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Tips/Techniques Making the Square Drive hole in a custom socket.

Tips/Techniques
Susquatch said:
I didn't realize 2" sched 40 pipe was so close to what I need.
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I didn't either until I looked it up; I'll bet that's what Volvo (or whoever came up with the tool) started with.

Susquatch said:
This approach kinda matches my current thinking. I'm quite used to using fasteners to make things where others would simply weld.
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I had a stick welder back in the 80's and got pretty decent with it (that's what an angle grinder is for, right?). Needed to downsize for a period of time and my usage didn't justify the space (it went with the 3' x 3' x 5/8" steel table I salvaged after the Hershey Virginia plant was built: mover's weren't happy when I returned to Pennsylvania; also salvaged a pair of cables that had been discarded because maybe 5' on each end were buggered up: cut the bad parts off and the Utilities Engineer and I each took one; he used his for the hot lead since he worked on big stuff and I cust mine in half so had electrode & ground cables).

Susquatch said:
Machining a hex onto a plug is easy peasy. I likely wouldn't use M6 though. 1/4-20 or 28 is more my style. Q_@151
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I was just trying to be metric friendly ;)
 
ChazzC said:
I didn't either until I looked it up; I'll bet that's what Volvo (or whoever came up with the tool) started with.


I had a stick welder back in the 80's and got pretty decent with it (that's what an angle grinder is for, right?). Needed to downsize for a period of time and my usage didn't justify the space (it went with the 3' x 3' x 5/8" steel table I salvaged after the Hershey Virginia plant was built: mover's weren't happy when I returned to Pennsylvania; also salvaged a pair of cables that had been discarded because maybe 5' on each end were buggered up: cut the bad parts off and the Utilities Engineer and I each took one; he used his for the hot lead since he worked on big stuff and I cust mine in half so had electrode & ground cables).


I was just trying to be metric friendly ;)
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Had a fella that was supposedly working for me, who was grossly way more experienced a welder than I, and he filled me in on a couple details.

The main one, was, "The job isn't finished until it has a coat of Black Tremclad on it!", followed rapidly, by "You can hide a lot of sins under a coat of Paint!".

This guy had spent 25 years as a welder in various industries, before joining the Canadian Forces. His experiences included shipyard, as well as underwater welding. And, he was willing to share, provided one was willing to learn (surprisingly a couple guys in the shop actually dressed him down when he tried to point out how things could be done better!) Their loss, my gain!
He let his initial contract run out, and went off to welding in a machinery shop in Fort Mac, where he worked two weeks on, two off, and made rather more money than the CF paid him, as well as having LOTS of time to go fishing when he was out of camp! CF's loss....

And yeah, even when I had access to a press and broaches for making square holes, we welded a lot of sockets on to special tools, as it was cheap, simple, and effective. Weld a plate across the end of a tube center whatever socket is handiest, on the plate, and run bead. Cannot recall ever having a comeback... And my memory was better then, too! :P
 
Ok, all you guys. I want to use my new to me shaper. Got that?

SHAPER GOOD! WELDER BAD!

If not, I'm still not welding, I'm installing a plug with three or four 1/4" screws and a machined 1" hex cap on it. I know how to do that. It would look and perform great! Probably better than the original.

If not, it's getting a 1/2" through bar. I know how to do that too.

I am NOT gunna weld it. NO WELDING! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!

I really really really want to use my new to me shaper! What does the ideal square hole tool look like? How is shaped? How much do you nibble at a time? How do you do the final passes? How do you know when to stop? For that matter, how do you set a stop point? Or do you just stop it? Is there a nibble pattern? Is the tool two sided? Is there a similar lathe or milling operation I can build on. LOTS AND LOTS OF SHAPER QUESTIONS. This should be a great easy chance to learn about shaping.

So,.......... can all you guys please stop welding up my butt crack and please learn me about shaping square holes.
 
Susquatch said:
This approach kinda matches my current thinking. I'm quite used to using fasteners to make things where others would simply weld.
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Oops, forgot to hit "Post!"

