Super Easy Tool Tube

[Gypsyangel]

Made a Tool Tube for my bike today. It was SUPER easy and now frees up space in my luggage.

Taa Daaa (it's down by my skid plate)

http://bluelghtning.smugmug.com/Motorcycle-Odd-Ends/Forums/Tool-Tube/Picture-048/868827475_C432q-L.jpg

This can be made with 3" PVC, however, everyone's reports said 4" was better. It can also be mounted in dozens of other places, this is just where I chose to put mine.

Tools:

Metal file

Flat head screw driver

Shopping List

4" PVC cut to 14" in length (usually comes in white or black)

4" Wingnut Test Cap

Pipe clamp (I bought 6"-7", but 4"-5" worked for me)

Optional

right angle bar 1 1/2" x 1' (I used this to mount to my crash bars)

1" pipe clamps (To mount bar to crash bars)

Krylon Indoor/outdoor Paint

How to:

I got everything I needed at Lowes. They'll even cut the PVC for you, so no need to break a sweat.

The PVC comes in white or black. I bought white because it was cheaper and I could paint it. In hind sight, the black would've been easier. I also bought a 5' section of PVC as it comes in either 2' or 5' lengths and I needed atleast 2, 14" sections.

As you can see, I have enough PVC left to make 2 more if I want.

http://bluelghtning.smugmug.com/Motorcycle-Odd-Ends/Forums/Tool-Tube/Picture-001/868803748_DhARB-L.jpg

After they cut the PVC, it will be rough where it was cut and have a bunch of burs hanging off of it. This is what the file is for.

http://bluelghtning.smugmug.com/Motorcycle-Odd-Ends/Forums/Tool-Tube/Picture-005/868805726_TTvg9-L.jpg

Some people use screw on Test Caps but they require and extra piece be glued on and they have a tendency to unscrew themselves. The wing nut test caps are easier and have less failure. Basically as you tighten the wing nut, it forces the rubber seal inside to expand and both locks it on the tube and creates a water tight seal. You could always glue a cap on one end, but I wanted to be able to access my tools from either side.

I only found them in red.

http://bluelghtning.smugmug.com/Motorcycle-Odd-Ends/Forums/Tool-Tube/Picture-003/868804825_z4bJd-L.jpg

To paint them, they disassemble very easily:

http://bluelghtning.smugmug.com/Motorcycle-Odd-Ends/Forums/Tool-Tube/Picture-008/868807179_gvsGP-L.jpg

The pipes will be dirty, clean them real well. I used Dawn followed with Simple Green as an extra degreaser. I painted everything black, but I doubt it'll hold up very well. Like I said, in hind sight, just buy the black pipes.

http://bluelghtning.smugmug.com/Motorcycle-Odd-Ends/Forums/Tool-Tube/Picture-024/868814634_q4BsC-L.jpg

Reassemble after painting. Just place the test plugs in either end and tighten them down.

http://bluelghtning.smugmug.com/Motorcycle-Odd-Ends/Forums/Tool-Tube/Picture-028/868816872_3QBTC-L.jpg

Now find an appropriate spot on your bike. You'll need a grab bar, crash bar, section of frame or handle bar to attach to. Use the 4-5" pipe clamps and tighten them down with a flat head screw driver. I used the extra bracket just to lower the tool tube a bit.

I used 1" pipe clamps to attach the bracket to the bike's crashbars,

http://bluelghtning.smugmug.com/Motorcycle-Odd-Ends/Forums/Tool-Tube/Picture-036/868819763_GqVR6-L.jpg

then a 4-5" pipe clamp to attach the tool tube to the bracket.

http://bluelghtning.smugmug.com/Motorcycle-Odd-Ends/Forums/Tool-Tube/Picture-042/868822208_8AvpE-L.jpg

Still plenty of clearance for the front tire:

http://bluelghtning.smugmug.com/Motorcycle-Odd-Ends/Forums/Tool-Tube/Picture-046/868825083_y55qU-L.jpg

There ya have it. A tool tube so easy, a caveman could make it.

http://bluelghtning.smugmug.com/Motorcycle-Odd-Ends/Forums/Tool-Tube/Picture-047/868826325_ZYEhv-L.jpg

[Bryce]

I keep a 1/2 liter Nalgene bottle of oil and some other tools that I don't mind losing if it walls of while I'm running down the road. I wrapped my tube with reflective vinyl and kept the red caps read (the Stand Clear message on the caps makes people wonder WTF I have on my bike). I used 3" on mine since 4" had been reported to rub on KLRs

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj18/bbeyler/tat09/P5220002.jpg
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj18/bbeyler/tat09/a8fa3627.jpg

[Seca]

Soooooo...can we try to mount a potato gun to your bike?

[Gypsyangel]

Soooooo...can we try to mount a potato gun to your bike?

That would be awesome!

[wallypiper]

FYI, "black" PVC is probably schedule 80 or it's actually ABS instead of PVC. There's nothing wrong with either but there's more than just a color difference. Schedule 80 has thicker walls than schedule 40 (white) and is actually dark gray in color. Because of the wall thickness it would have less room inside than white Schedule 40 PVC. ABS may be black. It requires a different type of cement if you're using any cement to make the holder, although there are some universal cements on the market.

Not to threadjack or take away from your project, which looks great. Just to clarify that the color of plastic pipe is not cosmetic but rather is used to easily distinguish different types of pipe. That said, I would not put anything past the Home Depot. They may have found some chinese manufacturer that WILL make PVC pipe in different colors for them but looking at a couple of commercial pipe manufacturer's catalogs, it's not something "normal" in the pipe market.