Shop Made Tools

[Dan Dubeau]

Nice job on the clamps ATW, welcome to the forum.

[Yondering]

Here's a really simple one, nothing special at all except that it's made from a valve stem left over from my Jeep 4.0L engine rebuild.
It's just a simple 1/8" pin starter punch; I cut the head off the valve then drilled and profiled it to make a punch. The other end of the stem seems to be about the right hardness for a light duty punch. My intent is to make more of these as I need them; 1/8" is what I needed this weekend.

[BCRider]

ATW, Welcome to the forum as well! And I gotta say that you did a great job on the hold down clamps.

I hadn't really considered that the little heels would leave a mark on the mill table for my own idea. I'll be watching for that and at the first sign of any issue I think I'll be doing something similar to your idea.

For small angular differences the 1/2 of the spherical washers in a V countersink will work just ducky. But if you really want to use this same setup again in the future perhaps find a larger ball end mill to cut the spherical socket first and buy the "cone" washers in the size of the cutter?

[BMW Rider]

I made a packable tool for chain adjustments on my new motorcycle.

I did not have a 34mm wrench or socket among my tools so I went and picked up a 1/2" drive deep impact socket with a plan to make two tools from one. First step was to cut the deep socket down into a shallow size, then using the cut off ring, I made a wrench to pack on the bike. I turned a stub handle and welded that to the ring, then made a two piece aluminum extension handle for it. I also needed the torx bit for the adjuster bolts and landed on the idea of just adding it to the same tool. I cut down a bit and welded that to the wrench as well. Happy with the outcome I tested it out and was satisfied with a successful chain adjustment. Later I had an idea to incorporate a measuring device into the knurled handle by cutting marks at 10mm spacing for measuring the slack.

I'm installing a Givi tool box to the inside of the left pannier rack so I can carry this wrench and a tire repair tools and such. I also plan to refinish the steel part of the wrench with a fresh black oxide finish. The socket is remaining in my shop for at home adjustment.

[chip's]

Nice job, great idea.

[thaiguzzi]

Nice job, great idea.

+1.
Neat tool.
But why do manufacturers use a Torx screw in that enviroment?
Chain adjustment?
surely allen head or a plain hex is so much easier and longer lasting.

[Dave C]

Good idea and a great job. I'm with thaiguzzi on the torx screw.

[BCRider]

I agree with you guys on the Torx thing. But that's BMW for you. I had a Beemer in the family for a few years and in so many ways it was a superb bike with excellent design features. But here and there on it were things that just made me shake my head....

[BMW Rider]

Yep, BMW has adopted the Torx as the standard for all their fasteners. I'm suprised they didn't figure out a way to make the axle nut a Torx.

[Yondering]

+1.
Neat tool.
But why do manufacturers use a Torx screw in that enviroment?
Chain adjustment?
surely allen head or a plain hex is so much easier and longer lasting.

Quite the opposite on allen heads lasting longer actually. In my experience with allen head bolts on bikes, they tend to round out when things stick (hard use environments and all that). Replacing them with Torx heads has always been the better solution with no downside; you're much more likely to get the bolt loose without rounding out the socket head.

[thaiguzzi]

Quite the opposite on allen heads lasting longer actually. In my experience with allen head bolts on bikes, they tend to round out when things stick (hard use environments and all that). Replacing them with Torx heads has always been the better solution with no downside; you're much more likely to get the bolt loose without rounding out the socket head.

We'll agree to disagree, no probs.

[rcaffin]

I had real difficulties removing some steel hex Allen-head bolts with button-heads from aluminium panels: They had seized in place. The socket on a button-head is so much smaller than on a conventional 'square' head. (I will add that I was not responsible for using the button-heads, and that I have since replaced them with the 'square-head' versions with anti-seize on the threads.)

Anyhow, the point I wanted to make was that several Chinese allen keys failed with the button-heads. The keys were loose to start with, and they rounded their corners in the bolts. (The bolts were not Chinese ones!) I had to resort to WD-40, soak time, and Bondhus allen keys - plus some grunt, to get them out. I suspect the Torx drivers would be a whole lot stronger and more effective.

Cheers
Roger

[tinkertoy41]

What was the reason for the key on the bottom of the up stands??

[Bented]

All screw head drive designs were developed for ease of manufacturing.
As technology evolved it became possible to produce hexagonal socket head fasteners economically which allowed automated assembly. As time passed and automated assembly became faster every year the hex socket drive became less economical due to tool damage requiring frequent production stops for tool changes.

Textron developed the Torx drive in the late 60's to reduce this. A Torx drive has a far higher permissible torque then a hex socket drive of equal size.

This of course had a downside as often happens in manufacturing, the increase in drive torque allowed a decrease in fastener head size and drive socket size.

[The Metal Butcher]

I agree with you guys on the Torx thing. But that's BMW for you. I had a Beemer in the family for a few years and in so many ways it was a superb bike with excellent design features. But here and there on it were things that just made me shake my head....

+1.
Neat tool.
But why do manufacturers use a Torx screw in that enviroment?
Chain adjustment?
surely allen head or a plain hex is so much easier and longer lasting.

I'm not sure I understand the hate? Other than needing the tool, torx is a wonderful fastener. Yes, all of us machinists love the fit of a quality allen in a quality socket-head cap screw. But on (human-power) bikes and stuff, they often have lower quality fasteners that get adjusted a lot, under high-tension, being adjusted with worn, low quality wrenches. They strip all the time. In these cases, torx is the superior fastener.