Additional thoughts on fasteners and other approches to welding, specifically to add a square drive so that a ratchet (or torque wrench) can be used for an opperation:

Reported here on the "Southern" Forum (before I joined CHMW). A lot of folks either broach a square hole in the pinion shaft of their arbor press, or weld a cut-down socket to the shaft; since I almost always do something more imaginative (easier? peculiar? wacky?), I picked an appropriately sized socket and milled hexes on the pinions of my 1/2T & 1T presses, using my D. Gray Indexing Plates (currently on sale, no affiliation!):

Milling the 30mm Hex.jpeg



I used a 30mm socket on the 1T and a 15/16" socket on the 1/2T to minimize the amout of material to be removed:

Both Arbor Presses w Ratchets rfs.jpeg

Also picked up 3/8" & 1/2" sockets on sale at HF.


Slightly OT, but related – can't find where I posted this arbor press modification, but here it is:

20250324 Arbor Press Hand Wheels rfs.jpeg

The rachet is nice while applying pressure, but the hand wheels make it a lot nicer to move the ram quickly (appologies for the poor camera angle, but can't move the vises or the 1/2T press until later this year)


Definitely OT Side Note: I searched my MBA for "arbor," "arbor press", wheel" and "hand wheel" and only found the photos related to the hex drive. Then I opened Photos, where virtually all of my pics are stored; still didn't find what I was looking for, but the latest MacOS (Sequoia) uses AI and found pictures that had wheels and wheel like objects (even though they weren't named), and also found a pic that included this (highlighted by the Photos app):

20250324 Photos Search Handwheel.png

I don't know whether to be impressed or scared.
 
A square hole is needed for mounting the tool on that must have shaper accessory, the one for internal cuts. Of course you could just buy one of those cheap 3/4" BusyBee boring bars and weld it on a clapper bracket. LOL.

For a broach, I was thing of grinding an end of HSS tool blank like those mortise drills.I have some but I prefer using a plunge router and loose tenons. A die grinder for the larger sizes and air pencil grinder for the smaller ones. You can dress the stone to the shape.
 
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Susquatch said:
Ya, I'm pretty sure those are for wood. I don't think I've ever seen one for steel. But it's worth a look.
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Can you grind a round end on one end of a 3/8" piece of hss on your surface grinder? If so put a slight dish on a squared off end at the other end and give each side enough relief to clear the work piece through its range of motion. Put that in a holder similar to the one I made and nibble away at the corners until you hit your layout lines..... It's kinda like an etch-o-sketch of days gone by. ;)
@Dan Dubeau put up a pretty good sketch of what I would use, probably with an adapter for the existing tool post that I made....
Your love for hss makes you a perfect candidate for a shaper. :p
 
Susquatch said:
Also, apparently you have TIG and know how to use it. Which excludes me from your thinking.

But ya, definitely looking for an excuse to use a shaper.

SWMBO - WTF is that new machine you got?

HWMO - It's a Shaper honey! I needed it to make that custom propeller wrench for our son. You know, the wrench he had to borrow because he couldn't afford one of his own! It's for that new 200ft boat he got for his wife and our grandkids.

SWMBO - OHHHH! That new machine of yours did that! Well it's about time you bought something useful! I'm getting very tired of all the stuff you buy for this stupid farm you know!

HWMO - I know, but don't forget that the farm let's me write off the machine I got to look after our son's family.

SWMBO - OK, I didn't think of all that. It turns me on when you do stuff for the kids you know.

HWMO - Ya, I can be pretty thoughtful when I try.

SWMBO - You wanna?

HWMO - Again? :rolleyes:
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I'm just guessing, but I think this conversation only ever happens in your head. (except for the first statement from SWMBO)

And I don't know what your drivers licence says, but are you 17 y.o? ("again") ;)
 
Tomc938 said:
I'm just guessing, but I think this conversation only ever happens in your head. (except for the first statement from SWMBO)

And I don't know what your drivers licence says, but are you 17 y.o? ("again") ;)
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Most of your guessing is off, but you got half my age right. Just swap the 1 for another 7.

Helping one of my boys with his car right now. Wife is giving me "that look" again .......
 
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