# How do I attach something to a square shaft???



## DrTebi (Jun 16, 2009)

Hello,

I recently acquired a nice 20" linear slide which I thought would be perfect for a screw-advanced type box joint jig. Everything is well, and I will start to build it soon, *but* I just cannot figure out how to attach a handwheel, or just anything, to that 1/4" square end of the lead screw?

If you look at the picture you can see that the lead screw was milled to a solid 1/2" round shaft to go into the ball bearings, and then the very end was milled flat on four sides. It's 1/4" square. I was able to fit a 1/4" socket on it and play around with it, but eventually I would really like to attach a hand wheel, or make my own hand-crank.

I googled, searched through the entire "square" results of McMaster-Carr but just cannot find anything that would allow any type of mounting to this 1/4" end.

I am desperate; but I know there is a solution… What's the trick?


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## REO (Sep 20, 2012)

set screw, roll pin, small screw in from the end. the trouble may be the square hole.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

Easy with a matching square hole and a set screw.
Use a deep well socket for the hole (which track you were already on) and match the O.D. of the socket to the round hole in what you want to attach.
If you want to drill and tap a set screw hole in the socket you will need to heat it with a torch to anneal it first.
Otherwise you might also just drill a hole for a roll pin to attach it, but this would require a hole in your shaft.


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## stevepeterson (Dec 17, 2009)

You could still put a normal round hole hand wheel on it. Just buy one with a hole slightly larger than 1/4". Or buy a 1/4" hole and drill it out to the exact size that will slip over the square.


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## Bluepine38 (Dec 14, 2009)

Grizzly.com has some handwheels with and without holes in them. You can get one with a 1/4" hole, or
drill a hole and use a good small triangular file to make the hole square and fit over the shaft. Reid supply.com
also has quite a bit of interesting hardware.


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## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

This isn't a wheel or crank but the A/C business used a wrench that had a square hole in it to open valves for many years. It has a ratchet mechanism in the end. Turn it over to reverse.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

http://www.hardwareandtools.com/Valve-Keys-and-Handles/


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

Yes Loren, I was just about to suggest valve wheels, but you beat me to it.
The McMaster Carr folks have these as well; for more money of course.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Crank has the idea. Just use a *Square Hole* drill bit and problem solved!

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=square+hole+drill+bit&FORM=HDRSC3#view=detail&mid=2E737F5A32845A3E3A362E737F5A32845A3E3A36


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## 111 (Sep 2, 2013)

You might be able to find something here
I have used this company a few times with good results, they have lots of good stuff.


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

Find one of these in the size you need and weld what ever handle you want on it.


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## tefinn (Sep 23, 2011)

Maybe one of these will work.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#hand-wheels/=ozxcnl


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## DrTebi (Jun 16, 2009)

Thank you for all the suggestions!

Well, Reids and McMaster don't have hand wheels with 1/4" square holes, only with round holes. I could get one with a slightly smaller round hole and file it straight. Sounds like a work-around in a way though… there must be a better solution.

Drilling a square hole-that video was great, I don't quite understand how it works, but if a square-hole-drill really exists, I will go for it (could even make mortises with it??).

Then again, using a 1/4" square socket and welding something on it, that sounds like the most reasonable solution. I just don't have a welder… maybe I could ask my old teacher to help me do that.

I have looked at valve wheels, but I really would prefer something that's larger and easier to turn.

I sent an email to Carrlane, who make handwheels with optional custom holes… no 1/4" square is listed officially as an option, but they may just do it for me.

Ideally I would prefer a hand-wheel that just fits, as opposed to mocking something up. $20-30 is not the end of the world for a custom fit hand-wheel that will sit tight as opposed to some mocked up version that may not sit well….


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## REO (Sep 20, 2012)

the square hole drill does exist lol but it would be quite an investment in tooling for one hole. get a blank handwheel from any one of several suppliers drill a 1/4" hole. take a piece of 1/4" keystock and round an short section of one end for a pilot. heat it up hot enough to melt the material you are working with and push it through the hole. drill and thread the handwheel for a set screw. how big


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## casual1carpenter (Aug 16, 2011)

I wonder if there is another line of logic you can follow here. Just how much cranking force is required to move your linear slide? Is your box joint jig going to require that much force to advance? I assume, perhaps wrongly, that the forces acting on the handle would not be that great as to require a steel handle. Would not a crank made of a good hardwood carry the necessary forces? You could incorporate the quarter drive socket easily or a mortise combined with an opening saw kerf and a couple of counter bored nut and bolt sets. A carriage head bolt and nut set towards the business edge of the crank which is fitted with a knob or handle would be a nice addition for ease of turning as well as a rough visual marker as to the crank turn amount.


