What are these multi-tool 'bits' called and/or who manufactures them?

[sydude]

Hi y'all. I'm trying to design and develop an industry-specific multi-tool and need to source the particular bits that I need. There are lots of brands selling these types of multi-tools (primarily for the bicycle market) but none of them have the specific bits I need.

Please look at the picture attached - the shank of the bits are drilled for the bit's pivot / mounting pin and are either a full size bit of 6.8x6.8mm square or a slimmer bit of 6.8mm x 3mm. Does anyone know what these bits are specifically called and/or who manufactures them? And just to be clear, I don't mean what kind of head ('hex' or 'allen', Phillips, etc... lols). I tried looking everywhere from McMaster-Carr to AliExpress but came up nada. Thank you in advance for your help!

Sy

 

[four.cycle]

^ email that photo to the guys at KCTool in Kansas City and see if they recognize it. I do not.

 

[Toold_up]

If you aren't required to go COTS why can't you just grind and drill a normal bit? You should be able to thin the width of a normal 1/4 bit and put a hole in the side.

 

[Ohio Andy]

Have you tried Google lens?

 

[neophyte]

Square shank insert bits are a thing made for industrial use, but as far as I’m aware, the bits are only square, and not made to rectangular dimensions.
I’m a bit unsure what exactly the buts are made fir, maybe aerospace, or use in industrial settings like automotive manufacture, maybe for certain pneumatic fastening tool systems, like Cleco or Dotco.
Zephyr and Wera have both made square bits in the past, though I’m not sure about current production.
The Zephyr bits I could find were 5/16” square shanked, which corresponds to 7.95mm, or maybe 8mm if slightly undersized for tolerance.
A 1/4” square shank would be 6.35mm, and while I’m not sure whether a 1/5” square shank bit system was a thing, I don’t see the bits being enlarged to 6.8mm.
An automated CNC lathe with a feed system could likely be easily set up with special collets to make bits out of square stock, or rectangular stock, with custom collets, so whoever is manufacturing those bits may be doing so specifically for that product, or that series of products, sort of like Leatherman, and their flat bits and bit system made for their multitools.
If those bits are or were a made for some industrial purpose, I presume the 6.8mm might have been a 7mm standard, made in an area were metric is the standard.

 

[Steve_P]

I'd assume these are specialty items made for this purpose and that you're not going to find them without directly searching bit manufacturers in Taiwan and China. They may have a contract to sell them to only one or two buyers who paid for the tooling to make them out of square stock instead of hex. If not, you'd probably have to buy thousands of each type you'd want made.

 

[mikey03]

If you aren't required to go COTS why can't you just grind and drill a normal bit? You should be able to thin the width of a normal 1/4 bit and put a hole in the side.

Sounds like alot of manufacturing work tbh and idk if bits have some kind of metallargy hardening that grinding them will mess up. You’d have to make some jig that bits different bits for the drill press to make sure it’s square in the middle. And might need multiple jigs since a torx or a hex of different size bits might not fit right in the same jig.

 

[HannibalLecter]

Im sure that these bits are for a bicycle multitool and the op wants to customise theirs, or to make a new one

 

[webscrounger]

Like these cycling mini tool kits - - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=bicycle+...aps,152&ref=nb_sb_noss_1&tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[sydude]

^ email that photo to the guys at KCTool in Kansas City and see if they recognize it. I do not.

I did, thanks.. but they don't carry them or know anyone that does either.

If you aren't required to go COTS why can't you just grind and drill a normal bit? You should be able to thin the width of a normal 1/4 bit and put a hole in the side.

Thanks. I could do that, but I know they're already being produced in mass and I'm trying to find a supplier so I don't have to make them myself

Have you tried Google lens?

Yes, no go.

Square shank insert bits are a thing made for industrial use, but as far as I’m aware, the bits are only square, and not made to rectangular dimensions.
I’m a bit unsure what exactly the buts are made fir, maybe aerospace, or use in industrial settings like automotive manufacture, maybe for certain pneumatic fastening tool systems, like Cleco or Dotco.
Zephyr and Wera have both made square bits in the past, though I’m not sure about current production.
The Zephyr bits I could find were 5/16” square shanked, which corresponds to 7.95mm, or maybe 8mm if slightly undersized for tolerance.
A 1/4” square shank would be 6.35mm, and while I’m not sure whether a 1/5” square shank bit system was a thing, I don’t see the bits being enlarged to 6.8mm.
An automated CNC lathe with a feed system could likely be easily set up with special collets to make bits out of square stock, or rectangular stock, with custom collets, so whoever is manufacturing those bits may be doing so specifically for that product, or that series of products, sort of like Leatherman, and their flat bits and bit system made for their multitools.
If those bits are or were a made for some industrial purpose, I presume the 6.8mm might have been a 7mm standard, made in an area were metric is the standard.

Thank you

I'd assume these are specialty items made for this purpose and that you're not going to find them without directly searching bit manufacturers in Taiwan and China. They may have a contract to sell them to only one or two buyers who paid for the tooling to make them out of square stock instead of hex. If not, you'd probably have to buy thousands of each type you'd want made.

I was thinking the same thing, that sourcing them from far east manufacturers were the best bet.. I just don't know how best to search for them. And I do know that there at least 6 or 7 brands that are 'integrating' these bits in their own little tool kits and selling them, so I think these bits aren't really proprietary and can be purchased from manufacturer's stock.

Sounds like alot of manufacturing work tbh and idk if bits have some kind of metallargy hardening that grinding them will mess up. You’d have to make some jig that bits different bits for the drill press to make sure it’s square in the middle. And might need multiple jigs since a torx or a hex of different size bits might not fit right in the same jig.

Thanks

Im sure that these bits are for a bicycle multitool and the op wants to customise theirs, or to make a new one

That's exactly what they are currently made for, and there are a bunch of them. Just trying to find the same supplier of the bits that the other multitool brands are buying from. Thanks

Like these cycling mini tool kits - - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=bicycle+multi-tool&crid=22LN3ENUUJLVY&sprefix=bicycle+multi-tool,aps,152&ref=nb_sb_noss_1&tag=atomicindus08-20

Exactly. I'm looking for suppliers who make the bits for these tools. The brands who sell these multi-tools are not fabricating/milling these bits themselves, they're buying the bits from a supplier.

 

[WWheeler]

[...]
Exactly. I'm looking for suppliers who make the bits for these tools. The brands who sell these multi-tools are not fabricating/milling these bits themselves, they're buying the bits from a supplier.

I seriously doubt this is the case for a tool like that. Those bits and the rest of the tool are almost surely being made in the same plant.

 

[sydude]

I seriously doubt this is the case for a tool like that. Those bits and the rest of the tool are almost surely being made in the same plant.

I agree with you, there is probably one factory making all of these bits (and probably the 'frames' as well) for all of the brands selling them. And that's the crux of the issue, how do I find who the factory is?

 

[WWheeler]

I agree with you, there is probably one factory making all of these bits (and probably the 'frames' as well) for all of the brands selling them. And that's the crux of the issue, how do I find who the factory is?

If so it will be some place in China that takes commercial orders for thousands at a time. It likely won't be some place that sells individual bits retail.

 

[KnurledNut]

TELR Ent. Taiwan might be able to give you some direction.
https://www.telrtw.com/bicycle-tool

 

[Steve_P]

First off, you're not going to be easily drilling a hole in an RC 55 bit as suggested above. That's not happening on your home drill press with a typical bit.

I assume you'll have to start emailing bit manufacturers in Taiwan or China. The issue is that even if they are willing to sell to you, they're not going to make you something like 200 T20 bits for your product trial launch if they don't already make them- they're going to want to make thousands because of the time to change over the tooling. Or charge you the minimum order fee that's typical for their minimum quantity even if you don't want that many. This is just the way it goes and is why it's difficult to get parts made for rare classic cars, and why you can pretty much buy anything new for a 1967 Mustang from a reproduction parts catalog.

Maybe google translate can help with the emails to Asia.