WGB

I got a small collection of these and can't identify all of them. I have to use three posts as only allowed 10 images and not 18.

The first two are Atom tools (or at least Atom compatible) so they were easy enough.

Unknown 1 and 2

The next two both came in early Shimano 333 containers but are slightly different shapes and lengths and when placed end to end the splines don't line up. Each has 12 splines. No name stamped on either tool.


Dusty but good




Unknown 3

This is similar to Unknown 1 and 2 except it has shorter splines and wider spaces between splines. It also has 12 splines. No name stamped on tool.

WGB

Unknown 4 and 5

These two have both interior and exterior splines. The left side tool is about an 1/8th inch shorter than right. Left side tool has tapered splines and right side tool has straight splines.




Tool 6 and 7

These two are both double pin tools. They are different heights and diameters. The larger being stamped Marked "Cyclo Registered Design Made in England". Smaller has no markings.Both shown togetherat end with "Sturmey Archer" tool 8.

** Per Unworthy1 Tool 6 is a Cyclo that fits a 2-prong Regina.

Tool 6

Marked "Cyclo Registered Design Made in England"







Tool 7

No markings


Tool 6 and 7 together showing size differences

WGB

Tool 8

This tool was described as being a "Sturmey Archer 3 speed tool". It was stored in a very worn box though described as unused. I have no experience with these and when I search Sturmer Archer freewheel tools this is not what I find.......




Tool 9

Bertinjim guessed this is a TDC Continental tool and flipped me a photo of a TDC Continental freewheel. My question would be, since the tool comes with three prongs and the actual freewheel has four prong holes, was it designed so that in a pinch you could use a two prong tool???

unworthy1

You certainly have some stumpers and quite the collection! I thought I had all there were but clearly was only playing the "top ten". All I can say is the Cyclo (no.6) fits a 2-prong Regina AFAIK

EDIT: To add some more thots: I have some notion that this Cyclo (England) tool might also fit SOME other brands, maybe early Shimano, Everest, Maillard, Atom and SunTour, BUT having tried this on 2-notch Sun Tours I had it strip or mangle the FW badly enough that I bought a genuine SunTour 2-prong remover with much better results (these prongs are slightly wider and the curve a more exact match). Now I own several of them (can't hurt to have spares and spare-spares, right?) YMMV but if the fit seems even a little loose, don't risk it.

WGB

@unworthy1 - Thank you and you just reminded me!

If you know the tool, please say what it fits. That way I can cross reference if someone needs a tool for a specific freewheel.

Vintage_Cyclist

Unknown 1 and 2

I have 2 Shimano FW removers. Both are 12 splined. One is from the 1980s and the raised splines are narrower than the later version, which works on their modern freewheels.

Tool 6

I also have a Shimano 2 prong tool, for early Shimano FWs. The prongs are narrower than the similar Suntour one. If I'm not mistaken, it also used to work on some Regina FWs. This is possibly an equivalent.

Tool 9

That looks like a TDC. I have one of those by Bicycle Research and TDC did make FWs with 3 prongs at one point.

ramzilla

Wow. Very cool. They look like they were hand made. Very subtle wrench flats on some of them. I know from experience that old Shimano freewheels from the early 70's used a smaller splined tool than newer models. (I loaned out my old 70's Shimano freewheel tool & never got it back). So, the first couple pictures look like the old style Shimano & the newer style. The one with two small nibs is a Suntour remover. I don't have a clue about the rest of them. Be good. Have fun.

repechage

4&5 are variations on an Maillard / atom freewheel tool the big diameter tool is best used with an Atom tool to prevent collapse at the wrench flats.

The Sturmey archer tool is not a freewheel tool at all but a tool to fully take apart a Sturmey hub. And the similar tool with the knurling is for Shimano 3 speed hubs.
The Sturmey tool would be sought after by the 3 speeders. If nothing else to boast that they have it.

WGB

repechage 4&5 are variations on an Maillard / atom freewheel tool the big diameter tool is best used with an Atom tool to prevent collapse at the wrench flats

I didn't see that coming! Just tried it with an Atom 5 speed freewheel and works very well!

Some might indeed be hand made. I had to borrow Bertinjims Atom remover, now I have two. Not sure I'll ever see a TDC Continental in the flesh tho'

daka

If you collect obscure freewheels and want to try your three prong remover, I can send you a TDC 14-28 that I have but will likely never, ever use.

Dave

oneclick 

Please measure 1 and 2 - if they are about 19mm valley-to-valley and 20mm spline-to-spline they might be for the very old Shimano small-spline FW. Bicycle research made one : CT4.

I know all this because I'm looking for one.

martl

I can relate (and contribute) to the confusion...

steve sumner

the C in TDC stands for cross. the continental is but one model. popular in England but rarely seen here.
in 50 yrs. of bike wrenching I've only used mine once. but it looks cool on my tool board and stumps most people.

tiger1964 

That makes more sense than Top Dead Center. BITD, always TDC tools in the bike shop collections but I do not ever recall removing a TDC freewheel with them.

unworthy1

Thomas D. Cross (and sons) of Birmingham. They had quite a few items (Headsets, BB unit and Freewheels) they called "Continental". Were out of business by 1980 (started in 1926 ?)

WGB

@daka - Sending a PM

@oneclick - 19mm valley-to-valley and 20mm spline-to-spline

Why God, couldn't they have agreed on one standard. I'd be happy if they had one standard in each company. I bet there are a lot more weird ones out there. That one, 2nd from bottom on left, that @martl posted, with super short splines is just asking to slip out when you torque on it and any of the two posts were a bad, bad idea.

Schreck83 

WGB, I've run into 2 TDC freewheels in the last 2 years, both on 1970's vintage bikes. One was on the rattle-canned Raleigh Gran Sport you spotted in Kenmore and the other was a 1976 Takara. The coop didn't have that TDC tool and after an old socket converted into a 3-pronged remover failed, the Dremel tool roared to life. The freewheel survived but it isn't pretty.

WGB

^^^^^
Laughing at the thought. When we get pissed at a part we get pissed.

juvela

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regarding tools number 4 and 5, the internal splines are the to accept an Atom spanner -







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TDC, Thomas D. Cross & Sons Limited of Birmingham -

the reason the gear block in your photo has provision for a two-dogg tool is that it is quite late production

earlier TDC gear blocks lack this feature and can only be removed with the three-dogg tool

the TDC removal tool from Bicycle Research Products of Concord California -





-----

WGB

@juvela

That lever attachment was a nice trick. I seem now to use a standard adjustable wrench (or a special Park Tool adjustable wrench) these days, but I bet if I stumbled on one of those Atom levers I'd probably grab it.

thumpism 

The large dark one with the stepped edge is a ballring tool for use on three-speed hubs when disassembling the hub. This permits you to unscrew the ballring from the shell.

JohnDThompson 

TD Cross is still in business, just not the bicycle component business. They still manufacture gears and conveyors for industrial applications.