SEARCH FINESCALE.COM

Enter keywords or a search phrase below:

Cheap socket wrench.

1591 views
3 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Cheap socket wrench.
Posted by Don Stauffer on Wednesday, June 20, 2018 7:51 PM

I had to attach the motor mount for my Wasp engine (thread in aircraft forum) with 0-80 cap head machine screws.  In the position they were in, the open end wrench set I have would be a pain- the screw is surrounded by a lot of junk.  A socket would be ideal.  But I didn't have a set of sockets that small.  I remembered I had once made a socket wrench from aluminum tubing one time, so I tried it again.   Looked like a 1/8 inch aluminum tube would just not quite fit over the head- just right.  I had a lot of K&S tubing on the bench, so I tried it.  I took a block of MDF, and drilled a 1/16 hole in it, deeper than the length of the screw, and inserted the screw so the head was supported by the MDF.  I placed a 3" length of the tubing over the head (carefully) and gave it a few taps with my modeling hammer.  It swaged the end of the tube down over the head snuggly.  In fact, the screw came up out of the hole when I lifted the tube.  But the screw was easily removed and it looked like a nice socket wrench.  To make it a bit easier to handle, I cut a length of 1/2 inch dowel, drilled a 1/8 inch hole in one end, and rounded the edges of the dowel a bit for comfort when using it.  Put drop of CA on the end of the tube and stuck it into the dowel. I drill out the holes in the manifold where the mount gos with a drill appropriate for tapping for the 80 screw. Now, I didn't bother to tap the holes in the engine where the mounting screws go.  I figured a #80 screw like that would self-tap easily into the hole- it did.  Drove the screws with no problem.  They were brass- dropped them into brass blackening solution before using them.

By coincidence, got a new Micro Mark catalog today, and found a set of four sockets for small screws- 20 bucks for the set.  I figured I saved almost five bucks, considering the value of a three inch length of K & S tubing.

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Thursday, June 21, 2018 1:42 PM

Anthropologists think that a good measure of the advancement of a species is its ability to devise tools to achieve tasks.

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    July 2013
  • From: Chicago area
Posted by modelmaker66 on Thursday, June 21, 2018 4:24 PM

GMorrison

Anthropologists think that a good measure of the advancement of a species is its ability to devise tools to achieve tasks.

 

Are you implying Don is the most advanced ape here?

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Thursday, June 21, 2018 4:31 PM

Definitely the smartest.

 

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

SEARCH FORUMS
FREE NEWSLETTER
By signing up you may also receive reader surveys and occasional special offers. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. View our Privacy Policy.