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Baggies with labels? Donations to good will? Leave then all mixed up and unsorted? Ideas?
Ed
Lots of loose allen wrenches
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Lots of loose allen wrenches
I'm starting to collect allen wrenches from around the shop. Hard to believe I have so many loose ones. And, who knows how many more are lurking??
Perhaps I could try and organize them, most I think will be fractional so when I get my new calipers this could be a project. But what to do with them after that, how do I organize them? I know a couple of my sets are missing a wrench or two so I can fill those in but I think I will still have a nice pile left over.
Baggies with labels? Donations to good will? Leave then all mixed up and unsorted? Ideas?
Ed
Perhaps I could try and organize them, most I think will be fractional so when I get my new calipers this could be a project. But what to do with them after that, how do I organize them? I know a couple of my sets are missing a wrench or two so I can fill those in but I think I will still have a nice pile left over.
Baggies with labels? Donations to good will? Leave then all mixed up and unsorted? Ideas?
Ed
{Knight of the Shopsmith} [Hero's don't wear capes, they wear dog tags]
Re: Lots of loose allen wrenches
I personally would make 1 good set (2 if you have ever needed 2 at the same time), and then donate the rest. The one exception is the "Shopsmith toolbox" size. I keep at least 4 attached to the SS itself so I always have one.
-Beave
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ERLover
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Re: Lots of loose allen wrenches
I shared a shop with a guy like that with A wrenches, I spent so much time sorting through them, in my shop I have the T handle ones, red handled for US, Blue for Metric, one day I got so pissed digging through his, tossed them, went to HD, bought a set and solved that problem!!!! 
Thats what he said
Thats what he said KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE EQUALS WISDOM. Albert Einstein
The Greatness officially starts
Greenie, Grayling, SS stand alone BS and BS SPT, jointer and belt sander, 3 Ers with Speed Changers. I think those 3 cover my ER needs, and space for them.
The Greatness officially starts
Greenie, Grayling, SS stand alone BS and BS SPT, jointer and belt sander, 3 Ers with Speed Changers. I think those 3 cover my ER needs, and space for them.
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ERLover
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- Posts: 3914
- Joined: Mon Aug 31, 2015 10:19 pm
- Location: Greenie and Goldie Country not to metion the WI Badgers!
Re: Lots of loose allen wrenches
Do want to save some free A things, or just go to the source and save time????? 
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE EQUALS WISDOM. Albert Einstein
The Greatness officially starts
Greenie, Grayling, SS stand alone BS and BS SPT, jointer and belt sander, 3 Ers with Speed Changers. I think those 3 cover my ER needs, and space for them.
The Greatness officially starts
Greenie, Grayling, SS stand alone BS and BS SPT, jointer and belt sander, 3 Ers with Speed Changers. I think those 3 cover my ER needs, and space for them.
Re: Lots of loose allen wrenches
Had the same issue. From Harbor Freight I bought one metric and one imperial set that came in red plastic blocks that are drilled and labeled for each wrench. It keeps them organized and since they are all together, it makes it harder to lose them.
I gathered all the loose Allen Wrenches I had acquired over the years, tossed them in a big plastic zip log bag, and dropped them in a drawer and forgot about them. Mostly common sizes (probably have half a dozen 1/4 inch ones) but I can't bring myself to put them in the trash.
In other Allen Wrench related news, I spent 10 minutes yesterday dressing a couple that had become rounded over, including the T handle one that resides on my Shopsmith. A couple of passes on the belt sander using the miter gauge to keep it square was all it required. What a difference it made.
I gathered all the loose Allen Wrenches I had acquired over the years, tossed them in a big plastic zip log bag, and dropped them in a drawer and forgot about them. Mostly common sizes (probably have half a dozen 1/4 inch ones) but I can't bring myself to put them in the trash.
In other Allen Wrench related news, I spent 10 minutes yesterday dressing a couple that had become rounded over, including the T handle one that resides on my Shopsmith. A couple of passes on the belt sander using the miter gauge to keep it square was all it required. What a difference it made.
Gale's Law: The bigger the woodworking project, the less the mistakes show in any photo taken far enough away to show the entire project!
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ERLover
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Re: Lots of loose allen wrenches
algale, too many Martinis, but all I buy now are only the balled end ones, I know that is not the right term, but they are good at a 30* angle.