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## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

Talk to a machine shop about what you want. If you have a well equipped shop in your area they might be able to broach that 1/4 inch hole for a reasonable amount. If you can't get a shop with a broach, have a socket modified and welded to the wheel. When you buy the wheel make sure it is something they can easily weld and want to weld. If the socket were shortened and drilled before the weld procedure it would probably be easier. by shortening the socket it would make the wheel more stable. If you can get Carrlane to make it then it would probably be the cheapest.


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## 111 (Sep 2, 2013)

Buy a crank with the 1/4" hole already in it then file it square.


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## hobby1 (Feb 10, 2012)

Couldn't you get a piece of 1/2" round rod from lows cut a piece off, then drill a thru hole through it at around 1/4" dia. then hammer it on tightly, then drill a cross hole around 1/16" or 1/8" dia, thru the whole assembly and run a pin through it.


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## 111 (Sep 2, 2013)

Google square hole sleeve and you could find a collar that you could use as an adapter.
Here is an example
Depending on what you find, you might have to drill and tap a set screw, but it's doable if you can't come up with anything else.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

Cramp a small vise grip on it and move on to something else.


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## JustJoe (Oct 26, 2012)

Rather than gerry-rigging or welding or whatever, how about just looking around until you find a crank/wheel with a 1/4" square hole?

These guys can get you one with a 1/2" square, shouldn't be too hard to shim that out.

These guys make a whole lot of different style cranks, and they say they'll do square hole broaching. You just pick one of their stock cranks and tell them to put a1/4" square hole in it.

This company makes cranks with a square hole. They've got a 3/8" one that is even easier to shim than the 1/2" one above.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Make one out of wood with whatever size or shape hole you want.


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## bold1 (May 5, 2013)

Scockets for square nuts are available on order. I ordered a set from NAPA. You can order single sockets whatever size you want and use either a rachet or speed drive. A little epoxy on the shaft should hold the socket at place.


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## DrTebi (Jun 16, 2009)

So many great suggestions, I am overwhelmed! A big thank you to everybody.

I think I should try to make a wooden crank first, much like "casual1carpenter" described. I was concerned about a tight fit with wood, but by cutting a thin kerf into the short end, up to the square hole, and then tightening it with a screw, makes a lot of sense. Adding a handle should be fairly easy too.

If that doesn't work, I will probably contact J.W. Winco, the cranks they have are pretty much exactly what I want.

Carrlane wrote back and said they don't do 1/4" square broaches.

To answer the question whether I need a lot of cranking-no, the slide moves very smoothly. It is supposed to be connected to a square box that slides with tounge and grooves. I doubt that I would need much force to move it all, if I wax everything well. A lot of the ideas for the jig come from Mathias Wandel's screw-advance box joint jig.

I attached a picture of the design I have so far… it's just missing the crank/hand-wheel. Note that this is not yet done… I still need to tweak a bunch of things before I can start building it.


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## DrTebi (Jun 16, 2009)

I guess this would be the idea when made out of wood:


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## casual1carpenter (Aug 16, 2011)

the dr's in the house, if you do not feel that you can not make an adequate 1/4 square mortise you could split the handle and do two dado's slightly less than quarter by eighth and a few more counter bored nut bolt sets or screws. 
Putting aside the crank geometry for a second, I would ask on the pitch of the rod threading. Will any number of complete turns accomplish the movement you need. Consider that repetitive error adds up quickly in a joint with numerous cuts / movements as the box joint you envision. If in fact full turns will accomplish you objective movements you might consider adding a pointer and a thin, even a hacksaw, inscribed line to help with accuracy and repeatability.










BTW, just got home from the pub after more than a few pints so I hope this makes sense.


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## Nickdarr (Nov 2, 2012)

Had a similar problem on a lift handle. Bought a handwheel with a round hole, roughed the inside of the wheel and the square shaft. I used JB weld and stuck it on. It has worked well for a couple of years.


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

*casual1carpenter beat me to it!*

It is the common simplest solution to the square hole, *two 45° triangles*!


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## DrTebi (Jun 16, 2009)

@Nickdarr: That would work, but I cannot find a good size hand-wheel with a small hole. I could get one with no bore, and drill a hole and then file…

@casual1carpenter: That's a great idea to make the 1/4" mortise more precise.

