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Oddball socket question

mrsludge's picture

Oddball socket question (post #205258)

mrsludge on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 11:23
in

I'm having a situation at my (non-home-building) work that I'm hoping to tap the knowledge and ingenuity here to solve.

We basically have a series of instruments that are flanged and mounted via 1/2" threaded rods.  The rod extends ~10" beyond the nut and washer that hold the flange in place.  The idea is that you can back the nuts off and pull the instrument partially out of the tank, close a valve, and then connect to it to calibrate it.

I'm trying to find or build something to make taking these nuts off less of a pain.  I believe they're 3/4"nuts, but I need to verify.  It's all stainless steel and coated with anti-seize, so doing it by hand (16 total nuts for 4 instruments) takes longer than you'd think and makes you a mess by the end.  Doesn't take much torque to get the nuts as tight as they need to be.

So, here's the question. Is there such a thing as a socket that deep that I could use with a cordless drill to remove/replace these nuts?  I looked a little and didn't find anything close.  Or maybe some other tool that'd speed up the just-doing-it-by-hand that we're doing now?  I thought about drilling out the drive end of a socket and epoxying it into the end of a pipe nipple, but I haven't looked at the sizes in detail to see if that'll work.

Open to suggestions from the brain trust. Thanks!

Ted

-A +A

Weld a socket (post #205258, reply #1 of 9)

by JoeH in reply to mrsludge [original] on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 11:56

To one end of a piece of pipe or tube for your drive end, get a deep socket for the other end and cut the drive end off. You won't be able to drill out the socket, they are hard.

Probably get the  size socket you need and find a pipe that will go over the outside. Buy 2 of the same socket & cut 1. Stick them both in the pipe and weld it.

Joe H

Get a deep socket to fit the (post #205258, reply #2 of 9)

by MarkH in reply to mrsludge [original] on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 13:40

Get a deep socket to fit the nut, cut the socket in half, weld the socket end to one end of a tube, and the drive end to the other end of the tube.  This is standard model shop work.

And, there's this tool, too (post #205258, reply #3 of 9)

by MarkH in reply to mrsludge [original] on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 14:20

And, there's this tool, too cool!  Would do the job in a hurry! The air ratchet kit is about $160 at Summit racing, and if the nuts measure 3/4 inch you wont need a socket.   I'm thinking I may purchase a kit sometime.  The  ratchet alone is part KRC-5008.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuIf_1jO_Lo

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/KRC-5000/

Could you use slip (post #205258, reply #4 of 9)

by Hammer1 in reply to mrsludge [original] on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 16:41

Could you use slip nuts?

http://www.slip-onlocknut.com/

Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

Maybe. We're still testing (post #205258, reply #9 of 9)

by mrsludge in reply to Hammer1 [original] on Fri, 10/28/2011 - 04:46

Maybe. We're still testing out the equipment, so the manufacturer gets veto power. That and replacing 16 nuts might be a bit steep. Thanks!

button thread nuts (post #205258, reply #5 of 9)

by Jigs-n-fixtures in reply to mrsludge [original] on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 17:09

They are available from Reid Supply, http://www.reidsupply.com/online-catalog.aspx?pgno=292&ret=detail.aspx?itm=BCL-120

for about $10 each.  You push the button to disengage the threads, hold the button in and slide it to where you want it, release the button to rengage the thread, and tighten with a wrench. 

Probably the custom-made (post #205258, reply #6 of 9)

by DanH in reply to mrsludge [original] on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 19:21

Probably the custom-made socket is the best bet, but another option is a "crow-foot wrench".

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/search_10153_...

There are also "flare nut" versions --

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605...


We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature's inexhaustible sources of energy -- sun, wind and tide. ... I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that. --Thomas Edison

All you need is a THICK (post #205258, reply #7 of 9)

by xxPaulCPxx in reply to mrsludge [original] on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 22:42

All you need is a THICK rubber band and a drill with a bit.

I used a rubber band that came around a bunch of broccoli.  Thread the nut so it's on the rod past all the nuts threads.  Put the rubber band around the nut - that's the BIG pulley.  Stretch the rubber band with the base of a 3/8" drill bit (Not a cutting edge, down where it gets gripped by the chuck.)  Steel rod works too, but everyone should have a 3/8" drill bit.  This is the SMALL pulley.

Driving the drill forward spins the nut down the thread.  Only costs as much as a bunch of broccoli.

YAY!  I love WYSISYG editing!  And Spellcheck!

____________________________________________________

OK- that's pretty cool. I (post #205258, reply #8 of 9)

by mrsludge in reply to mrsludge [original] on Fri, 10/28/2011 - 03:54

OK- that's pretty cool. I could even just use my little driver with a long Philips bit on it.  Thanks.