It is smart to ride with enough tools to make simple repairs, but a good set of tools can be expensive and you want to hold on to them. Taking your tools with you can be a pain and reader Neil came up with a way to keep his tools with him and secure at the same time. Take it away Neil.
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I wanted a way to store my road repair tools and parts, on my bike, while discouraging theft. Presenting the Tool Canister:
I'm a huge fan of PVC and the structures it can
create with a little effort. They are in a sense adult LEGOs and a very
easy medium to work with for people with little construction experience
(*cough* ME *cough*). After spending a lot of time brainstorming in the
plumbing section of my hardware store, I came up with an idea for a
secure-able tool kit.
Right now I keep a metric set of Allen wrenches, a crescent wrench, screw driver, spare chain, and a spare inner-tube.
The basic parts are always the same, the only variable is the SIZE of the pipe and its accompanying fittings.
***Because you may need to place your hand inside
the pipe during the build, pick your PVC pipe/fittings starting at 3
inches (that's the internal diameter or width of the pipe). If you
aren't sure... try to fit your hand in the pipe @ the store, if it
doesn't fit start @ 4 inches.
You will need to purchase the following essential components:
1) PVC Cap
2) PVC Female Adapter
3) PVC Plug
4) PVC Pipe (Cut 3.75 inches shorter than desired length of container from Cap to Plug)
5) U-Bolts, steel or zinc (ex: 1 inch bolts are for 1 inch diameter wide bike frames/handlebars,)
6) Carriage Bolt, steel or zinc
7) Nylon Locking Nut, steel or zinc - Count of 6
8) PVC Glue (or any Silicon Sealant/Glue)
9)
Long Shackle Padlock (must be long enough to clear the diameter of the
Female Adapter that you are using, and the internal clearance must be
wider than the thread of the plug - see image of plug above)
You will need access to a drill, hack-saw (to cut the pipe and
any screw shaft protruding past a tightened bolt), a wrench or pliers
(to tighten the bolts), possibly a round file (to compensate for any
miss-aligned drilled holes, or to widen holes that were drilled to
small), and a hammer with a ball (not a hook).
First you want to pick a spot on your bike that you
will attach the canister to. Make sure it has clearance for your widest
diameter piece (the Female Adapter (2)), and the measure out the length
that you want. Keep in mind if you mount this length-wise in the
triangle frame of your bicycle that you may have difficulty reaching in
for tools. Cut your Pipe 3 and 3/4 inches (3.75) shorter than the length
that you want and hopefully just measured.
The basic construction is as follows. Put the
Cap (1) on one end of your PVC Pipe (4), the Female Adapter (2) on the
other end, and the Pug (3) goes in the Female Adapter. This is the same
if you use larger pipe/fittings.
a) First, you will drill 1 hole where the Cap meets
the Pipe. From the inside drop 1 Carriage Bolt into that hole so the
thread is on the outside. Lightly screw on a Nylon Locking Nut to hold
it in place. (Carriage Bolt secures Cap to Pipe)
b) Next, drill holes along the length of pipe,
opposite the side of the Carriage Bolt, which will accommodate the
U-Bolts (2 holes side by side the width of the U-Bolt). Do this twice,
in-line so it will mount straight onto bike tubing/handlebars/rack.
c) Then, from the inside and starting with the holes
closest to the Cap (this can be tricky to line up), drop the U-Bolt
into the drilled holes so the thread is on the outside. If you are
having trouble, grab you round file and widen up those holes. Lightly
screw on a Nylon Locking Nut to each thread to hold it in place.
(U-Bolts secure Pipe to Bicycle)
d) Now, drill 1 hole where the Pipe meets the Female
Adapter, on the same side as the other Carriage Bolt. From the inside
drop 1 Carriage bolt into that hole so the thread is on the outside.
Lightly screw on a Nylon Locking Nut to hold it in place. (Carriage Bolt
secures Pipe to Female Adapter)
e) Take your Plug and screw it into the Female
Adapter so its snug, not tight. Note how far the Plug goes in by
counting the threads. Unscrew the Plug from the Female Adapter. Measure
from the exposed thread to the end of the Plug (the end that was screwed
in). Approximately 1/4 inch past this measurement,is where you will
drill on the Female Adapter to create holes for your Long Shackle
Padlock. (Padlock secures Plug to Female Adapter, and prevents people
from opening the Tool Canister).
f) Finally, insert one end of the padlock shackle
into your Female Adapter hole that you drilled in step e). Mark the
center, where it lines up on the square protrusion of the Plug. Drill a
hole on this marking to create holes for your Long Shackle Padlock.
Repeat steps e) and f) on the other side of the Plug and Female Adapter
to create the other holes for your Long Shackle Padlock.
g) Unscrew the U-Bolt nuts and affix the Tool
Canister to your bicycle, and tighten all of the Nylon Locking Nuts with
a wrench or pliers.
h) From the inside, apply
pressure to the Carriage Bolt so the square area will catch on the
drilled hole. If this doesn't happen grab your round file and widen it a
small bit at a time. Tighten the Nylon Locking Nut onto the Carriage
Bolt. (If the Nylon Locking Nut is to hard to tighten, get a regular
Nut)
i) Using your Hack-Saw, cut off protruding threads
on any bolts, leaving 1/8 inch of thread exposed past the nut. Using a
Ball Hammer, tap the ends of the threads, so they flare out and flatten
onto the Nut. (Flared Bolt threads secure the Nut, and prevent them from
being unscrewed with a wrench)
h) Now just take your sealant or glue, and coat any steams or holes to keep the water out.
Extra Credit - Buy some anti-rust spray-paint, and coat any exposed metal (or the entire canister) to prevent rust.
ADDITIONAL PICTURES FOR REFRENCE:
Inside the canister.
Padlock holes.
Final Product and Prototype
The
whole project should cost about $25-50 (your stores prices may vary)
plus labor and depending on which lock you get and what you use for
sealant/glue.
As everyone knows anti-theft measures are meant to
discourage theft not stop it. This is supposed to make the zipper bags
more appealing than your canister, but if a guy brings bolt-cutters,
he's cutting your bike chain and taking the whole enchilada, Tool
Canister and all.
If you aren't ready for the investment of a drill, borrow one.
Notes -
Hacksaws are good for cutting your lock off if you lose your key.
Everyone should have a wrench or pliers for general bike maintenance.
Round files and hammers have so many uses and they are cheap and abundant.
