DIY L Hex Wrench?

[cjn1014]

Need a bit of hand holding, just a quick run thru on making this happen:

Picked up a cheap Bondhus 8mm long handled hex driver (acetate handle), would like to modify it into an L wrench for bicycle hub use (max 30 ft/lb loosening torque). I have access to a large bench vise and either propane or oxy-acetylene setups.

What do I need to do, in terms of quenching, heat treating, and the like?

 

[Eds_tls]

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[Fcvapor05]

Need a bit of hand holding, just a quick run thru on making this happen:

Picked up a cheap Bondhus 8mm long handled hex driver (acetate handle), would like to modify it into an L wrench for bicycle hub use (max 30 ft/lb loosening torque). I have access to a large bench vise and either propane or oxy-acetylene setups.

What do I need to do, in terms of quenching, heat treating, and the like?

If you really care that much...

Heat red-hot, bend. Allow to cool in air.

Now, the important part.

Heat the bent area again until it is no longer magnetic. Watch youtube if you're unsure how to do this. Then quench in oil- peanut oil works really well, a coffee can is probably big enough.

Now the bent area will be extremely hard and brittle. You fix this by tempering.

The easiest way to temper with a torch is to file or sand a small spot on the hardened area to get back to shiny steel. When you heat the metal, the colors produced by the oxides are a good indicator of temperature- just like when you heat a piece of steel and see the rainbow of colors; each color represents an area with a slightly different temperature. What you're going for here is 350-400 degrees, the oxide at this temp will be approximately the color of straw. Flash your torch over the surface, constantly moving on all sides of the bent area, until the shiny spot reaches this light straw color. Set somewhere safe and allow to cool. You're done.

Disclaimer: I'm not responsible if your burn yourself or your garage down.

 

[cjn1014]

Thanks. Any other substitutes for the peanut oil, ATF or motor oil? I have a temp gun as well, would that be a good check for tempering temperature, in addition to color?

 

[4xdog]

...Picked up a cheap Bondhus 8mm long handled hex driver (acetate handle), would like to modify it into an L wrench for bicycle hub use (max 30 ft/lb loosening torque)...

I've had acetate-handled Bondhus hex ball drivers in 4-5-6 mm that have been part of my bike box for at least twenty years. They get used all the time and handle most torque levels I need to apply.

Maybe I'm out of it a little -- my bikes are ten to forty years old -- but what part of a bicycle hub takes an 8 mm hex wrench? I don't think I've used that on anything I've ever worked on.

Seems like a crazy amount of work to make a two-buck wrench. You'll spend more than that in peanut oil to quench the steel. Your project really doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Matt Irvine]

I've had acetate-handled Bondhus hex ball drivers in 4-5-6 mm that have been part of my bike box for at least twenty years. They get used all the time and handle most torque levels I need to apply.

Maybe I'm out of it a little -- my bikes are ten to forty years old -- but what part of a bicycle hub takes an 8 mm hex wrench? I don't think I've used that on anything I've ever worked on.

Seems like a crazy amount of work to make a two-buck wrench. You'll spend more than that in peanut oil to quench the steel. Your project really doesn't make sense to me.

I don't know what hubs the OP has, but my Profile hubs all have 8 mm hexs, 5/16 actually but they are more or less the same size

 

[Fcvapor05]

Thanks. Any other substitutes for the peanut oil, ATF or motor oil? I have a temp gun as well, would that be a good check for tempering temperature, in addition to color?

Don't use the temp gun. Very hot steel has very high emissivity which makes the readings inaccurate. Smiths have used fine color change to measure temperature for (literally) thousands of years with good results.

Also, don't use motor oil or ATF. They contain additives and will literally add them into the steel. Any type of pure food grade oil will do the job. Peanut oil has the highest smoke point of any food grade oil, meaning it is the least dangerous from a fire hazard standpoint.

 

[rick carpenter]

I'd always heard tempering should involve cooling down really slowly in a bed of sand or the like. Is this not the way anymore?

 

[rice rocket]

These are 8mm.

Not to discourage your DIY enthusiasm, but if you're like me and have way too many bikes (both bicycles and motorcycles), you owe it to yourself to pickup a set of the the Beta L-handles w/ the ball head. They're one of the only brands that forges the tips of the drivers, and they're way comfortable to use. I don't know how I lived without them before. Haven't stripped anything since I started using them (and I use the ball head a lot).

I think a small fraction of Allen's made in USA stuff is still forged, but since Apex took over, 95% of what they sell is inferior imported goods. And I think forged ones only come in T-handle, the L-handles that they do carry are imported and not forged.

 

[4xdog]

Ahh.. My hubs are all QR skewers or old fashioned nuts. Thanks guys.

For those few times where more torque is needed on a hex driver, one can always put an 8mm wrench or small adjustable wrench on the driver shaft. Bending a driver to get an "L" is still nuts.

 

[TexasT]

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/$(KGrHqR,!iwE3QhUi8nSBO!6s47y-w~~0_12.JPG

You'll be miles ahead on time if you just buy what you need.

 

[cjn1014]

8mm for Chris king fun bolts. The bondhus cost me a whopping .99, and would offer a bit more MA vs a t handle (which I own). Time is a non factor, on certain days.

 

[Fcvapor05]

I'd always heard tempering should involve cooling down really slowly in a bed of sand or the like. Is this not the way anymore?

Air cooling is enough on small parts. On large-section parts you need to use a slower method (the bed of sand is one) or you get different structures in different parts of the material.

 

[TexasT]

8mm for Chris king fun bolts. The bondhus cost me a whopping .99, and would offer a bit more MA vs a t handle (which I own). Time is a non factor, on certain days.

until you spend the time to heat, bend then snap off on the first use. Then you are out the time, the 99cts and the ****** knuckle. Time is a factor every day, you just don't see that yet.

 

[bwringer]

How on Earth would you keep from melting the handle?

 

[Fcvapor05]

How on Earth would you keep from melting the handle?

Heating a spot far from the handle, on a relatively thin section, isn't going to melt the handle. It might get warm.

 

[southalabama]

I admire your desire to build it yourself but I think you are in for trial and error.

I'd end up going thru a dozen before I got one that was acceptable and then it still wouldn't be as good as the tools offered as suggestions in the above posts.

I think you desire to build it yourself exceeds practicality in this case. If so, good luck. It's your time.

Post follow up pics and let us know what worked, what didn't.

 

[Roof]

I have king hubs as well. I found an 8 mm hex socket works better for added torque Took a 8 mm hex cut it down and epoxied to a 8 mm 3/8 socket wool ekes like a charm


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