Bulk Wrenches

I don't mean sets. I mean multiples all the same size. I can make them of course, but with material, and machine time its a wash with what I have found so far. Bob La Londe

------------------------ What type of steel would you use?

For a number of applications where I like to have dedicated spanners handy I buy suitably sized DIN 894 single ended spanners that live with the equipment.

For a number of applications where I like to have dedicated spanners handy I buy suitably sized DIN 894 single ended spanners that live with the equipment.

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I buy second hand tools to leave with machines and vehicles that may need them or in the sheds out back, where they could be left outside. The candidates for making are thin wrenches which are harder to find individually and may be specific to a particular tool, such as shaft wrenches for angle grinders.

Previous wrenches made from 4140HT have been adequate. They can fail because they're a little too soft, but only when you are abusing them. I have wrenches for poet chucks that i've made and use a few times a week, sometimes every day. I think many commercial forged wrenches are a similar alloy with a harder heat treat.

I've got a mildly damaged. One of my homemade wrenches what I plan to forge down a little bit. Then remind the opening and play with heat treat. But I don't think I'll ever be set up to do bulkheat treating.

Sigh! I think google's AI is deliberately screwing with my voice to text application. There's no way what I said. Sounds like what it put down.

From time to time I make a mold for a customer, and they want a wire bending tool for wire forms to go in the mold before castings. I've made a few. Each one custom for a single application. I've also made a lot of form gages. I'm working on a design that will manage a larger array of wire forms, wire sizes, and form sizes, and still have some repeatability. Not a universal tool, but a tool with a wide range of capability. Because it will require multiple setups and some manual refinements to finish I have to look at everything including material cost.

One of the needs is to be able to easily turn the rotating assembly that forms the bends. If I design it to use a wrench I can make each rotating assembly dual use, but putting the wrench hex in the middle, and a different form/inside radius setup on each end. If put it up for sale (general intention) it needs to be able to perform all basic functions out of the box. I have to include a wrench. I could also use a tommy bar like a vise handle, but it will require another secondary operation to heat and upset or even just smash the ends or thread and install caps. A wrench can just be tossed in the box. It will not be the only tool that needs to be included, but the others are cheap. I already buy Allen style hex L wrenches by the hundreds for mold clamping screws. One goes in the package with every mold. I would prefer a made in USA wrench as it simplifies customs when exporting to some other countries, if I can just put made in USA on everything. I don't really want to tie up equipment batching wrenches, when it could be used making parts that are more profitable.

A tommy bar could be a good solution as its cheaper by an order of magnitude than a wrench, but its limited to 2 positions 180 degrees apart and may need to be relatively short to clear the mounting location of the bender. Since customers range from raw beginner to pro shops they may have limited mounting options. They most likely will either be clamped in a vise or bolted to a work bench. Personally I don't like anything permanently in the way bolted to a work bench so I tend to limit myself to only those things that can't be held in a vise. Both cases involve clearance issues and limited points of turning. A wrench gives 6 turning locations and since its easily removed and slipped back on to take advantage of those it can be much longer (and stronger) making bending of heavier wires easier.

From time to time I make a mold for a customer, and they want a wire bending tool for wire forms to go in the mold before castings. I've made a few. Each one custom for a single application. I've also made a lot of form gages. I'm working on a design that will manage a larger array of wire forms, wire sizes, and form sizes, and still have some repeatability. Not a universal tool, but a tool with a wide range of capability. Because it will require multiple setups and some manual refinements to finish I have to look at everything including material cost.

One of the needs is to be able to easily turn the rotating assembly that forms the bends. If I design it to use a wrench I can make each rotating assembly dual use, but putting the wrench hex in the middle, and a different form/inside radius setup on each end. If put it up for sale (general intention) it needs to be able to perform all basic functions out of the box. I have to include a wrench. I could also use a tommy bar like a vise handle, but it will require another secondary operation to heat and upset or even just smash the ends or thread and install caps. A wrench can just be tossed in the box. It will not be the only tool that needs to be included, but the others are cheap. I already buy Allen style hex L wrenches by the hundreds for mold clamping screws. One goes in the package with every mold. I would prefer a made in USA wrench as it simplifies customs when exporting to some other countries, if I can just put made in USA on everything. I don't really want to tie up equipment batching wrenches, when it could be used making parts that are more profitable.

A tommy bar could be a good solution as its cheaper by an order of magnitude than a wrench, but its limited to 2 positions 180 degrees apart and may need to be relatively short to clear the mounting location of the bender. Since customers range from raw beginner to pro shops they may have limited mounting options. They most likely will either be clamped in a vise or bolted to a work bench. Personally I don't like anything permanently in the way bolted to a work bench so I tend to limit myself to only those things that can't be held in a vise. Both cases involve clearance issues and limited points of turning. A wrench gives 6 turning locations and since its easily removed and slipped back on to take advantage of those it can be much longer (and stronger) making bending of heavier wires easier.

