Wayne Davidson of New Zealand asked for examples of homemade bike tools.
1. Hardwood seat lug wedges. Some may remember this posting from August. A one-inch oak dowel was cut in two longitudinally at a slight angle from center to form a pair of wedges for opening up an out-of-round seat lug. It beats prying the ears apart with a screwdriver. The wedges push uniformly in one direction from within the lug, without flaring the opening or damaging paint. Below is a link to some photos. I have one or two extra sets of wedges, if anyone wants one.
http://www.flickr.com/
2. Bike storage rack. Not exactly a tool, but I mention it anyway. I doubt I was the first to make a wall-mounted bike storage rack using closet rod-and-shelf brackets available at your local home improvement store. Position the brackets 16 inches apart (to match typical spacing of wall studs) and make and attach a little plywood shelf on top. The shelf keeps the brackets squared up and provides storage for your helmet, etc. Wrap or sleeve the hooks to cradle your bike's top tube, or slip a piece of foam pipe insulation around your top tube for protection. Screw the rack to the wall at whatever height suits you, or make two and put one high and one low.
John Hurley
Austin, Texas USA