I want to remove a bolt which takes a 4mm hex alan key - well it's not quite that simple. The hex hole has a central pin which prevents the insertion of a standard alan key. It may be a useful security feature but nobody knows the wherabouts of a suitable key so it's a problem.
Ayone know if suitable alan keys can be obtained anywhere? I can't find such things via screwfix.
TIA Frank
Yes you can:
It is almost certainly another kind of anti tamper key rather than the classic hexagonal Allen key type. Any decent hardware shop should have a suitable bit to fit.
Peter Crosland
Whats "Alan" (Allan) got to do with it? ;-) What type of central pin? a pic would be nice.
I'm pretty sure you'll find one of those in this kit: or
David
In some cases, just the right size of flat screwdriver can work. In other cases, it breaks the pin off, and you can use a conventional key.
Thanks Nigel M. Obviously I am not being imaginative enough with the screwfix search engine.
Searching for "Allan" then "Alan" brought no luck - obviously? The second failed to find anything but suggested I try "socket & hex" - which turned up lots of Allen keys - but they are not designated as such but as "hex socket set" and the like. I am no engineeer I guess I have just never seen Allen key written down anywhere. No excuses really - just ignorance which usenet helps me overcome.
Frank
A plain hex socket is unusual for this sort of thing, Torx is more common - are you sure it's not one of those?
certainly hexagonal and its within a fraction of a mm of 4mm across.
Frank
Go to Halfords. They will have it.
Go to Halfords. They will have it.
Torx is sort of 6-sided but sort of wiggly around the edge - like a cooky cutter.
praise alan ! (pbuh)
steady on old chap, we all know where that mullarkey ends up :-)
Torx
The message from Ian Stirling contains these words:
And, for future referrence, if you want a simple way to screw up a Torx or Hex socket to stop someone undoing it - tap a tight-fitting ballbearing into the recess.
Shhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! :-)
That' "allen" key. CK Tools do a set of Hex bits with holes, I bought a set last week at my local (proper) tool shop for about £3:50.
Frank Stacey laid this down on his screen :
The usual solution is to insert a suitable flat bladed screwdriver alongside the pin and break the pin off by gradually prying the pin from side to side.
S.fix has them under security bits. They are sold as bits for cordless drivers. Cat No 18983.
Try these
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