sk sockets

[TOOL FANATIK]

I wonder what the differences in tolerances are in drive tools and wrenches from one manufacturer to.another. for instance I notice sk and even some proto sockets are sized exact, so if your bolt head is even slightly disfigured, you'll have a heck of a time putting your sockets on and pulling them off. But the same bolt, different socket, say Williams, it goes right over it....hmmm.

 

[PureLeaf]

This might be a start for you:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=73245

 

[TOOL FANATIK]

Thanks pure leaf. Although looks like that comparison was focused on contact/pressure points on the fasteners. I think i'll get my hands on some feeler gauges and compare different sockets....i'll post my findings.

 

[PureLeaf]

Right. The reason I think it addresses your question is that different companies may use different tolerances to allow different parts of the fastener to apply pressure to areas of the bolt head. So for instance the Koken Surface Drive are known to fit very sloppy as part of their design in how they apply pressure away from the points of the bolt's head.

So the tightness of the socket or looseness is not particularly important as much is the overall functioning design and if that looseness or tightness is intentional/integral to how that design works

 

[TOOL FANATIK]

idk; usually they put technology into the sockets to accomplish force apllied to the flats rather than the corners, helping to eliminate rouned fasteners. these technologies vary from manufacturer to manufacturer; some used recessed edges, others have flats that are proud and convex; if that makes sense... but maybe another technology would be to oversize the socket....it does make sense..interesting. sk seems to leave absolutely no room for even a bur! i love it because theres no chance of rounding your head and you get the feeling that youre getting the maximum force applied from an sk socket. but then again, if youre not working on brand new equipment, a locking extension or adapter is a must because they get stuck easily!

 

[Wakefield]

Generally the belief is that the better tools have less slop and tighter is better unless something doesn't fit or gets stuck.
Some unusual sockets might be designed to engage a fastener while the socket is already running on a machine,say,on a robot assembly line.
Was Bonney "Loc-Rite" the first engineered shape that was supposed to grip better but had rounded corners? I have only seen those in 12 point.
In 6 point I think only the corner is supposed to have extra room in the newer designs,the distance between parallel flats is not supposed to be any greater if I remember reading something in a Wright catalog

 

[TOOL FANATIK]

Agreed. i am curious what the top US manufacturers put into the machining of their 6 points. snap-on, proto, sk,mac, and so on. do they have a tolerance say +/- a certain thou for one mfr.; and does that tolerance expand or shrink from one elite mfr. to the next, or do they all maintain the same process and quality? i did watch the video of the epstein tour to the SK plant. that was the most up close ive seen as far as manufacturing the tools we use everyday, as well as the "how it's made" episodes on history channel. i bet i could find out for sure by emailing those guys.

 

[Wakefield]

"Cold forged" "Hot forged" "broached" "powdered metal" cast and then machined?
I guess there are a lot of ways that the sockets are made and perhaps the processes that make the strongest sockets might not make the best looking ones--unless a further operation of polishing or something cosmetic is added
-Does one socket deform more at the wall points of maximum pressure/out of round than another one when reefed on?-or is this so insignificant as to not be a consideration?
Sharp corners might have been attractive places for cracks to begin-I think some Bonneys might have had a slight radius or chamfer too small to see without magnification to the corners even before the days of the visible rounded corners
some brands although great when new might wear faster than other when used thousands of times particularly in impact duty?

 

[Joe B.]

Also keep in mind that the fastener industry has standards regarding dimensions including width across the flats. Some fasteners will be loser than others even though the both meet the spec. Socket mfg. need to make their sockets large enough to fit over the largest end of the range. The question is only how much over they go. I'm not aware of an industry standard for sockets.

 

[TOOL FANATIK]

good point. the socket mfg needs to have their tolerance range wider than the fastener mfg.