Square Nut Socket?

[Richard D]

I have a 5/8" square shaft to lift the knee on my milling machine. I'd like to do a budget "power feed" with an electric drill. I can't to use an eight point, the corners on the shaft are chamfered too much. Either 3/8" or 1/2" drive will work.

 

[38Chevy454]

12-point socket?

 

[WildwoodChuck]

Are you asking for square socket? I have plenty if you need some

 

[Richard D]

Are you asking for square socket? I have plenty if you need some

Yes, to turn a 5/8" square nut. Not eight point or twelve point, square or four point I guess you might say. One that I can drive with a 3/8" or 1/2" air ratchet.

 

[jkwilson]

Yes, to turn a 5/8" square nut. Not eight point or twelve point, square or four point I guess you might say. One that I can drive with a 3/8" or 1/2" air ratchet.

3/4" 12pt will work fine.

 

[BillK]

Richard,
All of the major tool manufacturers sell square drive sockets, and I don't mean 8 point. I have at least 5 of them, probably not as big as 5/8 but I am sure they make them. Look in the Snap On catalog.

 

[WildwoodChuck]

Sorry all I have are 8 and 1 Snap-on 1/4" pipe plug socket. But if an 8 point will work hit me up.

 

[WildwoodChuck]

On second thought I do have a buddy who has access to a machine shop.

 

[Richard D]

Eight point won't work. I found only Apex with a Google search, but the part number was no good. Maybe I'm using the wrong search criteria?

 

[larry_g]

When I needed a square deep socket for a shaper handle I ended up taking a piece of shafting, milling a U channel down the middle and a flat on the open end of the U. I then welded a piece on t he flat and hence a square hole in the bar. Turned the outside to clean up the OD and then put a handle on the closed end.

So that is how I made a square deep socket. In your case you could weld on a socket to get the 1/2" for the drive. If you do this I found that by boring the opening of the 5/8" back a bit it made the engagement to the shaft much easier.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Spareparts]

Can you relieve the corners of the 5/8" square to allow you to use the 8 point socket?

 

[Richard D]

The corners are already heavily relieved, that's why an 8 or 12 won't work. I'll keep looking for a square socket. I have WAY too many other projects to take the time to make one.

 

[carcajou]

Seriously? Grind down the 4 flats on you square shaft to the next size 8 pt socket.

 

[Richard D]

Seriously? Grind down the 4 flats on you square shaft to the next size 8 pt socket.

Then the handle won't fit. I'll find a socket, thanks all.

 

[619DioFan]

Then the handle won't fit. I'll find a socket, thanks all.

can you use a pipe plug socket ? they are for square fittings. also a spline drive socket would work.

 

[Richard D]

Bingo! I found one for five bucks.

 

[rsanter]

Don't they or didn't they make 5/8ths drive stuff at one time
If you can get a 5/8 drive socket and then weld a 1/2 socket to it you would be set

Also, look at granger and ENCO, I though they sold material that was round or hex on the outside and square on the inside

Another option, get a 5c collet with the square hole and adapt it as needed to what you want to make

Another option yet
Find another machine crank handle or machine wrench with the correct square drive in it and cut the part off you want

Bob

 

[fxgmech]

Bingo! I found one for five bucks.

Where, pls?

 

[Richard D]

http://www.toolsource.com/drive-fem...=CIyVidXXuLoCFc9i7AodqkAAbg&sourceid=googleps

The key was searching for "pipe plug socket".

 

[Richard D]

It came today, raises the knee of my mill just fine with the cordless drill. Surely worth the five bucks.

 

[Harrison2]

could have got some 5/8ths square tube section and welded it too a old socket...

 

[marinusdees]

Talk about a tempest in a teapot!!!!!!!

 

[ChevyEFI]

Eight point won't work. I found only Apex with a Google search, but the part number was no good. Maybe I'm using the wrong search criteria?

Apex 5620 is good. ApexBits.com is good to look through.

 

[Richard D]

I got my square socket a couple days ago, works a treat. Thanks for all the replies, problem solved.

 

[nine4gmc]

Post up your mod, sounds interesting!

 

[Richard D]

All it is, I slipped the handle off the mill's knee, chucked up the socket on my cordless drill, and use it to raise the knee, lazy-man style. No permanent modification, literally takes seconds to do.

 

[supermerle]

I believe what you need is a set of what they call 6-point sockets. Hard to find but I know sears can order them for you. I had a friend who was a mechanic before he went back to school to be an engineer and he had set and they worked great on all of then square head plugs they used on old tractors.

 

[nine4gmc]

No, he needed what is called a 4 point socket, or pipe socket in which he already found and has working now.

Thanks Richard, for some reason I imagined a permanent mounted drill motor setup and all you needed was the missing link... I would like to find some 12v garage sale drills to attempt it on one of my machines.

 

[supermerle]

If you look at a six point socket they form a perfect square that fit on pipe plugs great. This may not be what he's looking for but a six point fits over any thing square?

 

[Richard D]

If you look at a six point socket they form a perfect square that fit on pipe plugs great. This may not be what he's looking for but a six point fits over any thing square?

Don't you mean 8-point?