south bend wrench

**hardtail69** · May 7, 2015, 12:42 PM

Wow I am on a new project that has been taking a bit of my time when I am not building drift trikes with my son. I recently was given a south bend model 9A lathe. It was in abysmal shape. Rusted, gears broken, grease buildup, and swarf in places the lathe didn't even know it had. To top it all off every part I needed for it someone wanted more money than it was possibly worth. Well I bent over and took it for some of the things I could not make (cause I don't have a working lathe) YET. But I had to draw the line at this item cause damn it I was sure I could make one of these rascals. A pin wrench. Can you believe they want nearly forty dollars for a simple pin wrench? Well here you go. I made one. I used some 1/4 inch flat stock, drew an outline, drilled the jaw hole, and cut the handle shape roughly with the band saw. Then I went to the sander and smoothed out the curves. I used a dremel tool to round out the pin. Then once I got the fit right I used it, and it worked perfectly. Then I cleaned it up drilled another hole in the handle and came right here to show it to you folks. It is a simple thing with not many tools needed to make it. It ain't no tool of the week but it did the job and saved me forty bucks, and that's a tool worth having. lol

south bend wrench-new-pin-wrench-pick.png

Attachment 3439

**DIYer** · May 7, 2015, 07:07 PM

Great call on that pin wrench. 40 dollars for a tool that you just need to spend some time making?

**Paul Jones** · May 7, 2015, 10:06 PM

Hi hardtail69,
Great story about your lathe and looking forward to seeing more photos of your lathe improvements. The forty bucks you saved can go towards some HSS tooling blanks or carbide inserts.
Paul

**kbalch** · May 8, 2015, 04:05 PM

Thanks hardtail69! I've added your Pin Wrench to our Lathe Accessories category, as well as to your builder page: hardtail69's Homemade Tools.

**Altair** · May 10, 2015, 05:26 PM

Tool manufacturers doing what they do best, ripping off people on simple, low quality import tools. There is always the DIY route: save money and learn at the same time.

**hardtail69** · May 16, 2015, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by Altair

Tool manufacturers doing what they do best, ripping off people on simple, low quality import tools. There is always the DIY route: save money and learn at the same time.

what is bothering me is the fact that manufacturers are seemingly going with the lowest common denominator theory of tools. There is a sameness to every big box store offering. Nothing unique, nothing different. Even fasteners. All the same stuff at all the stores. Oh and the prices, yikes, they seem to think quite highly of each and every nut and bolt. That is when you can find that certain nut or bolt. I am very glad my lathe is coming along so that I can make that special fastener or widget that I need and not have to go traipsing through the stores or trolling through the internet as much.