# Hook wrench



## Janger (Mar 14, 2020)

I'm working on a hook wrench. This is version 1 for my small tool vise. Yes I know I can buy one but where is the fun in that? 

Work holding was a bit tricky so shoulder bolts and a threaded work holding bar did the trick.


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## Janger (Mar 14, 2020)

Second try at engraving worked better. First try was with spotting drill (top), dry, 2000 rpm. Second try bottom) was with 0.063" ball end mill, 5000rpm and coolant. I think feed was about 4" / min. Looks much better. I need to make another one. The engraving came out of the CAM cycle in Fusion 360. It was trivial to setup. amazing.


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## PeterT (Mar 14, 2020)

Nice John. I'll have to look at my offshore 5C collet block. I think it has a similar radial hole in the tightening ring. I always assumed it was some kind of obscure pin wrench. Been using my pipe wrench with hockey tape :/

Speaking of obscure, another wrench application is to remove the cover plate from typical Bridgeport mill spindle. I had to make myself a woody... because I couldn't insert a tool into the mill spindle to make a wrench...because I didn't have a wrench to remove the cover plate... (sung to the tune of There's a Hole in The Bucket Dear Liza...)


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## francist (Mar 14, 2020)

Hey, I just bought one of the same style vises yesterday! Haven’t even had a chance to use it yet but was already thinking of something along those lines. Yours looks great.

-frank


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## Janger (Mar 21, 2020)

francist said:


> Hey, I just bought one of the same style vises yesterday! Haven’t even had a chance to use it yet but was already thinking of something along those lines. Yours looks great.
> 
> -frank



Frank - what diameter is the handle wheel on your vise?


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## PeterT (Mar 21, 2020)

A while back I looked around the internet for a cheapo hook  pin wrench corresponding to my offshore 5C collet block nut. Strangely they don't seem to be nearly as prevalent as the tooling itself which is odd. Lots of ER wrenches, not as many for this kind of system. And the ones I saw were not exactly cheap anyways.

This isn't pretty but I think I'll give it a shot. It basically has the quarter round contact area for my knurled nut size & a 3/16" pin that would be set in with Loctite. The handle holes are mostly cosmetic  as I think a bar of 3/8" aluminum would be fine, but the thought was to mount the blank on face plate to make the round section & those locations would be temporary bolt attachment locations.


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## RobinHood (Mar 21, 2020)

@PeterT , I needed a pin spanner for the exact same purpose as you. I had some from a tool buy. None of them fit very well. So I modified one.

This one was made from a section of tubing with a handle welded on. I used the mill and held the spanner in the vice. I roughed it out with a 1 1/2” end mill and then used a boring head to get the correct diameter.






Good alternative to use a face plate and the lathe; never thought of that.


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## francist (Mar 21, 2020)

Janger said:


> Frank - what diameter is the handle wheel on your vise?


Just a skinny over 1-1/2” , like 1/32 over which is probably due to the knurling. Six holes around the circumference. Was thinking of something along the lines of RobinHood’s to save cutting out of plate but haven’t made it past the “thinking about..” stage yet 

-frank


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## PeterT (Mar 29, 2020)

If I had a metal 'glue gun' like RobinHood I probably would have made something very similar - a welded handle on a much smaller head piece to make practical use of materials.

I made a woody prototype yesterday from 3/8" ply just to prove out the fit of my uni-bar design. A 5mm pin seems to fit the nut (just held in with CA glue) & the leverage feels about right. Now I just need to apply stain, clear  & 7 coats of fine furniture polish LOL.

BTW I'll do a separate post on these collet blocks. Mine have required some TLC. The dog point set screws they include for the collet slot are hopelessly oversize. I actually bought some (M5 dogpoints) & turns out they are better but still not great, at least relative to my 5C collets. I have a plan so will address that when the time comes.


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## Janger (Mar 29, 2020)

Wrench attempts 1-4 and number 5.


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## Dabbler (Mar 29, 2020)

-- you've been busy!