I am sure JPG will correct me on that
I am sure JPG will correct me on that
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE EQUALS WISDOM. Albert Einstein
The Greatness officially starts
Greenie, Grayling, SS stand alone BS and BS SPT, jointer and belt sander, 3 Ers with Speed Changers. I think those 3 cover my ER needs, and space for them.
The Greatness officially starts
Greenie, Grayling, SS stand alone BS and BS SPT, jointer and belt sander, 3 Ers with Speed Changers. I think those 3 cover my ER needs, and space for them.
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JPG
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- Location: Lexington, Ky (TAMECAT territory)
Re: Lots of loose allen wrenches
I will take yer word fer that.ERLover wrote:algale, too many Martinis, but all I buy now are only the balled end ones, I know that is not the right term, but they are good at a 30* angle.
I am sure JPG will correct me on that
I ain't got none!
Funky "A" wrenches that is.
.°.°.
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╟JPG ╢
╚═══╝
Goldie(Bought New SN 377425)/4" jointer/6" beltsander/12" planer/stripsander/bandsaw/powerstation /Scroll saw/Jig saw /Craftsman 10" ras/Craftsman 6" thicknessplaner/ Dayton10"tablesaw(restoredfromneighborstrashpile)/ Mark VII restoration in 'progress'/ 10E[/size](SN E3779) restoration in progress, a 510 on the back burner and a growing pile of items to be eventually returned to useful life. - aka Red Grange
╟JPG ╢
╚═══╝
Goldie(Bought New SN 377425)/4" jointer/6" beltsander/12" planer/stripsander/bandsaw/powerstation /Scroll saw/Jig saw /Craftsman 10" ras/Craftsman 6" thicknessplaner/ Dayton10"tablesaw(restoredfromneighborstrashpile)/ Mark VII restoration in 'progress'/ 10E[/size](SN E3779) restoration in progress, a 510 on the back burner and a growing pile of items to be eventually returned to useful life. - aka Red Grange
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Ed in Tampa
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- Location: North Tampa Bay area Florida
Re: Lots of loose allen wrenches
How do you like them? I look at them but I worry about rounding out the allen screw/bolt.ERLover wrote:algale, too many Martinis, but all I buy now are only the balled end ones, I know that is not the right term, but they are good at a 30* angle.
I am sure JPG will correct me on that
I have tons of Allen wrenches, some hex, some star, some with reverse tapered stars.
I have always wanted a Allen wrench set like those sold at Harbor freight but I was worried they were built cheaply and would end up making more work than solving any.
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ERLover
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- Location: Greenie and Goldie Country not to metion the WI Badgers!
Re: Lots of loose allen wrenches
@ Ed>
How do you like them? I look at them but I worry about rounding out the allen screw/bolt.
Per Wikipedia, I may have been misinformed.
Some hex keys have a ball on one end, which allows the tool to be used at an angle off-axis to the screw. This type of hex key was invented in 1964 by the Bondhus Corporation,[10] and is now manufactured by several other companies.
While providing access to otherwise inaccessible fasteners, thinning of the tool shaft to create the ball shape renders it weaker than the straight-shaft version, limiting the torque that can be applied. The tool also makes point contact with the fastener as opposed to the line contact seen in the straight style tools.
How do you like them? I look at them but I worry about rounding out the allen screw/bolt.
Per Wikipedia, I may have been misinformed.
Some hex keys have a ball on one end, which allows the tool to be used at an angle off-axis to the screw. This type of hex key was invented in 1964 by the Bondhus Corporation,[10] and is now manufactured by several other companies.
While providing access to otherwise inaccessible fasteners, thinning of the tool shaft to create the ball shape renders it weaker than the straight-shaft version, limiting the torque that can be applied. The tool also makes point contact with the fastener as opposed to the line contact seen in the straight style tools.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE EQUALS WISDOM. Albert Einstein
The Greatness officially starts
Greenie, Grayling, SS stand alone BS and BS SPT, jointer and belt sander, 3 Ers with Speed Changers. I think those 3 cover my ER needs, and space for them.
The Greatness officially starts
Greenie, Grayling, SS stand alone BS and BS SPT, jointer and belt sander, 3 Ers with Speed Changers. I think those 3 cover my ER needs, and space for them.
Re: Lots of loose allen wrenches
I have tons of all the above. As for the wobble(ball end) allens, I only use them when absolutely necessary! They don't have the same volume of contact area.
I still prefer the old school "L" shaped or the "T" handle style... Full wrench contact with the fastener!!!
Mike
I still prefer the old school "L" shaped or the "T" handle style... Full wrench contact with the fastener!!!
Mike