Leatherman Bit Holder

Keep those bits safe.

A few days ago, I realised I had lost the bit for my Leatherman Surge. It’s annoying, but I have ordered some replacements. I’ll be getting a total of four double-ended bits, or eight drivers in total.

The replacement bits do not come with any carry case, so I decided to design and print one. I have a third-party extension bar, so I thought I would allow room in the holder for quarter-inch hex bits.

I created the design in Fusion 360 and based it on one I found online. There was a remix for two and three-layer holders, so I wasn’t concerned about the extra thickness of the hex bits.

The Fusion 360 design.

The final model was output as a 3MF model.

Slicing in PrusaSlicer

I did have a couple of failed prints due to bed adhesion. I did the final print with a skirt that touched up against the model.

The 3MF model in PrusaSlicer

The print was with eSun PLA with a 0.2mm layer haight.

The 3D Print

The final print did have an adhesion issue and lifted at the ‘handle’ end of the model. This could be for various reasons, but as the print turned out functional, I didn’t reprint it.

The result was what I was after. The hex bits were tight to start off with but loosened up when pushed (forced) through a few times. PLA is probably not the best material to use, and TPU would be better.

Hex bits fitted in the holder.
The holder, with bits, in the Surge case.

I have yet to receive the replacement bits, but I expect them to fit as the model was based on another.

Notes

  • There was some shrinkage in the print. I did have to expand the hex slots in Fusion 360, but that was to be expected. PLA shrinkage is from 0.8 to 3%.
  • Printing horizontally deformed the hex slots. This is possibly due to shrinkage.
The deformation of the hex slots.