Making a pin spanner from a crescent wrench

[pendragon1998]

My goal today is to make a face style pin spanner out of a crescent wrench, like the photo below. My general idea is to buy a cheap chinese crescent (don't want to ruin a usa made tool), center punch two points, then drill slowly with lots of fluid with a 1/8" bit in my electric hand drill (no drill press yet). For pins, I may have some 1/8" brass rod, or else, I will cut up an old 1/8" drill bit. I figured on epoxying in the pins if I don't have a tight enough fit.

Any tips for getting through the crescent wrench? I was thinking that I might should grind through the chrome layer before trying to drill. Should I begin with a bit smaller than 1/8"?

Goal:

 

[larry_g]

The idea is a good one. The picture shows dowel pins used and I would second that. Dowel pins are on size and tough. They might set you back a buck or two. I would also suggest that you get a good tight adjustable. If you can't use a cheap adjustable on every day use then having one for this project is more trouble as you will have to keep the pins in alignment to have a chance at success and not wallow out the pin hole in the fastener because the pins are akimbo.

lg
no neat sigline

 

[sberry]

Yes sir, nice idea.

 

[383 240z]

Instead of dowels, get some 1/8" roll pins. I used them as a "get me through" tool on my 4.5" grinder been there for years!!

 

[MarkG]

Pretty cool! Although if I were making one, I'd probably get the pins as close to the 'body' of the wrench as possible-----seems like any amount of 'slop' in the movable part would have less torque or effect on the sliding part then, if you know what I mean. Also, if you're going to the effort of making your own tool, you might as well get a good wrench to start with too-----'garbage in garbage out', or something like that. I'd guess a good rap on a center punch would be sufficient for hole starting.

 

[steel 35]

Thanks for sharing

 

[scooternut]

I like this idea! Would channel lock type pliers work better? Thinking out loud that they would open wider than most crescent type.

 

[Superbec]

I must make a set of those myself... wonderful idea .

I wouldn't try to drill tool steel by hand , probably it can be done but not by me.

 

[pendragon1998]

Well, I ground off a bit of the top surface of my crescent wrench, then proceeded to trash 3 drill bits on it. The jaws are probably too hard for my bits, I guess. I am taking a break to eat and think about it.

I got a length of welding rod for the pins. I couldn't find dowels at lowes. Worst case, I can stick short lengths into the part I am turning and grip them with a pair of bernard parallel pliers.

 

[retDAC]

Well, I ground off a bit of the top surface of my crescent wrench, then proceeded to trash 3 drill bits on it. The jaws are probably too hard for my bits, I guess. I am taking a break to eat and think about it.

I got a length of welding rod for the pins. I couldn't find dowels at lowes. Worst case, I can stick short lengths into the part I am turning and grip them with a pair of bernard parallel pliers.

Speaking of that which sounds a lot easier, might you fab some kind of spacer for the pins, then tape them to the spacer, then use the parallel jaw pliers?

 

[Richard Cranium]

What a great ideal.

 

[pi_guy]

The issue I see is often there is something in the center and the material in the wrench will act as an obstruction. As most open face spanners are Y shaped or V shaped being adjustable. The item that I can think of with use of open face spanner is strut and the other being a collet on a screw machine and the wrench would hit center shaft.
It is a good idea if you have an application that it fits.

 

[pendragon1998]

My intended application was for opening chucks on antique hand drills I restore from time to time. I didn't get the crescent wrench drilled today, but I did have some luck with the parallel jaw pliers, after I soaked the chuck in some 'snake juice' (50/50 acetone/ATF).

What kind of drill bit should I try for cutting that tool steel, or am I unlikely to be able to do this with an electric hand drill?

 

[AndrewDouglasBird]

The electric hand drill is not the problem, the problem is your drill bits aren't hard enough to drill through the material of the wrench. I would go with a solid carbide drill. Be careful with it though. Carbide won't bend and you will snap the drill off if you put sideways force on it.

Also, if the holes end up a little too big for a press fit, take a ball bearing slightly larger than the hole, place it on the hole and smack it with a hammer. This will smash the corner of the hole inward and create a press fit.

 

[fourjeepin]

Re: Home Depot Clearance Thread 2015

Instead of dowels, get some 1/8" roll pins. I used them as a "get me through" tool on my 4.5" grinder been there for years!!

Roll pins was what I thought about too.

 

[kbs2244]

I just bought a pin wrench at HF.
No real need.
But it was less than $5.00 and I thought I might need it sometime.

 

[bgarrett]

Any tips for drilling through the crescent wrench?

Goal:

maybe anneal the wrench?
Usually the jaws taper, so think about that so you can drill thru and have the pins true

 

[plinker]

I have seen a pair of Channellocks set up similar to the adj. wrench and the guy used roll pins (with another roll pin inside).

 

[BFBOB]

I needed to drill some tool steel, and after failing with good bits, ground a standard masonry bit to a sharp edge, and it worked very well, despite having a suboptimal profile due to the vertical face on the leading edge. Use cutting oil too - heavy cutting oil, low speed and high pressure.

 

[zkling]

Instead of dowels, get some 1/8" roll pins. I used them as a "get me through" tool on my 4.5" grinder been there for years!!

Why? dowel pins are perfect for this, hard, already chamfered, solid, consistent.

 

[RogueFab]

Holy ****, this is so simple and so awesome. Thank you for sharing!

 

[Fordguy1964]

These are less than $30 on eBay and designed for the job with no effort. I applaud your thinking and design though. I usually design and make due where I have to but when I have the time and funds to get the right tool I do. I got these for free when I found them on the ground at the junkyard. Price was right!

 

[pendragon1998]

By this point, I should have just bought one. By this point, I was feeling stubborn about this, however. Lol

I read about these Artu brand drill bits and I bought one from Amazon. It arrived today and it blew through the hardened tool steel of the wrench like a knife through butter! I previously tried 4 other bits, HSS and even a carbide tipped one, but they barely made a divot. Now I just need to fit in my pins and I am done. I am so impressed with the Artu bit.

 

[slip knot]

Very cool idea. I will keep this in mind for future projects. Great idea.