As far as why I chose to improvise with the nutty spoke wrench above...

I had the typical red/green/black spoke wrenches which did not fit. I did, however have nuts, bolts, and a welder.

As frequently occurs, I get into a bit of a crunch trying to get things put together before some deadline when unforeseen circumstances come up. Possibly throwing it together on a Saturday evening after everything closes for the weekend.

& due to some personal build choices, I had to redish the rear wheel, which also turned out to be a hassle since Shimano sizes their spokes for a specific wheel build. I got it close, but then later took it all apart again and added drive side nipple washers to pull he spokes over a bit further.

My first cut on the nut came out a little loose. A week later, I cleaned up the second cut which gives a nice snug fit, and there now is no reason to upgrade wrenches.