Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Portland Design Works

     They've got a good notion of "customer support."  In response to an e-mail inquiry about the galled-solid stainless hardware on my bike basket, Portland Design Works is sending out new bolts, nuts and washers. 

     Considering that it is stainless steel, they would have been on firm ground charging for the hardware and shipping, and telling me to consider it a learning experience.  Instead, they were quite gracious about it.  Y'wanna know how to get over $100 for a bike basket?  One, offer a good product (and this one is very nicely made); two, be helpful when nitwit customers make mistakes in installation.

     (I'm totally saving up for a set of these, an upgrade to the pennyfarthing's original grips.)

7 comments:

og said...

Beeswax works, but molybdenum disulphide won't attract bees. You can also just use vaseline or wheel bearing grease, and then sit in the sun and wipe off the excess.

Still a good idea to use locknuts or use self locking fasteners. Nice bike basket!

Roberta X said...

The supplied nuts are nylock-type, so I need a lubricant that won;t attack the plastic. (I think they made us dispose of the Moly-Kote after reading the MSDS!)

John said...

Permatex Anti-Seize is plastic-safe as far as I know - it's what I use on just about everything threaded.

The only downsides are a tendency to migrate to everything you touch and to be as tenacious as fifth-wheel grease when it gets on your clothes.

og said...

Moly doesn't dissolve nylocks, so you're safe there. We use tons of the stuff. I can't imagine what would be in the MSDS that anyone finds to be a source of concern

http://www.dowcorning.com/datafiles/090007b2816f60b8.pdf

The Permatex Graphite or Permatex Copper would work fine too, but it is napthenic, which could softent he nylocks.

http://facilities.fit.edu/documents/forms/MSDS/Permatex%20Anti%20Seize%2080078.pdf

You can also use maalox liquid, or pepto-bismol as anti seize, though those tend to be more directed at high-heat applications. Both are water suspensions so they can't attack the nylon.

Anonymous said...

Hey wow, I lived for six years just a block from their location. Smallish world and stuff.

Chuck Pergiel said...

I ran into that SS galling problem at least once. It sucks.551

Able said...

But what about the playing cards in the spokes, handlebar tassles and 8 foot 'whippy' flag pole (dayglo with interchangeable flags to show your current political/moral/ethical/football team views today)? Get your priorities straight!

I tend towards a rear frame (for the bike, not personally) and panniers as the dog hitches a ride when he gets tired and a german shepherd in a basket (if it didn't already destroy my macho credibility - stop laughing) just doesn't work. Whilst I, on consideration, understand that wouldn't work on a penny-farthing, have you considered a trailer? (perhaps a four wheeler - two small, followed by two extra large wheels to fit of course).

Og

Much as agree with you, walking around in lycra bike shorts (I have to, my exposed knees scare of any possible attackers/stray dogs and apparently I have a 'cute butt' (?) although the lady telling me so was eighty, had alzheimers and cataracts - but you've got to take complements, rare as they are, where you find them) with a 'tub of vaseline' gets you some 'strange looks' around here (well except for that one bar, but they don't let me in anymore after I 'accidentally' broke 'I will survive' on their jukebox. I hasten to add, I only ever went in there because they're the only place locally that sells Jamesons, even if they insist you have it in a glass with a cherry and a little umbrella - I don't like cherries!).

Just Sayin'