Well, there are some good news though. A bit embarassing in a way… I realized that the 1/4" socket I am using right now for testing purposes, is actually an 8-point socket, meaning it is meant for square nuts. That's why it fits so well.

So I took a few more measurements, and I think I will use the socket as an adapter to a hand-wheel. The socket's outer diameter is 3/8", and it's easy to find a hand-wheel with a 3/8" hole. I will probably get one that also has a set-screw, file one side of the socket slightly flat, so that the set-screw has something to lock onto.

Maybe I make the wooden crank anway, just as a good exercise.

Regarding the pitch of the rod threading, it's 1/10". It was supposed to be 1/8", but the ebay seller was mistaken. Anyway, 1/10" still works well enough-a 1/4" would be 2.5 turns. Going into 1/8" and smaller would get tricky (doing 1/4 turns etc.). I attached a dial-caliper to the moving part of the line slide, and it turned out to be very accurate.

It's all a big experimental jig, I know that, and I also know that woodworking does not need micro precision in the 1/1000" of an inch. But it's fun to design this jig, and if all goes well, it could do box joints, tenons, lap-joints and probably more. In the worst case it will just be one massive cross-cut sled 

Oh, and by the way, the "Dr" in my nickname stands for "Drummer", not Doctor.


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## davegutz (Oct 16, 2012)

An arbor press and a square broach are the most basic machine shop tools. Grandpa is right. And this is the "right way" you're probing for. Trouble is, the machinists have kids and medical plans to pay for too.

I personally would make one on the lathe from a piece of hard maple.


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## lwllms (Jun 1, 2009)

You can get a 1/4" tap extension that will have a round shank and the square socket on the end. Cut the shaft to size and buy a handle/knob that will fit the round shaft.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=5809974&PMAKA=325-4889


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## DrTebi (Jun 16, 2009)

It has been a while… and I realized today that I never updated this post.

Well, it turned out that my grandfather-in-law is a machinist. He actually owns a factory that produces custom sockets for airplane manufacturers. We unfortunately live a few thousand miles apart though… however, when he heard about my need for a square hole hand wheel, he made a quick sketch and build one for me. An employee had the wheel slip off during polishing, and grandpa got really upset because it got scratched… I assured him I didn't care much about the cosmetics, and a couple of weeks later I had my custom-made Brito wheel:










I have already built the jig you see in the pictures in this post, I just haven't gotten around posting about it yet. I did however make a quick video of another jig that uses this linear stage-a jig that mounts to the table saw fence to allow precise movements/adjustments. I use it to cut thin strips for bent lamination, works great:


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## 1371Marine (Sep 23, 2014)

You can buy an 8 point socket or use the butt end of a 1/4" socket extension and chuck it up in a cordless drill



> Hello,
> 
> I recently acquired a nice 20" linear slide which I thought would be perfect for a screw-advanced type box joint jig. Everything is well, and I will start to build it soon, *but* I just cannot figure out how to attach a handwheel, or just anything, to that 1/4" square end of the lead screw?
> 
> ...


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## SCOTSMAN (Aug 1, 2008)

If you could remove the threaded portion and either put it in a a metal lathe, or even in desperation in an electric drill seated and fixed in a vice.Then when it spins slowly of course , carefully approach the square end ,with a file or if your really brave a small grinder with a metal cutting disc or flapwheel. I guarantee you it will soon become round.
Or if this is a nerve wracking prospect just file it round.Really if you take your time it should be a first rate job , Preperation is the key.If it does not come out easily as it should then leave in situ and attack the corners with a metal working file keep turning it and repeat on the four sides.Alistair


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

It depends on what you are putting around the shaft- steel or aluminum or wood. If you are using wood. I would drill a hole to the dimension across the flats and then file the corners to make the wood fit and then drill through the center and put a roll pin through it.
If using steel or aluminum, you could drill a hole to the size across the corners and then tap the metal and use a set screw against the flat of the shaft. If you want a real good fit, you can drill it out like I said in the wood and file the corners to fit and use a roll pin or set screw. On a 1/4" shaft, you will not have to do much filing with a small square file.
...........Jim


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## DrTebi (Jun 16, 2009)

Thank you for your helpful responses, but please note that this particular problem has already been solved. My last post describes how grandfather-in-law helped me out…


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

They do make cast iron hand wheel with square holes.

http://www.wdsltd.co.uk/product/3692/handwheel-square-hole-wds-8180

At Amazon too,

http://www.amazon.com/Spoked-handwheel-diameter-polished-without/dp/B00872C92K


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