Putting chain back together with more chain

So I found that a half link only makes a chain longer and not shorter today.šŸ˜©
While technically adds more points for failure, you can remove two links and add a full master link plus half link to get a half link shorter if you are fine tuning chain length.
 
While technically adds more points for failure, you can remove two links and add a full master link plus half link to get a half link shorter if you are fine tuning chain length.
This was on the pedal side. I ended up flipping the offset sprocket around and had a better fit with the original amount and ended up putting the half link away. Perfect chain now but it rides close to the leg stand. What you are saying is hard for me to grasp now but was what I had set out to do today.
 
This was on the pedal side. I ended up flipping the offset sprocket around and had a better fit with the original amount and ended up putting the half link away. Perfect chain now but it rides close to the leg stand. What you are saying is hard for me to grasp now but was what I had set out to do today.
Yea its hard to explain but very simple.

To install a normal master link, you need both ends of the chain to be "small" ends. That means if you want to use a half link, you still need the master link since you need one small end (for the wide part of the half link) and one large end to go over the small end of the half link with the cotter pin, which usually means making the chain 1/2 link longer in total. To make it half a link shorter, remove one extra full link to end with two small ends of a chain 1.5 links shorter than you need(one more link removed than the half you wanted), then use a full size master link connected to the small end of the half link to get your total chain length one half link shorter. You will basically have a 1.5 link long master link now, that connects to a normal cut chain with two small ends.

Sounds way more complicated when you explain it but if you hold a chain in your hand with a master and a half link you'll get it!
 
That makes perfect sense and thanks for taking the time to explain. I must have been confused when it came time to do the chain after flipping the sprocket and removing a rear spacer but it worked out for the better.
 
I needed a 410 size half link to fine tune the chain length on my gas trike and none of the local bike shops carried them. I checked my local Ace hardware and they carried all sizes. Thanks Ace!
 
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