Shiny tools!

Been working on some top cap sockets. Not bad if I do say so myself .

 

My mailing address is... Oh, too forward?

Seriously, that is cool...

 

Soooo shiny...

 

Glad to know American craftsmanship isn’t dead. I wouldn’t know great metalwork, so I’ll take your word on it. But they look impressive.

 

Purdy!!! I had to buy some large sockets, 28 and 32mm I believe, not long ago for car suspension work.

I assume those are alum?

 

Thanks!

Yea, 6061. Most large sockets aren't cheap. They are typically forged steel for durability reasons. These are specifically for top caps on forks because they have no chamfer/flare on the inside to keep the socket from slipping on short topcap nut. Plus, they are relatively low torque to remove or install, so aluminum will be more than fine.

 

Eye candy
Now if you say that you also have your own aluminum smelter, I’ll be really impressed.

 

Nah. Looked into messing around with stuff, just not worth the hassle. Casting is a whole thing in its own. A lot of work and messy and honestly, the parts don't come out that great.

 

And I've used my large open end wrenches for that exact reason. Yours are mo' better.

 

As a lifelong machinist I gotta say nice work @kazlx... You gonna anodize them? Perhaps a few tenths of hard anodize would make em live a lot longer. I've got some real good connections if you need em.

 

I've ground down a couple of Harbor Frieght sockets for that duty. Hard to get the edge perfectly flat by hand.
Good job!

 

That's the plan. I usually use Precision in Anaheim.

 

How many beers does it take from the time you hit the go button?

 

Less than 1!

 

Wow that's fast! or you drink slow which I seriously doubt

 

Start to finish maybe 7-8 minutes. Could also speed up and trim the program down a little but haven't fidgeted with it much since it runs and I'm not making that many at the moment. I'm also surfacing the round top corner instead of using a corner round bit. That takes the most time by far. If I set up a specific tool it would go from about 5 minutes for just that to probably about 15 seconds.

 

Maybe you could put a handle on it, then cut a bottle opener into the end of that handle. Then it becomes the goto friday night Im not really a mechanic I just shine my bike and inflate tires service tool.

 

If you’re gonna go...go all out.

 

How you doing @kazlx ? I slid a few times today and anytime I almost lose it, I think about you and @Stubborn Approach .

 

well someone has a CNC. Lucky. Nice corner relives on the hex corners, I thought you were pulling a Snap-0n. Then I saw the same on the square broach so I knew the game was afoot. Very heavy wall but AL ALLY is part of that. Why the reduced flats on the OD, one may ask? What did you use for an actual size? ANSI?
Can I get mine set with a light diamond knurl on the OD?
Good job in the world of design and fabrication trails.

Modern tools are the bomb, I create pins with XY and a sine curve. You have to look really close to see they are stepped, not turned, I bet you did that on the OD as well.

 

a little smaller on the ID's a little larger on the OD's but we are talking tenths so are those facts even real? (they are)

 

love Hard Anodize. Built to last

 

try investment castings, eww that is good

 

Just for Schmitts and Giggles; I am helping with a RC6 fit right now, old science but most have no idea what that is. No wonder CHINA is ahead,