ZapWizard's Leatherman Free P4 Mods

[ZapWizard]

I wonder if someone (Zap wink wink) could develop a little tiny area for engraving using this space.

That is a great idea! But the area would be quite small as you said, but enough space for some initials.

Here is the design I came up with. (No plans on manufacturing this, so DIY folks)


Here are some renderings I whipped up with different materials.


Stainless steel, Cermark etching


Blackened Aluminum, Laser Etched


Polished Brass, Cermark etching

[RedMango]

I mean that just looks beautiful and is exactly what I had in mind. I am a buyer of other peoples excellent craftsmanship not a maker of my own. Lol. I’d have no idea how to do that.


However, I appreciate your work on the idea. Always the best from the ZapWizard. Thanks.

[CovertPenguin]

I got the tritium vial prototypes in, and didn't have any blades even left in my P4 to install them into. (I am going to put the main blade back in)

  Thank you, ZapWizard! I eagerly await this one too. (Already have the flat bit driver, t-shank, and scalpel mods)

[Syncop8r]

Awesome mods/accessories ZapWizard. 

It would be great if there was a way to shorten the file/saw blade holder so that one didn't need to shorten the file and saw blade. 
I'm guessing the barrier to this is the screws needing to sit in the cutout and no further back?
I wonder if the file/saw could be secured another way to get around this... maybe the screws drive in from the spine instead of the face and push a wedge-shaped piece down to secure it. 

Other than that

[ZapWizard]

It would be great if there was a way to shorten the file/saw blade holder so that one didn't need to shorten the file and saw blade. 

As you guessed: If the blades were left full length then the shank of the T-Shank would end up inside the pivot point.
I did look at using set screws to bind directly against the blade, the catch here is that there isn't enough thickness in the metal for the set screw length. If tightened on a 1mm blade the screws would have had only one or two threads left to hold.
I actually didn't think about having them on the side, that might have worked but would still have something protruding. But I may look at what a side screw might do just because a new idea can sometimes open up other ideas. 

[ZapWizard]

So I received my Leatherman Ratchet. I am going to live stream the process of making the 3D model join me here in a bit:

[Poncho65]

 

 

 

[ZapWizard]

The 2 hour stream is done!

Here is the end result:

[pa_strunk]

 

[Dutch_Tooler]

Thanks for the tip, ZapWizard, just ordered a Ratchet. Looks useful 

[Poncho65]

Very nice  Watch a good deal of that live stream

[ZapWizard]

Today I sat down to design a holster for the new Leatherman Ratchet Driver. Instead ended up with these designs. (All these images are 3D renderings)

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I designed a very cool (if it works) design that will use magnets to retain the Ratchet Driver and twelve regular bits.
There is a revolver style ejector that you get started by pushing a button at the end of the handle. This allows easier access to six of the bits.
The cool part is that you can take the handle apart from the Ratchet Driver to allow it to take up less space in a bag or pocket.

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This part would be 3D printed with all the moving parts already stuck inside. Getting all the magnets glued in will be a bit tricky.

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I also designed a no-magnet option which uses friction to hold the bits and Ratchet Driver. It has a deep 1/4" socket at the back of the handle.

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Finally, the actual ratchet mechanism is hard to turn. So this little addon will increase the grip and leverage on the Ratchet mechanism.

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I don't know when I will get around to 3D printing these all up. I also still need to make a holster style design.

[Poncho65]

Now that is just plain awesome

Great work

[Syncop8r]

 

[vadsoom]

Just wow!

[ReamerPunch]

So it is true. You are a real wizard. I knew it!
That's fantastic, what a design! And the gif is also sweet.

[pa_strunk]

That is a sweet set up 

[Poncho65]

 

[Dutch_Tooler]

 

Pure genius. I had been idly wondering why you hadn't instantly come up with the appropriate holster Zap, but now I know why
When will it be available?

[ZapWizard]

Okay, now I have a holster design. Plus a bonus micro carrier. Each one can hold six bits, and the Ratchet. They should also work with the regular bit extender.
The will be available in BDU, Duty and Open Clip variants.

I had been idly wondering why you hadn't instantly come up with the appropriate holster Zap, but now I know why
When will it be available?

What happened is I started to try do a design that would surround the whole ratchet, allowing to to sort of dock into the handle, but this turned out to be very bulky. Then I realized it would work better as a handle.
I have had lots of requests for adding this to the holster designs. I will take a look at that next. However, I already have a ton of holster combinations, so I may only do the popular ones at first, and on a request basis after that.

