4 point sockets

[Macduf]

Were these factory made or a modify by previous owner? Looks like the four corners were hand made. Sizes are 3/4,7/8,5/8

 

[cmandp]

Factory made or made by someone that had the equipment to broach them. That broaching is done by drilling the appropriate size hole followed by the square broach. The 2 vertical lines in the middle of each side is what is left from that drilled hole.

You have to drill a bit over size otherwise you will be trying to cut on the complete periphery of the broach all at once. It will take a lot more force and cause a lot more wear or breakage of broaches.

 

[engineer2]

Would be useful for those railroad/utility lag screws in the other thread or square-head pipe plugs.

 

[VinceG]

They make 8 point sockets for square plugs. I have some craftsman and Snap On ones https://shop.snapon.com/categories/674912

 

[Bob-B]

Williams made both 4 point and 8 point back in the really old days. I picked them up dirt cheap over the years at swap meets.

 

[californiaHank]

Pipe plug sockets - both 4 and 8 point are not as common as they once were, but I'm pretty sure that the 'majors' - Snap-on, SK, etc., still make both.

 

[cherrybomb]

Williams and Blackhawk both make excellent pipe plug sockets.

 

[bugnut]

Perfect for square nuts on older farm equipment, I have the 8 point in my toolbox.

 

[Parrothead]

Perfect for square nuts on older farm equipment, I have the 8 point in my toolbox.

Thanks! I knew I’ve run into square nuts over the years, but couldn’t put a finger on where. Father in law has a farm. Confusion eliminated.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

Besides old machinery, you find square headed bolts and nuts in heavy timber framing. Old fashioned set screws use square heads. In industry, they are frequently used as pusher bolts for adjustment. In the small sizes, they were once very commonly used on stove bolts. I pick up any I find.

 

[Bob-B]

These days, I use them mostly to drive taps that are too big for my largest tap wrench. I use an 8 or 4 point socket with a sliding t-handle.