How to make a small 1/2 ratchet

[Gmonkee]

I needed a 18mm socket in a tight area with fan belts. My big hand and a ratchet didn't fit. So I made this......it worked too.

Its a 10 mm or 11 mm gearwrench adapter. I made one of each as the 11mm gets less use and will outlast the 10mm. Not really useful everyday but saved my day at least once sofar. The comparison ratchet is my old workhorse Wurth, head size is comparable to about any common 3/8 roundhead. I hope anyone else out there may find this useful too.

Now I have them in 3/8" too. Uses the 8mm gearwrench. This is my smallest ratchet now, just waiting for the need to arise.

Brian

EDIT: if anyone else has created a similar or equal function piece please feel free to jack this thread and post it here ! I would like to see your ideas too.

 

[arkangel06]

Thats cool

 

[TheGrooveking]

As they say "Necessity is the mother of invention", very cool tool.

TheGrooveking

 

[mixxmstrmike]

Perfect example of the old saying:

"Necessity is the mother of invention."

Great work!

-Mike

EDIT: TheGrooveKing beat me to it!

 

[Teken]

What is the part number for that little plug? Simply outstanding!

 

[t100]

got some old ****** fluid around? heat it up red hot with a torch, dip it in the oil then put it in the freezer. 10 minutes later you have a heat treated, hardened adapter.

 

[tonydanzah]

Excellent work!

gearwrench sells a similar adapter but its meant for a larger wrench then 10mm

 

[blaze_125]

this is just another thread that shows why I like this place so much!

 

[OccupantRJ]

got some old ****** fluid around? heat it up red hot with a torch, dip it in the oil then put it in the freezer. 10 minutes later you have a heat treated, hardened adapter.

Not unless it's made of the proper material.....

O1 tool steel for oil hardening
A series for air hardening. This is my favorite.
W series for water hardening.
S series for high shock applications.


Then it needs to be tempered, to toughen, and to prevent brittleness..

Gmonkee, excellent solution. I sometimes cut a hex on the upper part of an old socket for this very reason. That method will get you another 7/16" or so clearance, since the wrench goes over the socket some distance.

 

[fatfillup]

Very cool!!!!

 

[Scout Driver]

Cool tool!!

Scott

 

[midnightcruise]

Now that is cool!

 

[z28snksknr]

Slick work there. I wonder how many guys here would pay good money for something like that....

 

[Joe Mamma]

Slick work there. I wonder how many guys here would pay good money for something like that....

I'd seriously consider it.

Thanks for the pics Gmonkee.

Joe Mamma

 

[Gmonkee]

It was made out of need to finish a job and 1 inch of 1/2 inch square stock. I offer the idea freely to anyone and everyone here on GJ who has helped me solve a problem, and that has happened a few times over by now.

You will need a vise, a good file and the wrench of the desired size to make one of your own. In about an hour if you leave it rough like mine are. It really is that easy to make.

Thank you GJ , please accept this as a small return on what I have borrowed from you all.

Brian

 

[isr2kba]

That's excellent! Thanks for sharing your work.

 

[mofo62]

Congratulations! Gmonkee

 

[Stick Figure]

Very useful pieces, i picked up the Craftsman set a while back for work, and then the HF set for home. Yours of course uses a smaller wrench the the sets allow for, but i've not had a problem that a smaller wrench would have solved.

 

[bchee]

looks good but doesn't exactly look that easy to make

 

[mrholeshot]

Thats pretty cool, I have the Gearwrench belt set that works off the same principle.

 

[OccupantRJ]

A hint for those people who do not have access to a milling machine for this type of project. Don't try to file things to shape in a vice, other than to rough them out. For final filing to shape, hold the part in the palm of one hand, place the file flat on the palm of the other hand and the surface to be filed, and glide the file across smoothly. Your brain will then take care of alignment variables, because your hands are already programmed to meet each other properly. Even holding the handle to file will give good results, as long as both hands are in free space. A preacher showed me this when I was a young guy on a construction job. He was also a welder, and worked a lot at a weldout table. When waiting to weld, he would drag out his file and part. He could make some of the most intricate parts with this method. It is one of the most valuable processes I have ever learned, and use it regularly in my work.

This past thread for reference.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67580

 

[Gmonkee]

OccupantRJ, this was a quickie-fix to try to get a customers car out on time and it worked. It was never supposed to be more......well, til a few days later when I refiled it to a prettier finish and better fit. Then I built its 10 mm bro just for fun on a slow day.

