toolbit holding problem

[Mike Minto]

on my tools which use replaceable tool tips that are held in place with a screw (hollowmaster, jamieson and the like) i often find the hex head in the screw getting rounded, or rounding the allen wrench tip when tightening down. any suggestions on how to avoid this, or have you guys replaced these screws with a more long-lived, reliable type of driver/socket/whatever? thanks, mike

[Gary Conklin]

Blow the set screw out with compressed air to make sure the Allen head fits snug to the bottom.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Blow the set screw out with compressed air to make sure the Allen head fits snug to the bottom.

That's exactly what Lyle Jamieson advises in his video about his hollowing tool.

[Mike Minto]

yes, thanks, guys, i have done this; it's probably just normal wear on the screws, but do you all have any alternative to screws with hex caps which might work better? mike

[Gary Conklin]

Ken. Funny thing about that, huh?

[Steve Harder]

And when needed, take the allen key to a grinder and cut it down to an unrounded section. But just making sure the sawdust is cleaned out is the key.

[Mike Minto]

Funny thing about that, huh Ken?

gary, don't understand this - ?. mike

[Rob Cunningham]

Mike,
Make sure you are using a good quality wrench. A lot of the lower priced sets are made from poor quality steel and will round over without too much force. Allen, Bondhus, and Eklind, are three brands that I have used for years without any complaints.

[Mike Minto]

Mike,
Make sure you are using a good quality wrench. A lot of the lower priced sets are made from poor quality steel and will round over without too much force. Allen, Bondhus, and Eklind, are three brands that I have used for years without any complaints.

thank you, Rob, I will look them up. mike

[Richard Madison]

And be sure you are not using the wrong (undersized) wrench. This will round both the wrench and the hex socket. There seem to be many closely spaced sizes, so it is easy to grab one that is a hair too small. I keep three dedicated wrenches in the tool rack at one end of the lathe to avoid having to hunt for the right size.

[Bill Mitchel]

I understand the need for using a set screw for clearence issues but when they use button head screws with allen heads i just dont get it. Why use one of these that almost always strips out or you have to have keep blowing it out (if you have a compressor), and it strips anyway. Why waste time fighting with it. I went down to Ace hardware and replaced them with hex heads and just use a small wrench. Works pretty good

Bill

[Mike Minto]

I understand the need for using a set screw for clearence issues but when they use button head screws with allen heads i just dont get it. Why use one of these that almost always strips out or you have to have keep blowing it out (if you have a compressor), and it strips anyway. Why waste time fighting with it. I went down to Ace hardware and replaced them with hex heads and just use a small wrench. Works pretty good

Bill


bill, i think i'll try the hex head idea; i did get some 'cap head' bolts, i think they're called, but they stick out too far. if i need to, i suppose i could grind the hex-head down a little bit, for clearance, too. thanks, mike

[dan tull]

SAE vs. metric?

[Mike Minto]

SAE vs. metric?


dan, how would that matter? mike

[Scott Conners]

A metric wrench will often fit and look right in a SAE hole (and visa-versa), but will be just a hair too loose and the sharper angle (at the point the corner hits) softens corners, which leads to slipping. I've had a nice set of Husky brand (home depot house brand) that have served surisingly well over the last few years (in day to day use). It really helps to have the complete range of sizes (SAE & Metric) in one case at hand - you never need to doubt the fit, you can just check.

On set screws which are flush or near flush, I've often taken a dremel cutoff wheel or a coping saw to the head to make a slot for a screwdriver. As long as the screwdriver's head is the proper width, it's far more reliable.

[Chris Rae]

+1 on what Scott said about SAE and metric. If you're not using the correct one, eventually it will round over. DAMHIKT