Hi All;

I need to make a special 'box end' wrench for a particular job I do
frequently. It's not complicated, overall dimensions would be about
1.25" X 6" X 1/4". One end would have the special shape machined in, and
the other end would have a 3/8" square hole for a 3/8" ratchet. Regular
mild steel deforms with regular use, so I lose the good fit on the
fastener after I've used it a couple of times. I want to use some
tougher stuff, but I'm not sure what would be best. 4130 hardened and
tempered after machining?

Pete
--
__
Pete Snell
Royal Military College
Kingston Ontario


The reasonable man adapts himself to the world;
the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.
Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
- George Bernard Shaw

"Pete Snell" wrote: I need to make a special 'box end' wrench (clip)overall
dimensions would be about 1.25" X 6" X 1/4". (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
These dimenstions sound familiar. Is this for a wood lathe by any chance?

I'd probably use 1095, and draw it to a spring temper (blue) after
hardening. I wouldn't buy anything fancier than 1095, unless for cosmetic
reasons (ie stain resistance or something).

Adam Smith,
Midland ON

(BTW you didn't teach high school at Thornlea Secondary back in the '70s,
did you?)

"Pete Snell" wrote in message
...
Hi All;

I need to make a special 'box end' wrench for a particular job I do
frequently. It's not complicated, overall dimensions would be about 1.25"
X 6" X 1/4". One end would have the special shape machined in, and the
other end would have a 3/8" square hole for a 3/8" ratchet. Regular mild
steel deforms with regular use, so I lose the good fit on the fastener
after I've used it a couple of times. I want to use some tougher stuff,
but I'm not sure what would be best. 4130 hardened and tempered after
machining?

Pete
--
__
Pete Snell
Royal Military College
Kingston Ontario


The reasonable man adapts himself to the world;
the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.
Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
- George Bernard Shaw

I have heard that the best wrenches are made using steels containing
vanadium. I usually use 1045, 4140, or S1, just because that's what I
have laying around. I only heat treat things when they are going to get
rough treatment. Usually, I forge to rough shape and machine the
important dimension.

Pete Stanaitis
----------------------

Pete Snell wrote:

Hi All;

I need to make a special 'box end' wrench for a particular job I do
frequently. It's not complicated, overall dimensions would be about
1.25" X 6" X 1/4". One end would have the special shape machined in, and
the other end would have a 3/8" square hole for a 3/8" ratchet. Regular
mild steel deforms with regular use, so I lose the good fit on the
fastener after I've used it a couple of times. I want to use some
tougher stuff, but I'm not sure what would be best. 4130 hardened and
tempered after machining?

Pete

"Pete Snell" wrote in message
...
Hi All;

I need to make a special 'box end' wrench for a particular job I do
frequently. It's not complicated, overall dimensions would be about
1.25" X 6" X 1/4". One end would have the special shape machined in, and
the other end would have a 3/8" square hole for a 3/8" ratchet. Regular
mild steel deforms with regular use, so I lose the good fit on the
fastener after I've used it a couple of times. I want to use some
tougher stuff, but I'm not sure what would be best. 4130 hardened and
tempered after machining?

4130 won't get hard enough to be worth the trouble. The best steels for this
job, the ones used for making high-quality tools of this type by the better
tool makers, are the chrome-vanadium alloys, such as AISI/SAE 6140 and 6150.
They'll get somewhat harder than 4130 but they're also exceedingly tough --
tougher than 4130. They're used for high-stress machinery parts, as well as
for wrenches and wrench sockets, because they're also extremely
fatigue-resistant.

However, for anything but the most demanding jobs, the plain-carbon 1095
that someone else recommended, or 1070 or 1080, will do as well in most
practical applications and will be cheaper, easier to get, and substantially
easier to heat-treat.