As always I will be physically prototyping these. Shapeways shipping isn't fast, and neither is their service during Covid.  I am not sure if I will order every variant, as that gets expensive quick, especially if I have to makes tweaks.
I don't expect to sell these for 4 to 6 weeks. In 4 to 6 weeks I also may be able to print these on a FormLabs Fuse 1.... that will change everything as I will have to setup my own store and ship from home.

[MisterGizmo]

Holy Crap Zap!

Everything you do is awesome! I've been following your work with the P4 since I got mine a year ago and thanks to the convergence of my stimulus money coming and the Leatherman Ratchet being released, I took the plunge and ordered one of everything you make for the P4, should be getting the goodies from Shapeways in a week or so and I'm so excited.

It is funny that the ratchet was the tipping point but all of a sudden I saw how great the combination of your bit holder and the ratchet would make driving fasteners. Lets face it - a multitool has never been a very good way of dealing with alot of screws or bolts but we do it because we have the dang thing in our pocket and don't want to run to our toolbox to get a proper screwdriver when we just need to tighten a couple screws or get that little battery cover off of all those toys and gadgets. But now everything has changed - using a big square hunk of stainless steel to drive screws is fine if there is a nice ratchet attached and you don't have to re-grip that big square tool every half turn of the screw. I've been using the bit driver in my Skeletool with the ratchet for the last week as a proof of concept and it is great - so fast, so easy, so satisfying. And it will be even better with the P4 when I get your mods because it will be such a versatile and powerful tool.

Of course there are plenty of people dissing the Leatherman Ratchet - it's not made in America - its only guaranteed for 2 years - it blows up if you try to drive some 1/2 lag bolts into some hardwood... but come on people it's not made for that! Mine has worked great on all of the light and medium duty screw driving I've done, and more importantly it has made it fast and fun.

Anyway, I love the bit driver handle design that you couldn't resist making and am excited you may have access to a Fuse 1 so you can stop sharing the profits with Shapeways!

[ZapWizard]

I need some opinions on this.

I am hesitant to add a ratchet grip to any of my existing tool holsters because of the larger diameter of the Ratchet Tool.
Here it is attached to a FREE P4 holster, and visually it doesn't look that bad, but physically I feel it would be quite awkward.

[Poncho65]

If it were a bit more enclosed it might work (or not ) but otherwise it might end up being to bulky and catching on things as you walk by

[Dutch_Tooler]

My 2 cts: I don't think it needs to be more enclosed... it might actually work pretty well. Wore the old holster again today and I don't think the additional girth of the ratchet would disturb me. I'd be tempted...

Or, for balance, the extension on one side and the ratchet on the other. One can't fully exclude the need for both. This is the way

[Syncop8r]

Or, for balance, the extension on one side and the ratchet on the other. One can't fully exclude the need for both.

Can the ratchet do everything the extender can do? The extender might be redundant...

Ratchet on one side and flashlight on the other, for balance. 

[Dutch_Tooler]

Well, not quite everything . The extender is monolithic, hence inherently more solid than the ratchet, whilst remaining thinner and thus potentially more usable in tight spots. Plus the extender and ratchet together provide more extension of reach if needed. Not quite redundant...

[ZapWizard]

@Dutch_Tooler I am not sure there are enough customers who want to carry both for me to make that the default config.

@Syncop8r, I stay away from adding flashlight holsters as there are just way too many damn flashlights, no way to make a universal grip.
I do carry a seperate flashlight holster right next to my Free P4 holster, I just put them on together each time I head out to work. So this is why the separate holster is preferred myself.

Before I go through the process of making it fit all the multitools, I may end up just prototyping the P4 version for myself to see if it replaces my holster as the daily carrier.

[Dutch_Tooler]

@ ZapWizard,
Understood. No real harm done as I usually carry the P4 holster together with a mini Skinth holding extra tools/bits which, lo and behold, has space for the ratchet (looks more in danger of falling out than it is, as the setting knob hooks behind the cover flap).

[Happy Gilmore]

how are we not talking about this?

[ZapWizard]

how are we not talking about this?

The first I have seen this. It's a bit funny that he made the video without watching the how-to videos I published. Fortunately he caught himself on that detail. (mostly)
His video does have some good points, I didn't realize how much folks would want the 4mm over the flat bits.