Because of the way that a door frame has been built, I need an extra long key
to work a rack bolt (a good 4 or 5 cm longer than usual).

It's the usual star type key.

I thought that maybe if I could buy a foot length of the star rod material I could
cut it to the right length, and then simply bend a small handle into it.

Only trouble it, I've got no idea where I might buy the rod. Anyone know?

Thanks,

P.

Paul Ockenden wrote:

It's the usual star type key.

Do you mean Torx? If so you can get Torx drivers, or if that's still not
long enough try Torx hex bits and use an extension bar

http://rswww.com/cgi-bin/bv/rswww/se...cape&Nr=avl:uk

Though RS won't sell to individuals and are rarely the cheapest ...

"Paul Ockenden" wrote:

Because of the way that a door frame has been built, I need an extra long
key
to work a rack bolt (a good 4 or 5 cm longer than usual).

It's the usual star type key.

I thought that maybe if I could buy a foot length of the star rod material
I could
cut it to the right length, and then simply bend a small handle into it.

Only trouble it, I've got no idea where I might buy the rod. Anyone know?

Probably easier to weld a short length of steel bar to your existing key. If
you haven't got access to a welding machine your local garage workshop
should be able to oblige.

In article ,
Paul Ockenden wrote:
Because of the way that a door frame has been built, I need an extra
long key to work a rack bolt (a good 4 or 5 cm longer than usual).

It's the usual star type key.

I thought that maybe if I could buy a foot length of the star rod
material I could cut it to the right length, and then simply bend a
small handle into it.

Only trouble it, I've got no idea where I might buy the rod. Anyone know?

If the star refers to Torx, these are used on cars and available as
fittings for a socket set so can be used with extensions in the usual way.

--
*Why is it that doctors call what they do "practice"?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In message , Andy
Burns writes
Paul Ockenden wrote:

It's the usual star type key.

Do you mean Torx? If so you can get Torx drivers, or if that's still
not long enough try Torx hex bits and use an extension bar

http://rswww.com/cgi-bin/bv/rswww/se...s=sObs&name=Si
teStandard&No=0&N=0&Ntk=I18NAll&Ntt=torx%20driver &Nty=1&D=torx%20driver&
Ntx=mode%20matchpartial&Dx=mode%20matchpartial&ca llingPage=/jsp/homePage
0@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccc
laddjkhmghjhcefeceeldgondhgk.0&cacheID=uknetscape &Nr=avl:uk

Though RS won't sell to individuals

Yes they will - at their depots

and are rarely the cheapest ...

Can't argue with that


--
geoff

In article ,
Andy Burns wrote:
Though RS won't sell to individuals and are rarely the cheapest ...

They sell - mail order - to anyone with a credit card. You simply have to
register.

--
*Men are from Earth, women are from Earth. Deal with it.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"DIY" wrote in message ...
"Paul Ockenden" wrote:

Because of the way that a door frame has been built, I need an extra
long
key
to work a rack bolt (a good 4 or 5 cm longer than usual).

It's the usual star type key.

I thought that maybe if I could buy a foot length of the star rod
material
I could
cut it to the right length, and then simply bend a small handle into it.

Only trouble it, I've got no idea where I might buy the rod. Anyone
know?

Probably easier to weld a short length of steel bar to your existing key.
If
you haven't got access to a welding machine your local garage workshop
should be able to oblige.


If the key is made out of brass, it may be sufficient to extend it using a
piece of brass tube and a soldering iron. I did this a few years ago with a
mortice key and the result never broke in service. I got the tube from a
model shop.

Andy Burns wrote:

Paul Ockenden wrote:

It's the usual star type key.

Do you mean Torx? If so you can get Torx drivers, or if that's still not
long enough try Torx hex bits and use an extension bar

http://rswww.com/cgi-bin/bv/rswww/se...cape&Nr=avl:uk

Though RS won't sell to individuals and are rarely the cheapest ...

Oh dear! I'm obviously not the only one to have fallen foul of RS and
their difficult to use website!

I was taken to task over this yesterday!

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk....f0269947e0eabb

(At least it's nice to know I'm not the only one!)

Is the star shape you're looking for to fit a Chubb bolt? It sounds
like some that I've used in the past.

In which case its a splined brass rod (not Torx) and others have
already posted solutions that sound good to me!

A Happy New Year to all!

Terry

On Sun, 31 Dec 2006 12:43:02 GMT, raden wrote:

In message , Andy
Burns writes

Though RS won't sell to individuals

Yes they will - at their depots

If that is now the case then it must be a recent change. In the past
RS have flatly refused to supply at their trade counters against a
written order on a printed letterhead from a long standing account
holding company if the delivery point code wasn't stated

For account (credit) sales this is obviously a very sensible policy,
for cash/credit card sales it's a complete pain in the arse if you
have to ring into the office or drive back to base if no one is around
to get a sodding code that means f*ck all when you are picking the
goods up there and then. This policy of requiring a delivery point
code effectively implies account holders only at trade counters, so no
printing off your own fake/semi-fake trade order and expecting to get
served.

On the phone or online direct to Corby they've been dealing with both
trade and private customers via the same customer interface since the
demise of electromail - I'd guess probably 15 years or so. I can't
recall the last time I phoned an order through to RS as they seem to
be manned by completely charmless bints at the best of time, efficient
charmless bints but charmless bints all the same. I much prefer to
phone Farnells where you nearly always get some friendly chat as well
as highly efficient service.

and are rarely the cheapest ...

Can't argue with that

Ditto, although some of their product lines are an absolute steal -
sometimes retailing at prices much lower than bulk trade.

--