Made my own stubby wheel spanner

[simon the viking]

I have in the past carried one of the flat monkey metal bike spanners when out on the mtb due to no QR on the back wheel... but cant find it and realised that for the last few weeks... I had no means of removing the back wheel in the event of a rear puncture so at work today I purchased a 15mm spanner... then attacked it with an angle grinder in my lunch break to make a custom stubby wheel spanner.

Before

After

I then ground down the sharp edges on the bench grinder and covered the end with tape.... obviously throwing the middle bit away. I'll keep both ends but carry the ring end.

Its long enough to undo the nut but will fit easily into a pocket with a small pump and tubes.

 

[sleuthey]

That's quite reassuring for me as I use the Allen key skewers and have always been concerned than an Allen key is too short to provide a sufficient torque to hold the wheel in place.

Just checked on Google and they are only supposed to be 7nm which seems low.

 

[Pale Rider]

Snap-on offer stubby spanners for those looking for the money no object solution.

 

[simon the viking]

Snap-on offer stubby spanners for those looking for the money no object solution.

I could of got a set of them (not snap on) just didnt need the other sizes.... and if anyone copies tjis tip... i will say it was harder than I thought it would be to cut it up with an angle grinder.

 

[Nigelnightmare]

Don't you find you need 2?
I do on nutted axles to get them tight, and sometimes to undo them.

 

[simon the viking]

Don't you find you need 2?
I do on nutted axles to get them tight, and sometimes to undo them.

Hadn't thought of that.... it made 2 anyway!

 

[Salty seadog]

Don't you find you need 2?
I do on nutted axles to get them tight, and sometimes to undo them.

One is enough.

 

[Deleted member 23692]

My solution to the same problem was slightly more elegant (easier too)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Yato-Pro...hash=item33b0bcfe1b:m:mRR0KHOtfz0kwBQq6iN3PEA

 

[simon the viking]

My solution to the same problem was slightly more elegant (easier too)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Yato-Pro...hash=item33b0bcfe1b:m:mRR0KHOtfz0kwBQq6iN3PEA

Well i suppose thats one way of doing it i was frightened that because I'd realised I'd not got a spanner.. i would now get a rear flat.... a 15mm spanner was in front of and I had access to an angry grinder so......

 

[Deleted member 23692]

Well i suppose thats one way of doing it ...

If I had a angle grinder I probably do the same thing , but I don't so I found an alternative
It's all about options

 

[simon the viking]

Whenever I use the angle grinder at work...(which is surprisingly often for saying I work in a shop!) I think I need to buy one for home... and worryingly we sell them....and we sell chain saws... I often think I need one of those as well

 

[Milkfloat]

Looks a bit too stubby for me - my stubby is quite a bit longer. Just make sure that you use your stubby to tighten the nuts in the first place, if you use a full length spanner then you are highly likely to make it too tough to use the stubby to loosen.

 

[simon the viking]

Looks a bit too stubby for me - my stubby is quite a bit longer. Just make sure that you use your stubby to tighten the nuts in the first place, if you use a full length spanner then you are highly likely to make it too tough to use the stubby to loosen.

It is a bit stubbier than I anticipated... however I'm going to use the 'assisted torque' method of loosening the nut if required... standing on it....what could possibly go wrong?

 

[gbb]

Whenever I use the angle grinder at work...(which is surprisingly often for saying I work in a shop!) I think I need to buy one for home... and worryingly we sell them....and we sell chain saws... I often think I need one of those as well

Forgive me if i'm wrong...It looks (although i may be wrong, it could be the camera angle) as though you've used a grinding disc rather than a cutting disc. Ginding disc is around 5mm thick, cutting is around 1 to 1.5mm. A cutting disc would slice through that in a 10 to 20 seconds max, a grinding disc by virtue of its thickness would take a lot longer.
Downside is a cutting disc requires careful use, it can snap easier.

 

[simon the viking]

Forgive me if i'm wrong...It looks (although i may be wrong, it could be the camera angle) as though you've used a grinding disc rather than a cutting disc. Ginding disc is around 5mm thick, cutting is around 1 to 1.5mm. A cutting disc would slice through that in a 10 to 20 seconds max, a grinding disc by virtue of its thickness would take a lot longer.
Downside is a cutting disc requires careful use, it can snap easier.

You are very observant! I did indeed using a grinding disc as it was the one we use for sharpening lawn mower blades and shears... a cutting disc was unavailable