At my school is a smithy. I talked to the blacksmith about my problem and he came up with a great solution.

I have a Shimano cassette removal tool, he got a nut red hot and hammered a hex key into it, then removed the hex key. The hex key is the size needed for the crank bolts.

I will get the nut, which now has a hex hole in the middle of it, welded to the Shimano tool.

I will be able to just carry the tool and the hex key, which I would be carrying anyway.

Pics when I get the welding done.

Why dont Shimano just make a hex key hole in the top anyway?

z