Modifying Socket Head Cap Screws

[rossbotics]

A couple of posts back I submitted a tool called a V-Step Angle Plate, there were three clamps made especially for holding work to different places on the plate for grinding, there are a series of 1/4-20 holes tapped throughout the plate for attaching the three clamps, the clamps have 1/4” slots milled into them for making adjustments, I originally used 1/4” socket head cap screws for the slots which was ok but I soon found out that the heads on the screws were a little too small for me, I didn’t want to put washers under the heads of the screws so I decided to take 5/16” socket head cap screws and turn them down to 1/4" and rethread them, but holding the screws by their heads in the chuck limited me how far back I could machine them without running the cutting tools into the chuck, I wanted to turn them down all the way back to the head of the screws and machine cut the threads all the way as well, the only thing I could think was to cut the bend off of a 1/4" allen wrench and chuck up the allen wrench and let the wrench drive the screws while I did my machining, probably nothing new I’m sure but worked for me, but in the same token I destroyed a perfectly good allen wrench, oh well

I have included some photos of the machining process

As always thanks for looking and happy machining

Doug

[Frank S]

Doug button head screws would have probably worked well for you their heads have a larger diameter than socket head

[rossbotics]

You're right Frank, thought of that but you know how it is when you get your mind set on something, just wanted to use socket heads cause the rest of the hardware is, but could have changed them all to buttons.

Thanks

Doug

[Kwick Aronson]

Wow. I have a whole tub of Titanium Allen, Torx and hex discards from a bolt machining company.
You just made my project of making odd motorcycle pivots and the like one heck of a lot easier.

[bruce.desertrat]

I have a metal canister full of perfectly good allen wrenches; I'm pretty sure they're multiplying in the darker recesses of my tool boxes :-) This is a neat hack.

[DIYer]

Thanks rossbotics! We've added your Allen Bolt Modification to our Machining category,
as well as to your builder page: rossbotics's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Allen Bolt Modification by rossbotics

tags: modification

[Ralphxyz]

Great idea, sure you can always buy something but you could even use larger screws, using the allen hex in the chuck was a great idea.

Now how am I gonna remember this?

Ralph

[PJs]

You're right Frank, thought of that but you know how it is when you get your mind set on something, just wanted to use socket heads cause the rest of the hardware is, but could have changed them all to buttons.

Thanks

Doug

Still a good trick using the 1/4" allen to drive it. Seems I tried this once and ran into a root diameter issue leaving a small void...but then again I once got chewed out for using a 1/4-28 instead of a 1/4-20 because I thought the engagement was critical to what I was doing and the difference in the cost of a box of them was <$1 at the time. Who knew it mattered @¿@, but then again I think Button heads are classy.

Thanks Doug!

[Toolmaker51]

Doug; a cut off hex wrench isn't wasted at all. Before T-handled hex wrenches, especially freakish long buzzards for machine repair, we did our own. Drill good quality rod closest possible size or .001 under hex size across flats, Square, chamfer and press a hex section in & bottomed out. Roughly speaking 10+ diameters depth will retain the hex indefinitely. I'll bet a couple from way back still hide out in a drawer somewhere.

[Wmrra13]

Hi,

Cool trick!

How did you hold the bolts to do the center drilling? Put nuts on and held them in the 3-jaw?

Thanks,
Tyler