Fabbed up some socket holders

NUTTSGT · Dec 15, 2011

I had done this once before and never got around to making a thread on it. I might have posted a pic of the 1/2" drive stuff but I honestly don't remember.
I keep all my air tools in a single 40" wide drawer and the socket holders are for my impact sockets.
Here are the ones I made for the 1/2" stuff, that I never took pics as I was making.

Since I bought a 3/8" drive air impact and sockets this summer, I needed some storage for them. Here's what I started with, some 3/4" flat stock, some 1/4"x 2" bolts and washers.

I cut off the threaded end, as I wanted a bare shaft for the sockets to sit on.

Then I rounded the ends off with a grinder, bolt cutters are somewhat brutal. The two bolts for smaller shallow sockets had to be thinned down a little for the socket to fit over.

NUTTSGT · Dec 15, 2011

Next step was figuring out how wide to make them. Actually I matched it to the one I already made, 9" wide. So I cut up some flat stock.

and started to tack it together. Once things looked ok, I welded them together. Then I welded the bolts on, head down.

I tossed it in the blast cabinet to clean all the **** off of it. Another trip to the welding table for the washers. The washers do nothing more than give the socket a wider base to sit on. Once they were added, a quick blast cleaned them up too.

Then a mock up to make sure they look ok. They are currently hanging up with the paint drying. Nobody likes to watch paint dry, so I didn't take a picture of that.

NUTTSGT · Dec 15, 2011

Now you'll notice an empty spot in front of the sockets. I'm going to build a small tray for the impact extensions. Something like this.

First, I have to fix my homemade brake, which I ruined bending the threshold for my door.

930dreamer · Dec 15, 2011

Nice fab work.

geologist · Dec 16, 2011

FABulous. Those turned out really nice.

NUTTSGT · Dec 16, 2011

Thanks guys. I know the second one didn't turn out as nice as the first one. Everything was closer on the second and it had 30% more positions making it tight.

NASTYZEN · Dec 16, 2011

Looks good.
You know, if you put a bit of Muriatic acid in a plastic container. You could dip the galvanized part of your bolt into it and dissolve the plating. So it's easier to weld and you don't have to breath the vaporized yellow cloud.
Save yourself some burns from the excessive spattering and make prettier welds.

NUTTSGT · Dec 16, 2011

NASTYZEN said:
Looks good.
You know, if you put a bit of Muriatic acid in a plastic container. You could dip the galvanized part of your bolt into it and dissolve the plating. So it's easier to weld and you don't have to breath the vaporized yellow cloud.
Save yourself some burns from the excessive spattering and make prettier welds.

Didn't know that but I do now. Thanks. :beer:

Honestly though, the welds for the bolts were bascially nothing more than 3 little tack welds. A little black paint, sockets on them and in a drawer, nobody will really see them now. :bounce:

t100 · Dec 16, 2011

yep, the muriatic acid will take off the zinc plating on these bolts in the matter of seconds. $2 a gallon at pool supply stores. for future reference, cad, zinc or any plating will weaken your welds, if you are making load bearing parts.

btw, I use the leftover acid to kill weeds behind the shop.

Agent1320 · Dec 16, 2011

Nice idea man, I'm gonna steal it!

NUTTSGT · Dec 16, 2011

Agent1320 said:
Nice idea man, I'm gonna steal it!

Be my guest, that's why I posted it up. Just me the credit for the idea when others ask you about it. . . .

"yeah, some ******* fireman on GJ thought it up" :lol_hitti

930dreamer · Dec 16, 2011

I think I have a case of 1/4" bolts, going to check tomorrow.

BigAl62 · Dec 16, 2011

That's a great idea! You could make a fortune selling those! (or go broke trying!!! :bounce:

)

CISO1969 · Dec 17, 2011

I like it. Solid and unique.

NASTYZEN · Dec 17, 2011

Oh yeah....Don't breath the Muriatic acid fumes...! The fumes also make everything in the shop rust a little faster.

I keep the bottle outside the shop and do the stripping outside also. I dump the used acid in an other bottle, not into the environment.

A final water dip and dry and your ready to go.
Beware, your stripped parts are going to corrode faster now. Don't weld them
in a week or your going to have clean of some rust.

NUTTSGT · Dec 17, 2011

930dreamer said:
I think I have a case of 1/4" bolts, going to check tomorrow.