--
Ed Huntress

"Pete Snell" wrote in message
...
Hi All;

I need to make a special 'box end' wrench for a particular job I do
frequently. It's not complicated, overall dimensions would be about 1.25"
X 6" X 1/4". One end would have the special shape machined in, and the
other end would have a 3/8" square hole for a 3/8" ratchet. Regular mild
steel deforms with regular use, so I lose the good fit on the fastener
after I've used it a couple of times. I want to use some tougher stuff,
but I'm not sure what would be best. 4130 hardened and tempered after
machining?

Just about any farm or junk yard has piles of scrap medium/high carbon
steel.
Look for a piece of any farm implement with parts that cut into the soil,
eg. "spike harrow"
Can be annealed, shaped, heat treated, surface hardened, etc.
Then you can give it a pretty chrome plating.

Hey Pete,


O-1 flat stock from KBC Tools or Metal Supermarkets would be ideal.
Available in 1/4 X 1-1/4 X 18 for under 20 bucks Cdn. Harden and
temper after making if you want, but it is pretty good in the as sold
state.

Take care.

Brian Lawson,
Bothwell, Ontario.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx
On Tue, 22 Mar 2005 16:59:38 -0500, Pete Snell wrote:

Hi All;

I need to make a special 'box end' wrench for a particular job I do
frequently. It's not complicated, overall dimensions would be about
1.25" X 6" X 1/4". One end would have the special shape machined in, and
the other end would have a 3/8" square hole for a 3/8" ratchet. Regular
mild steel deforms with regular use, so I lose the good fit on the
fastener after I've used it a couple of times. I want to use some
tougher stuff, but I'm not sure what would be best. 4130 hardened and
tempered after machining?

Pete

In article , Pete Snell
wrote:

Hi All;

I need to make a special 'box end' wrench for a particular job I do
frequently. It's not complicated, overall dimensions would be about
1.25" X 6" X 1/4". One end would have the special shape machined in, and
the other end would have a 3/8" square hole for a 3/8" ratchet. Regular
mild steel deforms with regular use, so I lose the good fit on the
fastener after I've used it a couple of times. I want to use some
tougher stuff, but I'm not sure what would be best. 4130 hardened and
tempered after machining?

Pete

O-1 flat ground fully annealed tool steel is available from any decent
industrial supplier.
It is a very easy steel to deal with and quite good for wrenches.
There are better steels, but they are harder to find and harder to heat
treat.
Another good steel would be 4340.

Go to a local auto salvage and buy a spring leaf. I usually buy the
whole spring for a stock of tool steel.
Anneal it, machine it, oil harden it and draw to whatever hardness you
want. It is my dirty little secret for the best tool steel available,
dirt cheap. It can also be forged.
Bugs

Leo Lichtman wrote:
"Pete Snell" wrote: I need to make a special 'box end' wrench (clip)overall
dimensions would be about 1.25" X 6" X 1/4". (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
These dimenstions sound familiar. Is this for a wood lathe by any chance?


Nope. It's for dismantling an 'unserviceable' component in motorcycle
suspension so that I can service it....

Pete

--
__
Pete Snell
Royal Military College
Kingston Ontario


The reasonable man adapts himself to the world;
the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.
Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
- George Bernard Shaw
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Adam Smith wrote:

I'd probably use 1095, and draw it to a spring temper (blue) after
hardening. I wouldn't buy anything fancier than 1095, unless for cosmetic
reasons (ie stain resistance or something).


Thanks!

Adam Smith,
Midland ON

(BTW you didn't teach high school at Thornlea Secondary back in the '70s,
did you?)

Nope, I was still *in* High School in the '70's.........

Pete
--
__
Pete Snell
Royal Military College
Kingston Ontario


The reasonable man adapts himself to the world;
the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.
Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
- George Bernard Shaw

Thanks for the replies guys, I'll probably go with the O-1, as I think
I have an easy source for it.

Pete

--
__
Pete Snell
Royal Military College
Kingston Ontario


The reasonable man adapts himself to the world;
the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.
Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
- George Bernard Shaw

What Brian said. O-1 flat stock is the same metal as O-1 drill rod and is
heat treatable in the home shop.