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## John Conroy (Mar 30, 2020)

Those are very nice Janger, much prettier than my version.


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## Tom Kitta (Mar 30, 2020)

I just use quick collet closer ... I guess not a member of cool wrench club.


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## PeterT (Mar 30, 2020)

The collet closer is good but the cross pin mechanism prevents stock from extending through the back side, so basically only good for short parts unless you can reconfigure to have some support on the opposing end.

The knurled nut is OK but another PITA factor is there isn't much datum material between the edge of the block & OD of the ring, like to get a parallel in there if standing the block upright with collet facing upward. There's always a workaround like getting parallel partially under one corner but would be better if the block was just a tad bigger IMO.


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## Alexander (Mar 31, 2020)

Cool spanner wrenches @Janger @RobinHood and @John Conroy.
Hey @Janger you are going to need a wrench drawer to hold your many wrenches. I remember you made a few er40 wrenches. The er40 wrench was pretty cool too!


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## Johnwa (Mar 31, 2020)

While we’re showing off our tools.  Mine is bigger than yours! Haha


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## PeterT (Mar 31, 2020)

How is it we all are making our own. Let’s incorporate Hook Wrenches R Us. Maybe a better question is why hadn’t China been stamping these out for 5$ each. ER & similar wrenches are everywhere but no 5c collet wrench and no Bridgeport spindle cap pin wrench.


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## John Conroy (Mar 31, 2020)

I want to know why the collet block sets don't come with a wrench


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## PeterT (Mar 31, 2020)

I’ve seen some but they are certainly not the norm


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## Johnwa (Mar 31, 2020)

I got a wrench with my R8/ER32 milling adaptor.  Fortunately it also fits my collet block and collet chuck.
Here‘s my collection.


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## eotrfish (Mar 31, 2020)

I use this articulated pin spanner for my 5C collet blocks - works just fine.





It's part of my pin spanner collection...





These are available from most machine supply houses including McMaster-Carr - both fixed and adjustable varieties.


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## PeterT (Mar 31, 2020)

Thanks for showing those. I did see a style like yours in a tool supplier & also Amazon. I think they are a better principle & more universal size range. More moola of course.
https://www.amazon.ca/Williams-WS-476-6-Piece-Adjustable-Spanner/dp/B002FHK8VC?th=1

I seem to recall the one I saw at ?KBC? had a pin diameter that didn't quite match what I required. I guess slightly smaller pin might be ok but larger would be non-starter. Maybe if a guy borrowed their hinge principle for a homebrew handle & made a set of threaded pins in diameter gradations. Project # 172 on my list LOL


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## PeterT (Mar 31, 2020)

Apparently a guy can spend a lot of money on a SS set. Crazy.
https://www.steritool.com/set-5-pc-adjustable-stainless-hook-wrenches-7/8-22mm-9-1/8-231mm.aspx

On the other end of the spectrum, some knockoffs with ...wait for it... threaded insert pins!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/6pc-Adjust...653944&hash=item3d2290a341:g:ytUAAOSwYyZdd222

I think eotrfish finally gave me the proper name they are known by


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## Tom O (Apr 1, 2020)

I saw that type at transmission supply.


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## Alexander (May 28, 2020)

I am taking this wrench making idea to the next level. I have made a few different sizes to fit my different collet chucks.


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## Tom O (May 28, 2020)

Nice


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## Janger (May 28, 2020)

Really nice. What material is that? Stainless? Looks like a really nice finish too.


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## Janger (May 28, 2020)

@Alexander please tell us more about those machined tabs and how you did that. Fusion? Then what? Hack saw? how thick are the tabs? How strong are they during the milling?


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## Alexander (May 28, 2020)

Fusion actually has a really good tab option. I usually put just 4 tabs on a part this size. Make them .2" wide and .04 or .05 thick. These tabs are only .02 thick. When the part is done I just tap it with a hammer and it will fall out. I finished the edges with a belt sander. The material is aluminum because that is what i was able to salvage from the scrap bin. Some steel would have been nice but I didn't have enough.


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