Squorx Compatible Spoke Wrench - Turning Bolts Into Screwdrivers

I first came across the concept of using bolts as a tool in a mighty car mods video - Turbo Yoda used a hex headed bolt as a subsititute for an allen key. I've kept that idea in the back of my head and once used it to make an adapter from a small allen key to a larger one from an allen bolt and some nuts.

Recently, I bought a rim that came with fancy DT swiss aluminium spoke nipples that require a driver for the external Torx found on them . I believe it would be a torx e3, but nowhere close to me had anything that would fit so I can't say for sure. The old trick of using a bolt as a substitute came to mind again and some googling later, I found out that a T25 bolt will fit. So a trip to the hardware store was in oder and I found a suitable screw with a T25 head and turned it into a spoke driver tool. (For much cheaper than buying a "proper" one, I might add).

Supplies:

• Screws with a T25 head. You'll need very slim ones, so that they have enough clearance with the holes in the rim. I attached a picture of the ones I used, it took a lot of digging through the hardware store screw and bolt department to find the perfect ones.
• 3D printer filament. Alternatively: Old Screw driver handle

Tools:

• Soldering iron
• File
• Electric drill (optional)
• 3D printer (optional)

To gain additional clearance, I filed the threads off the bolts. I used the poor mans lathe (chuck up the screw in an electric drill).

I designed a T-style handle and printed it in 80% infill PLA. (Somehow I forgot to take a picture of the finished 3D print)

Alternatively you could take an old defunct screw driver, separate the handle and use that as a base. Or if you have access to a welder, use that to weld a t-handle on.

I replaced the tip of a soldering iron with my modified screw to heat it up. Plug it in, and once it feels a bit warm, slowly screw the bolt into the hole in the handle. I detached my new screw driver from the soldering iron as soon as it was all the way inserted to not overheat the PLA and let it cool down, which achieved a surprisingly strong bond. I fully expected to need some glue, but so far there has been no sign of it coming loose.

After this short intermission, I'm now ready to build my new wheelset.

I hope this idea can help someone out in a pinch if they can't get their hands on a rare tool. Of course, the "proper" tools are generally built to tighter tolerances than your average bolt head, but for low torque applications, they work just fine.

In the past, I've also made an adapter from a 5mm allen key to 10mm allen headed bolts, since 10mm Allen is not included on most multi tools but happens to be on my crank bolts - for no good reason, since they are supposed to be only tightened to 2 Nm.. A bolt and two nuts met a welder and a file to create the small adapter that I now carry in my toolkit.