Bob Swinney
"Brian Lawson" wrote in message
...
Hey Pete,


O-1 flat stock from KBC Tools or Metal Supermarkets would be ideal.
Available in 1/4 X 1-1/4 X 18 for under 20 bucks Cdn. Harden and
temper after making if you want, but it is pretty good in the as sold
state.

Take care.

Brian Lawson,
Bothwell, Ontario.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx
On Tue, 22 Mar 2005 16:59:38 -0500, Pete Snell wrote:

Hi All;

I need to make a special 'box end' wrench for a particular job I do
frequently. It's not complicated, overall dimensions would be about
1.25" X 6" X 1/4". One end would have the special shape machined in, and
the other end would have a 3/8" square hole for a 3/8" ratchet. Regular
mild steel deforms with regular use, so I lose the good fit on the
fastener after I've used it a couple of times. I want to use some
tougher stuff, but I'm not sure what would be best. 4130 hardened and
tempered after machining?

Pete

I want to do the same thing as the original poster. I have the metal
picked out but wonder if when I spread the metal out with a punch to
make the "box", will the finished box/hole be larger or smaller than
the punch. Or another way to say this should the punch be smaller or
larger than the desired hole. 25mm.
My tenative plan is to slit the metal and then expand it with a punch
after I get it hot.
Thanks
Bob AZ

Pete Snell wrote:
Thanks for the replies guys, I'll probably go with the O-1, as I
think I have an easy source for it.

Did you see Bugs' reply. I've made several special wrenches from old
leaf springs aquired for free. Anneal, machine, re-harden and temper.

BTW, I have yet to break or deform one and they don't get treated
gently. :-)

Ted

"Ted Edwards" wrote in message
news:BEF0e.105760$fc4.37291@edtnps89...
Pete Snell wrote:
Thanks for the replies guys, I'll probably go with the O-1, as I
think I have an easy source for it.

Did you see Bugs' reply. I've made several special wrenches from old
leaf springs aquired for free. Anneal, machine, re-harden and temper.

BTW, I have yet to break or deform one and they don't get treated
gently. :-)

Ted

Leaf springs on American cars are usually made of AISI 1085 or 5160,
depending on the year and make. Both can be oil-quenched and will have
similar properties. You want to temper either one at a pretty high temp (800
deg. F or a little more) for something like a wrench.

The only real advantage of 5160 for ordinary applications is that it will
through-harden in thicker sections, because it contains around 2% chromium.

To get the highest hardness with 1085, water-quench, except in very thin
sections.

--
Ed Huntress

"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
...
"Ted Edwards" wrote in message
news:BEF0e.105760$fc4.37291@edtnps89...
Pete Snell wrote:
Thanks for the replies guys, I'll probably go with the O-1, as I
think I have an easy source for it.

Did you see Bugs' reply. I've made several special wrenches from old
leaf springs aquired for free. Anneal, machine, re-harden and temper.

BTW, I have yet to break or deform one and they don't get treated
gently. :-)

Ted

Leaf springs on American cars are usually made of AISI 1085 or 5160,
depending on the year and make. Both can be oil-quenched and will have
similar properties. You want to temper either one at a pretty high temp
(800
deg. F or a little more) for something like a wrench.

The only real advantage of 5160 for ordinary applications is that it will
through-harden in thicker sections, because it contains around 2%
chromium.

To get the highest hardness with 1085, water-quench, except in very thin
sections.

I should have pointed out that either one will make a good wrench, as will
O-1. O-1 may be less hassle if you're only going to make a few wrenches, and
if you aren't planning to hammer-forge the thing all over to get the right
thickness. You can buy O-1 in a wide range of thicknesses.

--
Ed Huntress

Well, I went ahead and made the special wrench I needed with a chunk of
1/4" X 1 1/4" X 4" O1, and it worked fine, even without hardening,
although I may do that a little later. Thanks for the advice guys!

Pete

--
__
Pete Snell
Royal Military College
Kingston Ontario


The reasonable man adapts himself to the world;
the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.
Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
- George Bernard Shaw