# How to make a hex on a rod end??? (noobie question)



## cederholm (Feb 3, 2015)

Hi all, 

My wife is an optometrist with a broken machine I need to fix. It's kinda like a microscope but for reading the prescription of a pair of eyeglasses. Like a microscope it has a pivot and a lock for adjusting the angle of the machine. The lock is busted due to some stripped threads on the brass rod. I will turn a new one out of steel but the I'm unsure of the best way to "hex" the end. To be specific the end that will fit inside the adjustment lever. 

I could modify the lever and make everything round with a pin, but I thought this would be a good time to learn something new. Picks below. 

Should I;
a) hand file it into a hex
b) set up my 3 in 1 to mill it (not sure of the best way to do that)
c) something different

Thanks all,
Carl


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## Ulma Doctor (Feb 3, 2015)

if you have a collet indexer and a 3in1- easy work!!!
if you don't have a collet indexer, you'll need a vise and a 60* reference tool- protractor, a right triangle template, or other method of attaining 60*.
you'll machine one surface to depth and rotate the flat surface against the 60* reference and take the next cuts to depth.
you then rotate the flat to the 60* reference and take those cuts, etc until done!

good luck!!
mike)


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## chips&more (Feb 3, 2015)

Luckily the hex is not critical. I would use your 3 jaw chuck and its jaws as an angle reference. Chuck the part. Level a jaw with a bubble level. Machine that face. Turn to the next jaw and level it. And the next. You should have 3 faces done. Now put a hex nut (you are using the nut to get the desired angle) on the jaw and a level on top of the nut and level it. Do the last two the same…Good Luck, Dave.


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## John Hasler (Feb 3, 2015)

cederholm said:


> Hi all,
> 
> My wife is an optometrist with a broken machine I need to fix. It's kinda like a microscope but for reading the prescription of a pair of eyeglasses. Like a microscope it has a pivot and a lock for adjusting the angle of the machine. The lock is busted due to some stripped threads on the brass rod. I will turn a new one out of steel but the I'm unsure of the best way to "hex" the end. To be specific the end that will fit inside the adjustment lever.
> 
> ...



Screw a hex nut onto the threads and mill the flats using that for a reference.


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## cederholm (Feb 3, 2015)

Very helpful all! 

Thank you,
Carl


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## caster (Feb 3, 2015)

This job can be done on the mill with some tooling or some creativity.  If you have a dividing head (expensive) or a rotary table (less expensive) or a spin indicator (inexpensive) then you would mount the work and index the part.  For the creative solution if you can support the rod, say in a v block, you can mill the top flat.  Then using a 60* triangle you could turn the work and place the milled side against the triangle to make the subsequent cuts. Make sure you are square or aligned for each cut.  Or since you have a threaded section at the end of the part use the v block, jam two nuts together and use them as a reference.

Caster


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## Karl_T (Feb 3, 2015)

I find collet blocks extremely handy
here a 6 side from Enco
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=3905657&PMAKA=891-6016

you'll also need the 5C collet for the rod size


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## cederholm (Feb 3, 2015)

Karl,

I doubt I'll buy them for this one job, but I am curious. How do you use those

Thanks,
Carl



Karl_T said:


> I find collet blocks extremely handy
> here a 6 side from Enco
> http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=3905657&PMAKA=891-6016
> 
> you'll also need the 5C collet for the rod size


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## seasicksteve (Feb 3, 2015)

cederholm said:


> Karl,
> 
> I doubt I'll buy them for this one job, but I am curious. How do you use those
> 
> ...



You would hold your part in the hex chuck utilizing a 5c collet. Once the part is clamped into the fixture you would just position it in the mill vise and machine the facets for the flats


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## cederholm (Feb 3, 2015)

Gotcha! Thanks.



seasicksteve said:


> You would hold your part in the hex chuck utilizing a 5c collet. Once the part is clamped into the fixture you would just position it in the mill vise and machine the facets for the flats


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## Karl_T (Feb 3, 2015)

cederholm said:


> Karl,
> 
> I doubt I'll buy them for this one job, but I am curious. How do you use those
> 
> ...



lots of ways but clamp in the vice an rotate six times is most common.

I try to buy a tool with every job. That's how I "pay" myself. After 40 years, the shop is stuffed.

Karl


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## Brain Coral (Feb 4, 2015)

I would turn the part on the lathe and treat the hex as a separate part. Either find a ready made hex nut, or make your own from hex rod. Simply drill, tap and cut off, and thread the main part to recieve the nut and loctite it on. 

