Flexible Allen Wrench?

[Mark & Juanita]

The Problem: I added drawers to the entertainment center plan after constructing the casework. In so doing, the bottom rail of the drawer slides now interferes with being able to put an allen wrench into the holes for the leg levelers.

Yeah, some foresight would have been brilliant; I wasn't.

The Question: Does a flexible shaft with an allen wrench tip exist?

Any suggestions would be welcome.

[kick -- ouch!, kick -- ouch!, kick -- ouch!]

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ The absence of accidents does not mean the presence of safety Army General Richard Cody

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[Edwin Pawlowski]

I've never seen flex, but the do have them with a ball end so you can go in at an angle.

Can you drill a hole in the slide to allow access?

[Mark & Juanita]

Good suggestion, I don't think a hole will work because the slide is too high for a wrench to reach through to the leveler but too low to allow a wrench underneath. However, maybe a slot cut in the slide might work -- I'll have to look into that. Thanks for the idea.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ The absence of accidents does not mean the presence of safety Army General Richard Cody +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

[Norman D. Crow]

Do you need to get totally flexible, or just off on a little angle? They make "ball tip" hex wrenches which allow you about a 15-20deg. angle from straight in. Just a thought.

[Mark & Juanita]

My problem is getting the wrench into hole; I just need enough to provide me the ability to get under a metal slide that is about 2 to 3 inches above the adjustment hole. Another thought that [finally] struck me: since the holes are covered by the drawers anyway, why not make the holes in the bottom of the cabinet bigger? I'm going to look at that tomorrow also -- maybe more brain cells will be engaged then.

Thanks for the suggestion; I might be able to minimize the size of the hole by using a ball-tip wrench.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ The absence of accidents does not mean the presence of safety Army General Richard Cody +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

[Richard Cline]

Can you use a 1/4" drive socket set with a flex joint or universal joint and an Allen head end? I believe I can assemble that combination in my shop.

Dick

[Wes Stewart]

Yes, but probably not in the size you need. They made some for adjusting the distributor points in some ignition systems.

[CW]

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[Rick Samuel]

How about grinding off some of the short leg as to gain clearance?

[Andy Dingley]

Get a 1/4" hex bit set to fit - then there's all sorts of driver for those. I've got ratchet wrenches to fit them that are no longer overall thatn the bit insert, yet they give you a few inches of leverage.

If you buy a set of ball-ended Allens, then get good ones - they fit much better.

[Bruce]

You can buy flexible shaft extensions for 1/4" and 3/8" drive socket sets.

I needed to get at some obscured socket head screws and solved the problem by cutting a short piece of hex shaft from an old wrench. This was secured to a

1/4" drive socket on a flex shaft driver.

[Roy Smith]

You risked attracting the wrath of the tool gods by cutting up a perfectly good hex wrench??? :-)

[Larry Jaques]

On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 22:06:10 -0700, the inscrutable Mark & Juanita spake:

Shift the slides up to the top of the drawer to get clearance. If they're offset, glue in clearance blocks. (Just make sure you leave clearance for the allens this time, eh? ;)

Not that I've ever seen. How about a ball-end allen wrench? Grainger has a flexible spinner handle and 1/4" drive allen sockets which might be the combo you need.

Got premonitions, do ya? ;)

Hit 'em with this:

-- Life's a Frisbee: When you die, your soul goes up on the roof. ---- Comprehensive Website Development

[Andy Dingley]

Well in that case I'm straight to Heck.

There are any number of occasions when I've needed some magic punch/chisel, and taken an Allen key either out of my toolbox or bought a cheap set from the nearest market stall/ / garage, then ground and heat-treated it to suit.

It's like locking yourself out of the car, then using a windscreen wiper to get back in.

[J. Clarke]

If I'm ever in your neck of the woods, I'll buy you a pint if you'll show me that one. Coathanger I've done a number of times, but I can't imagine how one would do it with a windscreen wiper. At least not with any car I've ever owned.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

It is really very simple. I did it when I locked my keys in the convertible with the top down. Took a few minutes to figure it out though, but once I did, I was able to unlock both the driver's and passenger doors.

[Joe_Stein]

Richard has the right idea. Exactly what I was thinking. Good job, Richard. Joe

Richard Cl> >

[JAMES Mankin]

years ago to many o say my dad built his old mercery lead slead very very nice and loud car he choped and {chaneled not sure on the spelling} anyway he put baffles in the headers to keep from geting tickets but had an are box that made geting the allen wrench in to turn the baffles almost inposible so he got a long handled allen wrench from mac heat and bent it to his needs than heat tempered it work great for a while till I borrowed the car to show off pulled over opened the baffles and started the baffleing mistory of what in hades I did with the wrench still got to use the car every so often but not his tools

jim

A MAN WITH THE RIGHT TOOLS CAN SURE SCREW THINGS UP

[mac davis]

hmm... hard to picture that, but would a flex shaft on a drill driver with an allen tip work?

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

[Mark & Juanita]

... snip

All, thanks for the suggestions. I solved the problem yesterday by drilling the holes out larger. Since the adjustment holes are under the drawers, they won't show in use and critters could have gotten in the 3/8" holes as easily as the 5/8 holes I made.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ The absence of accidents does not mean the presence of safety Army General Richard Cody +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+