The 1/4" is good for 3/8" drive sockets, for 1/2" drive stuff, you'll need larger bolts. IIRC, I used 3/8" bolts for almost all the 1/2" sockets except two small ones and those were 5/16".

USMCdodge · Dec 18, 2011

very cool! I made a few wrench holders with just a piece of u channel and a grinder to put slots in it.

NUTTSGT · Dec 18, 2011

USMCdodge said:
very cool! I made a few wrench holders with just a piece of u channel and a grinder to put slots in it.

I've thought about about wrench holders along the same lines as these socket holders. That would be for the larger wrenches, as I have already made some for "regular" sized wrenches. I wonder if I ever posted pics of those ? Damn getting old *****. :lol_hitti

OccupantRJ · Dec 18, 2011

NUTTSGT said:
I've thought about about wrench holders along the same lines as these socket holders. That would be for the larger wrenches, as I have already made some for "regular" sized wrenches. I wonder if I ever posted pics of those ? Damn getting old *****.

Eric, just click on your screen name, then the statistics tab, and you will be able to see anything you have ever posted or replied to.

NUTTSGT · Dec 18, 2011

OccupantRJ said:
Eric, just click on your screen name, then the statistics tab, and you will be able to see anything you have ever posted or replied to.

Trust me, I've done that a few times. I know I took pictures at one time but I don't know if I had posted somewhere in response to somebody else asking about wrench holders.

I'm glad you quoted me on that, I had forgot about those pics too. :lol:

NUTTSGT · Dec 18, 2011

Well, I just looked through pictures on the computer and I have none of the wrench holders, I will have to take some tonight.

NUTTSGT · Dec 18, 2011

As promised, I took a couple of pictures today.

Here are the wrench holders I fabbed up many months ago. They're nothing more than some flat stock and nuts welded on to them as spacers.

While I was out there, I grabbed a cut off wheel out of the drawer. Another idea popped into my head and a few minutes later, organized cut off wheels. Nothing more than a 3" piece of 10 guage and a 3/8" bolt welded on.

Provincial · Dec 18, 2011

Just a thought, but plow bolts have a flat head and a square shank. 5/16" plow bolts have a .325 square and 7/16" bolts have a .450 square. The flat head would weld down nicely and provide an automatic spacing (.605 on the 5/16" bolts and .826 for the 7/16" bolts) between the sockets. Plow bolts are usually unplated, which would make welding easier.

JC23 · Dec 19, 2011

Ha ha. I like to watch paint dry.

But I like it more when I put it on...

Nice work!

BUGTHUG · Mar 9, 2016

I think you could use a small piece of rebar, lot cheaper than all those bolts. Plus you don't have to cut the threads off. Basic a good idea, and is works for what it was designed for. Good job.

bimmer1980 · Mar 9, 2016

They also have plain rod in a variety of sizes at both the big box stores, tractor supply and of course, the steel supplier....

That would be a bit easier than cutting the threads off bolts and then having to dip them to remove the galvanizing.....

I understand these are done, but just for future reference for guys that want to use this idea.....

D1005 · Mar 12, 2016

Another cool idea. Thanks for sharing.

drivesitfar · Mar 12, 2016

Nutts: WELL DONE. just curious how you LIKE them? i'm hearing other options and wondering if you would make more exactly the same or what would you do different?

thanks for sharing

MP&C · Mar 12, 2016

Nice work Eric!

Richard Cranium · Mar 12, 2016

nice thanks for posting Eric

NUTTSGT · Mar 16, 2016

drivesitfar said:
Nutts: WELL DONE. just curious how you LIKE them? i'm hearing other options and wondering if you would make more exactly the same or what would you do different?

thanks for sharing

They're working fine for me. Would I make more the same way, not sure but probably as it wasn't extra work using the bolts. I think it saved me a bit.

Using the bolts allowed for a nice wide area to weld to and if I used rod and put to large a welding berry, it wouild have to be ground down to make sure the socket sat straight. The large head made it easier to make sure the bolt/rod was straight up and down, not leaning to the side.

drivesitfar · Mar 16, 2016

Nutts: I bet you had the bolts and the scraps and thought I think I should make some. congrats on making stuff you have laying around into a storage solution.

cheers

sberry · Mar 16, 2016

You can hide a lot of welding by drilling and plug weld from the back.

BUGTHUG · