Grfxman - Yet another customized WAVE, for the graphic designer

[Metropolicity]

I went to bed dreaming of what could be the best idea of my design career.

I am constantly reaching for a crazy amount of similar shaped tools while at work as a production artist/graphic designer. A cutter, an xacto blade, a precision ruler, a bone folder, pliers, some kind of sharp thing to open boxes and stuff (but not a knife so not to damage the goods).

In the midst of great the Mjölnirman, I've started ideas for Grfxman, a tool for graphic and production designers.

I've made up a silly rendering as to what I plan to add and modify.

To Remove:
1. Serrated Knife
2. Saw
3. Small Bit Driver
4. Flat Bit Driver

To Mod:
1. Bottle Opener into an awl

To Add/Mod:
1. Xacto blade holder
2. Medium size breakable blade
3. Precision Ruler sandwiched next to a Bone Folder

To Keep:
1. OHO Blade
2. File
3. Scissors

I actually can't wait to make this one, almost more than the Mjölnirman http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,28598.0.html



GET HERE FASTER TOOLS!

[Zed]

some cool ideas , but the wave does have a ruler  good luck with the mods 

[Metropolicity]

Sorry, that rule is a terrible example of the ruler I am going to put on the actual Grfxman.

I often need to measure hardware down to the 1/32 or mm so it's tough to get an accurate reading on a stamped ruler. I need to source a super thin blade holder, I may have to make one.

[enki_ck]

I LOVE the breakable blade idea. That could totally work. I saw a couple metal ones that were thin enough to fit instead of the serrated blade.

[Sparky415]

To Add/Mod:
1. Xacto blade holder
2. Medium size breakable blade
3. Precision Ruler sandwiched next to a Bone Folder

How about the blade holder from a Gerber Artifact? 

[Metropolicity]

Holy crap! Time to eBay!

[Metropolicity]

looks like I'll have to remove some material from the outside of the wave. The part that normally covers and protects the user from the serrated blade edge may have to be taken off to allow for the thumb retractor for the retractable blade, I'll leave the wall so that the retractable blade will have something to side against.

I'll pick up a quality stainless Olfa retractable blade holder tonite, mock it up that way. Pictures will be posted.

[Metropolicity]

Dang it!

So I went and mocked up the Olfa cutter I got. It would fit awesome, except for one fatal flaw.

I would have to disassemble the damn pivot to replace the blade, I am still going to go ahead with it, maybe i'll figure out some kind of quick release system or a whole new blade holder.

Minor set back.

The other blade holder, I'll have to make to hold the xacto #11 blades.

[Metropolicity]

A small bit of education, bone folders are used to score paper without cutting it. It's basically a dull something that can leave no marks and ride along a ruler. Traditionally made from bone, I made mine out of aluminum and I will finish with some sealant or get it anodized later.

I had a broken bone folder (really brittle, dropped it years ago) that I shaped to fit the out side opening saw, almost all the way through I thought, crap, this is going to shear when I try and slide it into the slot and the lock pressed up against it.



So aluminum angle it is. 1/16" angle. I milled it down to just an 1/8" on one side to keep the rigidness and also something to pull at to open.



I then shaped the head to be a dull point.



Mocking it up to measure up the 3/16 hole



Shaped pivot point, and drilled hole. Here the bone folder is hiding in where the saw used to sit (since I haven't received the donor Wave yet, I am using my own, unmodded wave to mock it up)



Here's a poor picture of the side view.



And deployed, ready to SCORE!



The next and final step for this is to shape the lock flat portion of the pivot, I will wait till I get the donor wave body since every lock is different.

[Metropolicity]

I was busy in the shop making parts for the Grfxman, and I completed another part: The #11 xacto blade holder.

Instead of trying engineer a holder, I look to the tool itself to see if I could adapt something to use. It didn't take long until I pulled the bit out of the large bit holder and saw that the bit was almost the same width as the exact blade. Even better, the interior of the bit holder had a channel where the blade could lay flat against, it just needed something to shim it..



I rolled up some cardboard and shove it in with the blade. No, this isn't the final mod, but it was a more fit experiment.



Close up, with cardboard shim. The plier head was a small concern but when I closed up the tool, the blade bent a little bit and the pliers shut. Jolly good.



I chuck up some aluminum, shaped the sides to match the profile of the driver bit. Milled out a large pin where the blade would sit, and then profiled it to slide into the driver adaptor. Finally, a little notch for the spring of the adaptor to fall into. The blade isn't going anywhere unless I pull it out.





Fits like it should, sturdy too.





Top view of the shim/adaptor



This is pretty much the same shot as above with the cardboard shim, sue me, I am anything if not thorough.



annnd one final image of the pliers closed on the newly adapted xacto blade.



______________

To Remove:
1. Serrated Knife
2. Saw
3. Small Bit Driver
4. Flat Bit Driver

To Mod:
1. Bottle Opener into an awl

To Add/Mod:
1. Xacto blade holder
2. Medium size breakable blade
3. Precision Ruler sandwiched next to a Bone Folder

To Keep:
1. OHO Blade
2. File
3. Scissors

[Sparky415]

MPC,

Its great to see this evolve before our eyes 

Thanks 

[Zed]

nice work MPC 

[Metropolicity]

Thanks everyone, more to come. I am trying to make bits each day or at least try and solve a problem each day before the real donor Waves come in the mail. It'll just be a drop in once that happens.

[AHB]

Great thread, great pics and ideas, but is there any chance you could resize the pics a bit when posting..? 
(I like to keep updated on my HTC.. )

[Metropolicity]

Agh. It's a factor is using my phone and then uploading them to my FTP. One more step? C'mon

[AHB]

Agh. It's a factor is using my phone and then uploading them to my FTP. One more step? C'mon

But-but there's no room for putting Pic heavy in the subjectline..

[Metropolicity]

Alright, I'll upload them to somewhere and resize em before posting. Jezzzz..way to make me work MORE.

Soon, the Grfxman will be up and running, I am testing the Xacto blade today at work in my Charge AL.

I have a defunct Charge ALX on the way that will have a donor bit holder for this mod for the final Grfxman.

[AHB]

Alright, I'll upload them to somewhere and resize em before posting. Jezzzz..way to make me work MORE.

Naah save your strenght for your workshop buddy, I'll live.. 

[Metropolicity]

The Xacto Blade mod at work

Looks svelte on a black Charge AL.

[Metropolicity]

So yah. Huge project, no time.

Why not. Made a logo

[Tofty]

i have to say that is a really good mod, simple, allows quick tool swapping and best of all requires no modification (damage) to the origional tool.
Unfortunately the replaceable blades i've found in my kit vary a great deal in shank width between 5.5mm and 6.1mm with the best fit being at between 5.8-5.9mm.
So much for standardisation.
Just checked the swann morton scalpel blades but they're a bit too big, they could be used with a too sided holding adapter as they fit into the holder but not against the side wall.

[Metropolicity]

I found that the Xacto brand #11 fits as well as Excel (cheap brand) will fit too. I only have one pack but they seem to work.

Watchout for the '2 sided' clamp holder. I actually needed to press the blade up against the right side of the bit holder to allow for the pliers to close. One more MM to towards the center and the pliers won't close.

I am working on the retractable blade tonite.

[Metropolicity]

Ok, after SEVERAL failed prototypes and a cut left palm, I've given up trying to add a retractable blade. The successful xacto blade will have to do, I also can reach for the dedicated retractable blade I keep at work.

I did order 3 straight pry bars so I think I am going to replace the serreated blade with it instead. You never know when you need a pry bar

[J-sews]

So far so good. I really like the exacto knife add

[Metropolicity]

The postal strike here in Canada has killed productivity. All my parts and donor bodies are being held hostage.

All I want us to make a tool for work, why won't you let me Universe. WHY!?

[Ombudsman]

Karma maybe ?   

[Metropolicity]

I was using the aluminum bone folder at work for the past week and I found two problems.

1. It flexed a little and had the potential to be bent.
2. it left a faint aluminum trail on thick, texture paper

Solution, use stainless steel.

I went the dollar store, and picked up a couple of cheap table knives. Ground it down, added a thumb stud for one hand open. I threaded a 10-24 Robertson head machine screw (a little bit of Canada) and ground that down and milled it flat, finished off with some super glue to make sure it not going anywhere.



Oddly enough, the words 'stainless steel' remained after I shaped it. Totally unintentional.









The mail is moving again but I doubt I'll get parts for sooner than a couple of weeks due to the backlog, maybe it's different for packages, who knows.

Next up, making an adaptor for some special Olfa SK-7 low profile utility blades.

[Threeme2189]

I like Robertson screws a lot more than those darn hex screws.
Every hex screw I touch gets stripped and the hole becomes round.

[Metropolicity]

After an exhaustive research, I finally found a suitable utility blade that is the right side to build an outside, OHOing blade holder. The Olfa Sk-7, used for a self retracting safety blade holder is .5 inches wide and 2 inches long. Two, symmetrical blade ends will extend the life of each blade (got 4 packs for the future). This tool will mainly be used for cutting foamcore or thicker card. The exact blade on the inside of the tool will be for finer work.

I called a friend for a favour, and he ordered direct for Acklands Granger and boom, two days later, I had them in my hand.





The blade tucked inside, I need to build the holder for this, I'll probably use the handle of the butterknife I hacked up for the steel bone folder or the 2nd butterknife. Going camping this weekend so no work will be done to this, unfortunately. At least I have the blades.



As for a reminder of the project, this will replace the serrated blade (not so useful in a studio environment). I'll save that for later, who knows if I need it to replace a broken one later.

To Remove:
1. Serrated Knife
2. Saw
3. Small Bit Driver
4. Flat Bit Driver

To Mod:
1. Bottle Opener into an awl

To Add/Mod:
1. Xacto blade holder
2. Medium size breakable blade
3. Precision Ruler sandwiched next to a Bone Folder

To Keep:
1. OHO Blade
2. File
3. Scissors

[J-sews]

Looking good! Nice job with the table knife mod