An EAI SuperTool group buy, or even better, get our own made?

I've been thinking about getting one of EAI's track multi-tools, their SuperTool, you can see Fixed Gear Gallery's review of it here. Very tempting, but also pretty expensive. So at first I thought how about a group buy, but then I thought (and this is when thinking can become dangerous) how about trying to commission and do a group buy for a LFGSS SuperDooperTool.

I've been looking at investment casting to produce an adjustable track stem and while the expensive bit of investment casting is getting the tooling made up, using fast prototyping you can now seriously reduce these costs, it's still pricey, but not totally prohibitive. It does restrict you to a run of say 50 units and they would still, even for a run of this many, in stainless steel cost £50ish each, which may be too expensive, but would produce a pretty cool and limited edition tool.

The EAI SuperTool has a 15mm box (or peanut butter) spanner and a 10mm spanner for tightening a chain tug at one end and a lock-ring tool and a tool for tightening a track cog (as long as it’s sized between 13 and 16 teeth in size) at the other. I’d happily live without the 10mm spanner for the chain tug and would prefer a chain whip over the track cog tool as although it wouldn’t look as elegant, neither would it restrict you to using a 13T to 16T track cog.

So I’d like a tool that had 14mm and 15mm box spanners (one on each side) and an 8mm allen key and small round hammer head at one end and a lock-ring tool, a chain whip, a pedal spanner and the ubiquitous bottle opener at the other end. So does anyone else like the idea and if so what tools would you want?

So basically you're thinking about the dura-ace track tool with the box spanners added to them...

I do know the Dura Ace track tool, I got my brother one, was thinking of something with a little more than just this with box spanners added, the idea was to get as many useful bits as possible on just the one, hopefully elegant, tool. Mind you judging from the huge response this thread has generated it's distinctly possible I'm the only one interested in pursuing this any further, so I may just bite the bullet at get the EAI.

rapid prototyping - would it be hard/strong enough?

You rapid prototype a silicone mould that you use to cast wax patterns that you then use to investment cast in stainless steel, so the final tool would be stainless steel.

hey man, im down - if it looks sexy enough. you have any sketches? unfortunately, right now it just sounds like your going to weld together a tool box. (as a practical joke, actually, that sounds pretty funny. or maybe just weld the box it self, shut.)

polybikeuser You rapid prototype a silicone mould that you use to cast wax patterns that you then use to investment cast in stainless steel, so the final tool would be stainless steel.

stainless = soft as shit, thats why proper tools are chrome vanadium.

Okay, Chrome Vanadium then, this is the time I've contemplated, let alone tried to produce a tool like this, so am not yet particularly knowledgeable about the strengths/weaknesses of the materials available, I am though entirely open to suggestions and if this gets to the casting stage, would of course take advice on the best material to use.

you really want to forge it if you want something strong. But that kind of thing just isnt economical. I reckon you'd be better designing something, then seeing if you can license the design to a tool company... perhaps?

for whatever its worth, ive found these two on the net recently; the first (albeit minimal) was made by park for swobo, and is being considered for the Museum of Modern Art's (MoMA) permanent collection:

and this i found off of Tokyo Fixed Gear, although i cant find anything else about it. San Rensho too:

Will at HUBJUB can get those Makino Supertool spanner things.... you know you need one. ! only £79

dont know what most of you think about chain whips but personally i have never used one,
just rotafix the cog in place

the 3rencho tool looks nifty though