Without knowing the sizes involved... Could the supplied allen wrench be used as the tommy bar?

Depending on which end of the allen used you'd have 90 degrees worth of positions with it...

I've thought of a couple options using the allen or allens including broaching a hex into the rotating assembly itself. That might necessitate a long handled L wrench.

When I say tommy bar I mean captive handle like on a bench vise. Slide it through a hole in the rotating assembly, torch the end and smash it with a hammer or upset it by driving it into a rivet header.

A tommy bar set in a blind hole could definitely have more than two positions for leverage.

A flip flop handle like on some cheap drill press vises, and some other application might be adequate, but bending to suit might be a little more touchy feely than I would like. Your bend wire handle might work, but I see customers bending wire as thick as 1/8 inch 308 stainless. I think a stronger heavier handle might be needed. Maybe something like

A more complex mechanism is NOT desired. Maybe if I was making just one for my own use, but general intent is short production runs. Maybe

A flip flop handle like on some cheap drill press vises, and some other application might be adequate, but bending to suit might be a little more touchy feely than I would like. Your bend wire handle might work, but I see customers bending wire as thick as 1/8 inch 308 stainless. I think a stronger heavier handle might be needed.

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Those are valid concerns. I have an antique Wilkinson anvil to form the outer bend and align the bent-in ends coaxial, it would be difficult without the anvil's protruding horn and heel. I've bent 1/8" stainless rod into conical spiral wood stove door handles around a form in the lathe, the force was greater than my 3/16" handles need to withstand or would be comfortable applying.

As I mentioned before Google's AI is very biased politically and in regards to the law, but the technical side is decent.

I'll post the other parts as I make them. When its done I'll post a short video showing its operation.

Anyway, it looks like nobody has an answer for the original question. Nobody anywhere in all of America sells bulk wrenches like they do hex keys.

Anyway, it looks like nobody has an answer for the original question. Nobody anywhere in all of America sells bulk wrenches like they do hex keys.

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Here is a US maker of custom tools, which may not be exactly what you are looking for.

I make tools or even nuts and bolts when I need to get the job today. Sometimes driving to the hardware store isn't quick enough.

Sometimes making tools makes no sense at all. Years ago I bought a reciprocating saw from Sears. It cut a lot of pipe, rebar, and "stuff" over the years. A real contractor's tool. When the blade clamp broke (simple little part) I was in the middle of a job, so I just bought a Milwaukee Super Sawzall to replace it, but I never threw away the Sears saw. One day I decided it would be handy to have two reciprocating saws so I started designing a replacement for the broken piece. When I was about done with the basic modeling I decided to look online and see if I could find a replacement piece. Sears used to have the best parts department in the world after all. Sears parts department closed down even before they went out of business or reorganized or whatever the heck happened to them, but those parts still exist. I found a power tool parts seller with the exact part I needed. It was cheaper than the shipping and shipping was pretty darn cheap. I now have a medium heavy duty reciprocating saw and a heavy duty reciprocating saw.

One of the very first projects I ever did many years ago on the Harbor Freight mini lathe my wife gave me for Christmas one year was to replace the pivot bolt on a pocket knife my son had given me as a gift. My son laughed saying it was just a cheap knife, but I am pretty sure I still have that knife. It opens, locks and closes smoother than ever. Yes, you can make real parts on a POS mini lathe. Even an unskilled hack can do it if they take their time and ask for help from the fine folks on rec.crafts.metalworking. One of these days I need to make a new pocket clip for it.

I make tools or even nuts and bolts when I need to get the job today. Sometimes driving to the hardware store isn't quick enough.

Sometimes making tools makes no sense at all. ... I found a power tool parts seller with the exact part I needed. It was cheaper than the shipping and shipping was pretty darn cheap. I now have a medium heavy duty reciprocating saw and a heavy duty reciprocating saw.

Bob La Londe

--------------------------- I might make a tool for the challenge and experience of trying something new. If I succeed I have a new skill or opportunity, for instance brake repair on my car was a problem solving and learning experience. Making new and modifying a defective flaring tool led me to a source to borrow the excellent Mastercool hydraulic flaring tool.

Some progress between other jobs.

Shoulder screw (stripper bolts) shanks position more accurately and resist shear better than threads. You could use them in the clearance holes to salvage the part. It looks nice enough to complete and show off.

I used them in reamed holes to attach the fixed jaw and clamp screw mounts to the flat base of a milling vise for my 6" lathe, which lacks the power to require more solid one piece construction that I didn't have the thick steel or remaining class time to machine.

The projects that lathe couldn't handle convinced me to buy the larger Clausing mill and South Bend lathe. The 6" spins faster for deep drilling and the grinding/polishing the dealer warned to avoid on the hardened bed SB. I used it to make a miniature hole saw to free frozen screws on a mobility scooter that had been rained on.

Hydraulic gear pumps and motors are assembled from a sandwich of plates precisely aligned and clamped with hollow dowels and through bolts.