What to Do With A Snapped Allen Wrench

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 7:38 am

I have a broken allen wrench AND a damaged Base Assembly. I was using the allen wrench to tighten the set screws that secure the Way Tubes to the Base. The unit is vertical to do this. I then lowered the Mark V without removing the allen wrench.

The allen wrench broke as did the Base Assembly.

I have not replaced the Base as a constant reminder of what ones stupidity can do.

algale · Post by **algale** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 7:46 am

holsgo wrote:How broke? Can you weld it back together?

How broke? I'm not sure how to answer that other than to say that on a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is "Not Broken" and 10 is "Fully Broken" this goes to 11.

It is in two separate pieces, snapped through at the right angle of the "L."

I don't have a welder and I don't know how to weld anyway. So that's not an option. And I don't think the Mrs. would appreciate me buying a welder and burning the house down in an effort to salvage a $3 dollar Allen Wrench. ("But honey, I was trying to save us money ...").

algale · Post by **algale** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 7:56 am

dusty wrote:I have a broken allen wrench AND a damaged Base Assembly. I was using the allen wrench to tighten the set screws that secure the Way Tubes to the Base. The unit is vertical to do this. I then lowered the Mark V without removing the allen wrench.

The allen wrench broke as did the Base Assembly.

I have not replaced the Base as a constant reminder of what ones stupidity can do.

Well, I may not know what to do with my Fully Broken Allen Wrench, but I feel 100% better after reading this post! Thank you Dusty (again!). At least I didn't do that (yet).

The break occurred just tightening the set screw on the saw blade arbor. However, I suspect the damage was done last week when I was having issues with my miter gauge slipping while tightening (by hand). One of the more helpful members of the forum, who shall remain nameless (see post # 13 here http://shopsmith.net/forums/showthread. ... 582&page=2) "innocently" mentioned that the holes in the miter's lock knob could be used with the Allen Wrench (ok, it was Ed. Thanks a bunch, Ed

). After getting the gauge set back to zero, I decided it would be a good idea to really crank it down so it wouldn't slip and I suspect that caused stress cracks in the Allen Wrench that revealed themselves when I went to tighten the set screw on the blade arbor.

algale · Post by **algale** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 8:00 am

algale wrote:Well, I may not know what to do with my Fully Broken Allen Wrench, but I feel 100% better after reading this post! Thank you Dusty (again!). At least I didn't do that (yet).

The break occurred just tightening the set screw on the saw blade arbor. However, I suspect the damage was done last week when I was having issues with my miter gauge slipping while tightening (by hand). One of the more helpful members of the forum, who shall remain nameless (see post # 13 here http://shopsmith.net/forums/showthread. ... 582&page=2) "innocently" mentioned that the holes in the miter's lock knob could be used with the Allen Wrench (ok, it was Ed. Thanks a bunch, Ed ). After getting the gauge set back to zero, I decided it would be a good idea to really crank it down so it wouldn't slip and I suspect that caused stress cracks in the Allen Wrench that revealed themselves when I went to tighten the set screw on the blade arbor.

Come to think of it, maybe all that cranking on the miter gauge knob last week is also what put my main table out of alignment.

Thanks again, Ed.

holsgo · Post by **holsgo** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 8:08 am

Yup, sounds like an 11. It might be a good excuse to buy the welder. Justify it by saying it could eventually save you money with all of the allen wrenches you'll fix over the years.
Yes, I have tried this argument with upper management before.

algale · Post by **algale** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 8:16 am

holsgo wrote: It might be a good excuse to buy the welder. Justify it by saying it could eventually save you money with all of the allen wrenches you'll fix over the years.

Laughter is the best medicine!:D

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 10:49 am

Here is picture of the allen wrench SS used to give away to SS owners that came to demo's.
[ATTACH]15973[/ATTACH]

If I was you I would either order some handles like those Farmer mentioned on I would craft myself a wooden handle to mimick the wrench above.

algale · Post by **algale** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 2:24 pm

Oooh, I like that idea! Maybe I could justify buying a pneumatic sanding drum to deal with the contours.

holsgo · Post by **holsgo** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 6:09 pm

Now you seem to be into the groove of what I'm talking about...keep going. You also need a small pipe bender to bend hex stock. You still need the welder, let's not forget about that. You also will need a furnace to generate the heat to harden steel and then oil quench it. Matter of fact just get an Oxy/acty kit or a mapp and oxy and use that to heat the steel.
You don't need a hex key. You want it. You NEED all this other stuff.

S Brian · Post by **S Brian** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 7:55 pm

W.W. Grainger is where I bought the my replacement Allen wrench. It is the same as pictured earlier.

I have a local store, but here is a link to their catalog page.
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/EKLIND ... Pid=search