Where to keep the tiny Allen wrench

[Lowell Holmes]

Where do you keep the tiny Allen wrench that came with the wooden spokeshave (Christmas gift) so you will have it when adjustment or sharpening is required?

[C & S]

A verrry thinly veiled drive-by.

[-MIKE-]

I don't know about something that little, however, it may be possible to replace whatever it is with something that can be hand/finger tightened.

For every large power tool I use, I keep one of those magnetic bowls stuck on it. Stuck in the bowl are dedicated tools for any and every adjustment that can be made. Allen wrenches, box wrenches, whatever is needed to make any adjustment is there so i don't have to go looking for it. I also mark with a sharpie, the size of the nut or set screw for each adjustment, right next to it on the machine.

It's amazing how much time and frustration that can save.

[Lowell Holmes]

Good thinking :-)

[Lew Hodgett]

RE: Subject

In the shelf box labeled "Allen Keys" where all the other allen keys are kept so they don't get lonely.

Lew

[Swingman]

"Lew Hodgett" wrote

Exactly! ... Every Allen wrench for the last 30 years has gone into one box, and, as a result, I know where every Allen wrench for every tool I own, or have ever owned, is.

It takes some sorting on occasion to grab the right one, but at least I know it's in that box, and nowhere else.

[Lew Hodgett]

I forgot.

These days the box is divided into two compartments.

One is for metric.

Lew

[Nova]

It depends...

Are you into body piercing? ;-)

[Mark & Juanita]

What I did with the Allen wrench that came with my Knight smoothing plane was to shape a wood shoe on which to store the plane that had a notch cut out to keep the blade from contacting the surface and a hole drilled in one end into which I put the Allen wrench. You could probably do something similar for the spokeshave

[Lowell Holmes]

That might work. Thanks.

[B A R R Y]

In the drawer with the rest of the allen wrenches that came with tools.

;^)

[Father Haskell]

Magnetic bases from old CB antennas make good tool hangers / parts holders.

[B A R R Y]

I do the same with dollar store baskets:

[-MIKE-]

Nice. Looks like the baskets can be had for cheaper than the magnets alone.

[Lee Michaels]

There a whole catagory of school supplies called "locker organizers". They are usually made of plastic and designed to hang off of the side of a metal locker with internal magnets. I got a bunch of them. Some for the shop and others in my office attached to the file cabinet next to my desk.

[Robatoy]

use, I keep one of those magnetic bowls

[-MIKE-]

How are the magnets, strength-wise?

[John O. Kopf]

If the handle is wooden, drill an axial hole (i.e., along the length) of the handle, that's a press fit for the Allen wrench shaft.

John Kopf

[Lee Michaels]

Pretty strong considering they were only intended to hold up school supplies. I am sure that they are are good for a pound or two. Depends on the manufacturer, of course. Quality varies widely for items like this. I picked mine up at a big box office supply store.

If you want to test them, just take the item over to a metal file cabinet and try it out. These aren't going to hold up heavy items. But small tools, etc., they should do just fine.

I am looking at a pencil/misc. holder right now. It has two big scissors, about twenty pens and a couple big rulers in it. I still have to tug it a bit to get it off the file cabinet.

[Lowell Holmes]

I've had that in mind, but have been hesitant to drill holes in my new toy. The Allen wrench is 1/16 or so, the hole would not have to be large. I can experiment with a scrap to determine the proper hole size.