Home made nipple driver

Been looking at a way to reproduce one of these (£20 is too much for the Sapim or the Bicycle Research ones) and felt that Musson's version was a bit too flakey with the shaft that drops out.

Finally saw what I wanted, paid £2 for it and took a hacksaw to it:

I bent the end over using a socket held tight in a vice - you gotta watch out not to bend the metal where the handle is because it restricts its rotation. Then I shaped the end using a grinding disk and file. Altogether most satisfying...

It works a treat and it's helped me speed up a lot - using it I managed to lace a wheel in just a shade over 10 minutes (32 spoke, rear, asymmetric).

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That's a good contribution to the body of knowledge...

I am off to the boot sale on Sunday with an other item too look out for !

I read the title and was about to suggest merging with the Body Mod thread.

I use a cotton bud with one end chopped off, not as cool as reviving an antique but damn its cheap.

Nice. My lbs uses one of those little electric screwdriver things -

Pretty handy.

It would be easier if the metal shaft had been a narrower gauge. I had to grind down the end section so that it would fit through the hole in the outer layer and reach down to engage with the nipple head on the inner part of the rim. I'm still keeping my eye out for a better version.

Can't explain why making my own tools feels so great - it's just real deep, man.

Something called 'pride'

I drilled a hole through the handle to the shaft and, covering all the bases, I squirted a combination of grease, oil and GT85 down it.

Topped it off with a perfect little screw. Then I spun it hi-speed for 5 minutes by holding it up against a rear tyre of my racer as I pushed a big gear by hand while it was on the workstand.

Very smooth action now.

I still reckon I can get a sweeter model somehow. Been scoping out the bottom of all my spares drawers and spotted an old Hope front hollow axle - a nice lightweight model perhaps...

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