Where to source a 1/2" drive boss to weld onto a tool

[BillJ]

I'm looking for a female 1/2" square drive boss to weld onto some tools I'm making. I could bodge it and simply weld sockets on but I expect that will be more costly than necessary and since the tools will be for sale it also looks rubbish.

I haven't turned up anything while trawling the web. Am I looking for the impossible? Does everyone who makes 1/2" drive tools make their own? Surely not, since I've seen them on many tools (e.g. spring compressors) where they looked like off-the-shelf items.

 

[ukracer]

I'm looking for a female 1/2" square drive boss to weld onto some tools I'm making. I could bodge it and simply weld sockets on but I expect that will be more costly than necessary and since the tools will be for sale it also looks rubbish.

I haven't turned up anything while trawling the web. Am I looking for the impossible? Does everyone who makes 1/2" drive tools make their own? Surely not, since I've seen them on many tools (e.g. spring compressors) where they looked like off-the-shelf items.

Have you got a photo of something similar as I cant visualise what it is you need.

 

[biffa]

What you could do is get some laserd out of 4mm plate the join 3 together, they work fairly well, something like a 40mm disk with a have in square in it, and use an old half inch ratchet to line them up

 

[BillJ]

Sorry, I found it hard to describe.

Something like the 1/2" drive bits on the ends of the threaded bit here. In this case these are a separate part pinned to the shaft. I just need to be able to turn the tool using a 1/2" square drive ratchet or breaker bar.

 

[mike 109444]

Try googling "couplings" or 1/2" "drive couplings" If you are going to use it for any rotation speed (power tool adapter) then square drive is prob not best as will tend to wobble/shake. If you are going to be making a lot of these items then you may need a broching tool made up which with a 1/2" hole drilled you could use a press to broch out the square hole in your desired material assuming it's not a blind hole!

 

[mike 109444]

ps a lot of tools are stamped out under very high pressure/tonage presses whilst material is red hot then heat treated and ground to finish. I watch farrrr to much cable tv

 

[normspanners]

I have used 1/2 3/8 impact reducer just cut off the 3/8 male, you are left with a nice champher for welding with them being self coloured they look like they have been made for the job, you can pick em up cheap off the bay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-2-FEMAL...t=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item27c5b1ab14

 

[Fintray]

You could try Deltec; I've used them in the past for some custom sockets.
http://www.deltec.net/

 

[ukracer]

Sorry, I found it hard to describe.

Something like the 1/2" drive bits on the ends of the threaded bit here. In this case these are a separate part pinned to the shaft. I just need to be able to turn the tool using a 1/2" square drive ratchet or breaker bar.

Its not so much being badly described its more a case of wondering why you need square drive when the ones in the picture seem to be used either way. With a socket or square drive.

Also what sort of quantity do you envisage needing?

I know whats its like btw as I am in the middle of a project to create something but need the economy of scale to be able to make it viable BUT also finding that getting a one off to test is so expensive its not cost effective at present.

What size bar are you welding to?

 

[Mikey D]

Where i work, in our hgv garage they had some large impact sockets custom made were much cheaper than anywhere else , could well of been from Deltec ,as mentioned earlier.

cheers Mike

 

[nodeward]

buy cheap 1/2" extention and cut em down, i expect you can get some chinese ones for almost nothing strip the chrome off and paint same colour as what ever your welding it onto

 

[naughtyboy]

or as i do use spark plug sockets just cut hex sect off and weld them on.
that way you get 1/2" drive or to use spanner.

pick them up for pennies at car boot sales, got small drawer with loads in always useful to have.

 

[BillJ]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I still have had no luck finding any suitable couplings. I'd love to go down the route of broaching my own but it would take too long to recover the cost of a broach.

The question above - why does it need to be square-drive? Well, the idea was that it could lock onto a ratchet or socket extension to make the whole assembly easier to get into place but I suppose a long enough hex would be a snug fit in a socket and make it all fairly stable in use.

It would be welded to a piece of flat bar, probably 20x5mm or thereabouts. I'm leaning towards a hex fitting now.

 

[the snooper]

cheap sockets and cut them down to keep only the part you need

 

[Henrik]

Does welding onto sockets not weaken them?

 

[the snooper]

Does welding onto sockets not weaken them?

ive welded sockets on to box section and flat bar when ive needed more strength and had no problem

 

[ukracer]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I still have had no luck finding any suitable couplings. I'd love to go down the route of broaching my own but it would take too long to recover the cost of a broach.

The question above - why does it need to be square-drive? Well, the idea was that it could lock onto a ratchet or socket extension to make the whole assembly easier to get into place but I suppose a long enough hex would be a snug fit in a socket and make it all fairly stable in use.

It would be welded to a piece of flat bar, probably 20x5mm or thereabouts. I'm leaning towards a hex fitting now.

If you look at the pic I posted I can get you any of those sizes of socket in large or small quantities. They are impact sockets so really tough and being black would look like purpose made jobs not like chromed sockets. It really depends how many you envisage needing though. What sort of quantities would your tools sell in? Also where are you in the UK?

 

[dan.taylor.1]

Will they weld ok been Cr-Mo?

Dan

 

[MrFluffy]

Ive seen some really nice diy wobble broaches of late popping up on various places on the net.
They are basically just rotating spindles that fit in the toolpost or in a mill or dp and are very slightly (1 or 2 degree) off the axis of the workpiece or spindle, in a lathe setup the rotating piece spins them but the wobbling action from the off axis error pulls each part of the broaches head in a tiny amount. In a mill or dp, the broach stays still but the off spindle axis wobble cuts down into a stationary workpiece.
I plan to make one of these for myself soon...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sso8Jpf4s30

 

[BillJ]

Thanks again, chaps.
I really prefer not to chop sockets up, although I don't imagine welding would weaken to the point that they couldn't work in this application.

I did look at wobble-broaches but I couldn't find a broach and holder at a reasonable price.

I'm only looking to make half a dozen or so of these tools at a time. Favoured solution is still hex bar.