I am sure there are ways to get a perfect center between the hex and the square, as well as all the other fine details possible, but most of us have limited use of the proper machines. I had 4 things at the time. Time, a vise, a file and a deadline. I also find it a bit difficult to accurately hold a 1 inch by 1/2 inch square peice in my hand while filing perfect angles on the hex side, whatever that angle might be.

I have read your post on the 17mm allen you made, and I am duly impressed but you have an edge over most of us. We dream of having that type of stuff available.

For the rest of us who have limited metalworking tools in our shop, just go for it and try.
Whatever the project may be.

Like RJ's signature says " It's always easier to find a reason NOT to do something....."

Brian

 

[mrtoolfool]

Very nice, great to see how a little ingenuity can save the day.

I actually have a set of these type of adapters that I picked up somewhere along the lines. I have used them myself a few times.

The factory made ones look like this although mine are much more basic, not chromed and do not have the push button release.

One of those inexpensive items that are handy to have around.

1/4" http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/kdt231061gr.html

3/8" http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/kdt231062gr.html

1/2" http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/kdt241062gr.html

 

[OccupantRJ]

OccupantRJ, this was a quickie-fix to try to get a customers car out on time and it worked. It was never supposed to be more......well, til a few days later when I refiled it to a prettier finish and better fit. Then I built its 10 mm bro just for fun on a slow day.

I am sure there are ways to get a perfect center between the hex and the square, as well as all the other fine details possible, but most of us have limited use of the proper machines. I had 4 things at the time. Time, a vise, a file and a deadline. I also find it a bit difficult to accurately hold a 1 inch by 1/2 inch square peice in my hand while filing perfect angles on the hex side, whatever that angle might be.

I have read your post on the 17mm allen you made, and I am duly impressed but you have an edge over most of us. We dream of having that type of stuff available.

For the rest of us who have limited metalworking tools in our shop, just go for it and try.
Whatever the project may be.

Like RJ's signature says " It's always easier to find a reason NOT to do something....."

Brian

Definitely always try.
Brian, you did a good job on the tool, and I hope you did not get a wrong impression from my post about filing processes. That was just an attempt to get others reading the thread to try new processes in their attempts at making things, one learned from my own experiences. Without major equipment at one's disposal, a person has to fall back on the tried and true hand methods, which you have accomplished with your adapter. That the tool worked, and that you have pride in making and using the tool, are all that should matter. I hope that I never come off sounding conceited, condescending, or elitist, as I avoid people like that with a passion. The written word sometimes does not allow the true intent to come through. I may have more facilities than some, and less than others, but I am willing to share any knowledge or experience I have with anyone wanting to learn. I still have quite a lot to learn, myself.

Reading post #21 in the following thread, and the pic below, gives insight to how I feel about things.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=68483&page=2

 

[rockchucker]

Very nice!

The above pic is pretty cool too.

 

[woody 73]

Thanks for sharing what you made I liked it very much! Also thanks to OccupantRJ that sounds like a great tip for filing metal...

 

[Gmonkee]

Its cool RJ, it just seemed to me that your post might cause someone to not try due to complicated steps. Sometimes the basic idea is best, even if its crude.

thanks for the response.

Brian

 

[Teken]

Definitely always try.
Brian, you did a good job on the tool, and I hope you did not get a wrong impression from my post about filing processes. That was just an attempt to get others reading the thread to try new processes in their attempts at making things, one learned from my own experiences. Without major equipment at one's disposal, a person has to fall back on the tried and true hand methods, which you have accomplished with your adapter. That the tool worked, and that you have pride in making and using the tool, are all that should matter. I hope that I never come off sounding conceited, condescending, or elitist, as I avoid people like that with a passion. The written word sometimes does not allow the true intent to come through. I may have more facilities than some, and less than others, but I am willing to share any knowledge or experience I have with anyone wanting to learn. I still have quite a lot to learn, myself.

Reading post #21 in the following thread, and the pic below, gives insight to how I feel about things.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=68483&page=2

That was a great thread . . . Much thanks Sir!

 

[2LTim]

KD Tools #3414 should do what you want.
Tim

 

[oldgoat]

Was looking at HF for a ratchet adaptor and found these:
http://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece-box-wrench-socket-and-bit-adapter-set-99618.html
Another one of those deals that for the price I can't hardly go wrong. If it works one time it will have paid for itself.