Plan/Design for spanner roll?

[bugbear6502Participant @bugbear6502]

I have a nice accumulated/carboot set of Bedford metric spanner (8mm-22mm).

I would like a nice roll to store them in.

(conveniently, my retired sister taught domestic science all her life and is an expert seamstress).

Does anyone have a plan for, (or at least a nice example of) a nice spanner roll?

BugBear

[bugbear6502Participant @bugbear6502]

[Nick WheelerParticipant @nickwheeler]

If you're going to make a roll, it needs to fit your spanners perfectly. So someone else's pattern isn't much of a short cut. Laying out your spanners on some cloth and developing your own pattern won't take more than a couple of minutes.

[bugbear6502Participant @bugbear6502]

I was wondering wether the pockets should be flat or pouched, wether the whole roll should taper, or should the pockets merely taper within a parallel roll, wether the seams needed reinforcing, how the roll should be secured shut, wether a top flap is needed.

Plenty of design decisions over and above the particular size of spanners held…

BugBear

[Nick WheelerParticipant @nickwheeler]

Tapered, no. You can save a bit of space by doubling up the smaller tools.

Yes to everything else, but the dimensions depend on your spanners. Or whatever else you might put in it.

Secure it with either sewn on cords or velcro if you're not going to use it very much.

[Former MemberParticipant @formermember19781]

[This posting has been removed]

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

The material needs to have some rigidity to it. My mother once made me one out of ordinary cloth and it is annoyingly floppy.

[Brian GParticipant @briang]

I made a couple many years ago. Leatherette works well but isn't that Easy to sew, otherwise go for really heavy fabric, old perhaps from an old canvas tent or a sturdy bag.

Brian

[Former MemberParticipant @formermember19781]

[This posting has been removed]

[bugbear6502Participant @bugbear6502]

Posted by 34046 on 16/07/2019 13:55:24:

Canvas spanner rolls, 12 pockets on ebay for £3 may be worth a look at.

Just a thought but wife says it may need an industrial quality machine depending on material ?

Bill

My Sis has a rather lovely, and robust, Bernina. It has sewn (in its time) 3 layers of leather!!

BugBear

[Former MemberParticipant @formermember19781]

[This posting has been removed]

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

If it is a custom one it is good to have a pocket about 3/4 the height of the tool but also a flap just above the top of the tool to prevent slide out in transport. I nearly lost my 11mm spanner on Saturday because of that.

[VicParticipant @vic]

The “spanner” roll I was given on a government training course was brown cotton twill. It was a plain rectangle, the pockets were flat and there was a flap that covered the top end of the spanner’s. I believe all trades including mechanics, carpenters and plumbers were all given the same tool roll.

[David George 1Participant @davidgeorge1]

I have one made from lorry side material. You can sew it with an ordinary sewing machine and you can pick up small pieces up from articulated lorry repair shop free.

David

[GrottoParticipant @grotto]

I got my daughter to make one out of leather. The scanners rusted quite quickly (within a month or so) and stuck to the leather. My have been due to the tanning process (was leather from a bag I’d bought in Morocco). Probably residual chemicals from tanning process reacting with metal.

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

My dad's tool roll was from waxed black canvas.. heavier than lorry canvas and sewn with the sort of thread size you see in saddlery. I have no idea where he got it but likely it was 'liberated' during WW2. Almost indestructable.

[Brian GParticipant @briang]

Posted by Grotto on 16/07/2019 23:44:50:

I got my daughter to make one out of leather. The scanners rusted quite quickly (within a month or so) and stuck to the leather. My have been due to the tanning process (was leather from a bag I’d bought in Morocco). Probably residual chemicals from tanning process reacting with metal.

Christopher Schwartz uses leather to make tool holders in his chest designs, but says it must be vegetable tanned or it will rust the metal.

Brian

[bugbear6502Participant @bugbear6502]

Yes – with my woodworking hat on, I have heard many horror stories about putting expensive chisels in "premium" leather rolls..

BugBear

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

Luxury tapered roll would be laying smallest to largest spanners side by side centralised on a horizontal line. Top and bottom limits can be drawn as straight lines (equi-wedge shaped), straight sewn pockets and layover flap on one edge, roll smallest towards largest. Luxury but you make it once.

Regards Ian.

[simondavies3Participant @simondavies3]

A bit of a late contribution but the following photos show the toolroll that came with one of my classic cars – as the final photo shows, this one was replaced I assume because someone nicked the original….

Heavy canvas, and as far as I can tell, more or less flat pouches. It sits in the boot strapped to the battery cover with two leather straps (not the original ones, I replaced them with something from the dog supplies shop!).

A fold down panel to stop the tools dropping out when rolled up. Integral cord to tie it up (no velcro here!)

All the tools are high quality Bahco, King Dick and the like – sad thing is that I don't think I have ever used them in 27 years of ownership.Mind, for the selection, 121GBP in 1990 was a pretty good deal I think – and it was a genuine manufacturers supply.

Anyway, hope this may help the design process.
BR
Simon

[Tim StevensParticipant @timstevens64731]

Whatever tool roll you make (or buy) will be wonderful until you go to the next boot sale and there is the 1/4 Whitworth obstruction spanner you have lusted after all your life, and no slot to put it in.

cheers, Tim

[Author]

Posts