Cone + Pedal Wrenches, Home Made
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,173
Bikes: Surly Disk Trucker, 2014 w/Brooks Flyer Special saddle, Tubus racks - Duo front/Logo Evo rear, 2019 Dahon Mariner D8, Both bikes share Ortlieb Packer Plus series panniers, Garmin Edge 1000
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 405 Post(s)
Liked 115 Times
in
99 Posts
Cone + Pedal Wrenches, Home Made
If you have to ask why... Just because. That's why. I didn't have any.
They work really well, too.
I've been trying to use conventional wrenches and pliers for some work but they aren't the right tools. So I figured I'd make some better ones.
The base material is 1/8" A36 plate (36k PSI steel). I ran weld beads with a 70k PSI welding rod to harden key areas - like the jaws and the outside of the shape then cut and ground things flat again. Filing the weld material is easier said than done - its pretty tough.
I have an axle here laying around that I test-fit the jaws on. One side was 14.8mm and the other was 15.5mm. So I ground the jaws to be a tight fit on the 15.5mm flats. I am hoping that suits. If not I can lay more material down and regrind.
They work really well, too.
I've been trying to use conventional wrenches and pliers for some work but they aren't the right tools. So I figured I'd make some better ones.
The base material is 1/8" A36 plate (36k PSI steel). I ran weld beads with a 70k PSI welding rod to harden key areas - like the jaws and the outside of the shape then cut and ground things flat again. Filing the weld material is easier said than done - its pretty tough.
I have an axle here laying around that I test-fit the jaws on. One side was 14.8mm and the other was 15.5mm. So I ground the jaws to be a tight fit on the 15.5mm flats. I am hoping that suits. If not I can lay more material down and regrind.
Likes For KC8QVO:
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 12,903
Bikes: (2) ti TiCycles, 2007 w/ triple and 2011 fixed, 1979 Peter Mooney, ~1983 Trek 420 now fixed and ~1973 Raleigh Carlton Competition gravel grinder
Mentioned: 129 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4803 Post(s)
Liked 3,925 Times
in
2,553 Posts
Nice! I have a soft spot for A36, My first job as engineer with steel fish boats was with a yard that used A36 for the vast majority of its plate. Just not 1/8" 5/16 or higher for hull plating. For my housewarming, the CADCAM operator I worked with brought a 1/2" 3' X 4' plate with pre-drilled holes (laser cut) for my bench vise. I could but a frame in it and straighten, Nothing moved! Sadly, the plate stayed with the house when I moved.
Likes For 79pmooney:
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,173
Bikes: Surly Disk Trucker, 2014 w/Brooks Flyer Special saddle, Tubus racks - Duo front/Logo Evo rear, 2019 Dahon Mariner D8, Both bikes share Ortlieb Packer Plus series panniers, Garmin Edge 1000
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 405 Post(s)
Liked 115 Times
in
99 Posts
I get my steel from a local fab shop and all they really work with is A36. There is another place a buddy of mine that does some machining uses. He works with a lot of odd aerospace aluminums and has been able to get the place he uses to source everything he's needed. I have not checked with the place yet, but I might. I have some project ideas that may be able to benefit from higher grade steels as well as aluminum (probably T6061) and possibly stainless steel.
For being steel, A36 is quite pliable and forgiving. That is a good thing for general purpose fabrication, but a bad thing for hard-use/wear surfaces like bearing plates, races, and bushings - or wrench jaws...
Though, the 70k PSI filler might still not be well suited for wrench duty, but it darn sure is magnitudes tougher than A36. We'll see how long they hold up.
For being steel, A36 is quite pliable and forgiving. That is a good thing for general purpose fabrication, but a bad thing for hard-use/wear surfaces like bearing plates, races, and bushings - or wrench jaws...
Though, the 70k PSI filler might still not be well suited for wrench duty, but it darn sure is magnitudes tougher than A36. We'll see how long they hold up.
#4
I think I know nothing.
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NE PA
Posts: 709
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 233 Post(s)
Liked 290 Times
in
204 Posts
What do you think would happen if you took some old inexpensive (flea market) open end wrenches and used your grinder to make them thinner for use as cone wrenches?
#5
Old fart
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Appleton WI
Posts: 24,784
Bikes: Several, mostly not name brands.
Mentioned: 153 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3587 Post(s)
Liked 3,400 Times
in
1,934 Posts
Seems like a lot of work for something that isn't that expensive off the shelf. Unless they're hardened, I suspect they won't last too long in use.
Likes For JohnDThompson:
#6
Senior Member
Works fine. cones aren't usually very tight, so the wrench doesn't need to be terribly strong. They might spread open with repeated use, but they work fine in a pinch.
#7
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,173
Bikes: Surly Disk Trucker, 2014 w/Brooks Flyer Special saddle, Tubus racks - Duo front/Logo Evo rear, 2019 Dahon Mariner D8, Both bikes share Ortlieb Packer Plus series panniers, Garmin Edge 1000
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 405 Post(s)
Liked 115 Times
in
99 Posts
The only time there is "torque" on a wrench on a cone is when you are setting the jam nut on the outside because you are holding back the torque on the cone so the torque of the jam nut doesn't change the position of the cone. If you are torquing a cone on to a hub with any real "torque" you are doing it wrong and will screw up a lot of things in the hub, probably even before you get to feeling any "torque" on the wrench...
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,893
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1062 Post(s)
Liked 665 Times
in
421 Posts
I made my own for Sturmey-Archer and Bendix hubs. Just a couple cuts with a hacksaw, bend the piece back and forth till it breaks out, clean up with a file. Works like a charm.
#9
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,173
Bikes: Surly Disk Trucker, 2014 w/Brooks Flyer Special saddle, Tubus racks - Duo front/Logo Evo rear, 2019 Dahon Mariner D8, Both bikes share Ortlieb Packer Plus series panniers, Garmin Edge 1000
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 405 Post(s)
Liked 115 Times
in
99 Posts
I ended up making a 2nd set for 13mm. For those I used 1/16" steel and laid a bead of the 70k psi weld only on one side - it penetrated all the way through the steel (and blew thru in one place).
The jaws still dent when under a fair amount of torque so the 70k psi weld material still isn't quite hard enough, but they still work enough to to a few random hub jobs.
The jaws still dent when under a fair amount of torque so the 70k psi weld material still isn't quite hard enough, but they still work enough to to a few random hub jobs.
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 2,393
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1561 Post(s)
Liked 1,734 Times
in
974 Posts
Great work. While you got the welding rig out, you should weld a hook or clamp fixture on one of the handles. That way you can hold the cone nut on one side stationary while you dial in the adjustment on the other side.
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 2,678
Bikes: too many sparkly Italians, some sweet Americans and a couple interesting Japanese
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 569 Post(s)
Liked 581 Times
in
409 Posts
I agree, but have to say it's probably a labor of love or just desirer to craft, plan and execute, which I think ends with building craftsmanship skills that can and I bet pays off in the long term.
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 955
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 321 Post(s)
Liked 263 Times
in
212 Posts
Nice work! Always fun to make something. I wonder if you could heat treat them. I think you just heat it up to hot AF, dunk it, and then heat it up again until it just stops being magnetic and then let it cool slowly. Always wear safety glasses when using homemade heat treated steel products
I made a tap wrench for BB taps today. Not hardened or anything. You shouldn't be turning it that hard to chase BB threads anyway.
I made a tap wrench for BB taps today. Not hardened or anything. You shouldn't be turning it that hard to chase BB threads anyway.