Brian


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## canerodscom (Feb 4, 2015)

Why not start with hex bar stock and machine the round portions?


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## cederholm (Feb 4, 2015)

That would be WAY to logical for me. 

Great solution though. 

~ Carl



canerodscom said:


> Why not start with hex bar stock and machine the round portions?


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## w9jbc (Feb 4, 2015)

John Hasler said:


> Screw a hex nut onto the threads and mill the flats using that for a reference.



I use 5 c collet blocks for that purpose my set has  four sided and six sided blocks there easy to use


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## rafe (Feb 4, 2015)

ditto on the hex stock


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## cederholm (Feb 4, 2015)

Can anyone post a photo of a collet block in use? I see what they are and understand their use (conceptually) but would love to see them set up for cutting. 

Thanks! 
Carl




w9jbc said:


> I use 5 c collet blocks for that purpose my set has  four sided and six sided blocks there easy to use


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## cederholm (Feb 14, 2015)

Hey all - just reporting back. Mission accomplished do to the advice I received here. Thanks you all! The old part is on the left and the new on the right. The hex end has a threaded screw hole and the other end has a notch for a C clip. Also the new part was made out of steel vs. the brass original. In addition I turned a replacement plastic "brake" (not shown) and now the machine works like new. ...and the wife is thrilled. 

~ Carl


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## HomeMetalMan (Feb 16, 2015)

Carl
Have a look on my website at photograph 7 and the text that goes with it, here http://www.homews.co.uk/page555.html  This give some simple ways of providing low number divisions.

Harold Hall


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## Luminast (Feb 16, 2015)

Carl, it's great that you could use your hobby skills to help your wife in her professional work.  I'm sure she appreciates it.
I'm always watching for ways that my tools can produce something of value to my wife.  I like it a lot when she can get some benefit from my rather expensive tools.  She is always impressed with the "magic" of making something valuable out metal.


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## darkzero (Feb 16, 2015)

cederholm said:


> Hey all - just reporting back. Mission accomplished do to the advice I received here.



Nice job Carl!



cederholm said:


> Can anyone post a photo of a collet block in use? I see what they are and understand their use (conceptually) but would love to see them set up for cutting.
> 
> Thanks!
> Carl


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## Shadowdog500 (Feb 16, 2015)

I'm glad to see you completed the project.  It came out good.   Did you grind or file that hex?


I. Curious what 3 in 1 machine you have?  I'm wondering if there was a way you could have easily indexed the lathe chuck using one of its drive gears as an index.

Keith Rutger showed an old method to cut a hex on a mill without anything but a couple angle blocks.  You could use a big nut or two as the engle blocks in th pinch.  I'll try to look it up and put a link here.

Chris

Found it!!  Here is the link.


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## cederholm (Feb 27, 2015)

Thanks Harold,

I'll take a look.




HomeMetalMan said:


> Carl
> Have a look on my website at photograph 7 and the text that goes with it, here http://www.homews.co.uk/page555.html  This give some simple ways of providing low number divisions.
> 
> Harold Hall


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## cederholm (Feb 27, 2015)

Yes indeed! While the machine was appart on my bench I also cleaned and adjusted everything for her. After she told me the cleaning and calibrating alone would have cost her $500 and she doubts the repair guy would have the part I made due to the age of the machine.





Luminast said:


> Carl, it's great that you could use your hobby skills to help your wife in her professional work.  I'm sure she appreciates it.
> I'm always watching for ways that my tools can produce something of value to my wife.  I like it a lot when she can get some benefit from my rather expensive tools.  She is always impressed with the "magic" of making something valuable out metal.


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## cederholm (Feb 27, 2015)

Thanks Will!

Chris, it's an old Maximat Compact and unfortunately the mill doesn't line up with the lathe chuck for indexing. I ended up milling the hex. The part was placed in. My mill vice and I used a large nut as an indexing template. I started by milling the top flat then it rotate the part so the flat touched the flat of the nut. The nut was square on the cross table. Maybe a little unconventional but it worker. 





Shadowdog500 said:


> I'm glad to see you completed the project.  It came out good.   Did you grind or file that hex?
> 
> 
> I. Curious what 3 in 1 machine you have?  I'm wondering if there was a way you could have easily indexed the lathe chuck using one of its drive gears as an index.
> ...


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