claverly designed into the handle.

I have accumulated an extensive collection of old bicycle tools and in the future will periodically devote more time to this important aspect of vintage Japanese bicycles.

師匠 米寿 脱帽！！

I'll be back with another English post soon until then stay trued and happy wheels.

自転車修理のみならず昭和自転車もレストアしている師匠が先日米寿を迎えました。
おめでとうございます！
88歳で現役の自転車屋さんは国内外唯一なのでは？
脱帽！！！

何度もテレビや雑誌などで紹介されています。

師匠の掲載記事

当時の自転車の良さの話をいくら聞いても聞き足りない私にとって
師匠は偉大な存在です。

昭和自転車は現代の作りと違う【前半】

昭和自転車は現代の作りと違う【後半】

お話を聞きながら、ふと現物を見ると「なるほど工芸品だ」と感無量になります。

いつまでもお元気で！！
おめでとうございます！！！