Bicycle wrench that looks like a fish skeleton

3D Printing & Imaging Science
fishbone_wrench_first_prototype (Custom).jpg

I designed this multi-wrench years ago but just now finally managed to get a prototype water-jet-cut in stainless steel by my pal, Makers Market seller Dustin Wallace. The design features 21 distinct wrenches for metric and SAE nuts, 3 flat screwdrivers, a serrated cutting edge, a can opener, a wire breaker, a centerfinding tool, and a lanyard loop hole. It’s a long way from perfect–the can opener tooth, the serrated edge, and a couple of the tail-fins that are supposed to serve as flat-blade screwdrivers still need to have their edges ground, and the surface of the tool needs to be polished up quite a bit, but I was so stoked to get it in the mail I just had to share. The DXF file is available for download on Thingiverse.

12 thoughts on “Bicycle wrench that looks like a fish skeleton

  1. dZed says:

    That thing is amazing. Bonus points for the fish shape. I’m a dedicated simple pocket knife kind of guy, but I’ve been really into flat, single piece multi tools like this lately (vs. Leathermans, which would replace my beloved bone colored Case knife, just like my Dad’s).

    I’d love a labeled drawing, though. Are the “fins” along the edges not flat bladed screwdrivers as well (or could be, of varying thicknesses)? It would be hard to use them as such, when they’re all the same height, I guess. And where’s the centerfinder tool, and how does one use it?

    Great work!

    1. dZed says:

      I’m so used to the descriptions of these things being links to other people’s sites, I didn’t realize the first person pronoun meant YOU, Mr. Ragan! I was browsing your site for a few minutes before I figured that out. Some fascinating stuff on there, Captain, and I’m only through two sections.

      A note on the joist hanger featured on the “Cool Ideas” section, that it’s basically an upside down version of old ice tongs or hay bale / stone hooks. Closer to the bale/stone hook, really, as ice tongs have two handles, where a chain pulling up tightens the grip on the bale or stone in the other version. I’m headed to the “Design Gaffes” section next, as the zero-point mower I borrow to do my lawn has a fixed wheel that should be on a swivel that ends up digging gashes into my (rented) lawn whenever I try to zero-point turn on anything but flat ground. Drives me up the wall.

  2. dubyaohohdee says:

    http://www.atwoodknives.com/home/21482687.php

    I think i like yours better than Atwood’s. Where is the “buy now” button?

  3. Alan says:

    This rocks, Sean. I currently have a couple of commercially built bicycle multi-tools, but am not particularly fond of them. They’re made to fold up like pocketknives, and are also accompanied by loose bits that always get lost. Your one-piece design is a vast improvement.

    For the production version, I suggest plumping out the dorsal and ventral sides a bit to allow more clearance when using the Allen wrenches. In other words, make it more of a bream than a barracuda. And of course, let us all know when you start mass-producing them. I’d certainly like one.

  4. dokein says:

    Oh, and cool wrench, BTW.

  5. volkemon says:

    @dZed… if you had not pointed out that Sean was the MAKEr, I would have missed it also. It is so often the text with the post has “I” and “we” from the donor source, it didn’t draw my attention.

    It needs an Arduino, though… ;) (JOKE!)

    Nice work. Indeed, where is the buy now button? I have no access to a local cutter. I will look to the shed or makers mart soon.

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I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade, c't – Magazin für Computertechnik, and The Wall Street Journal.

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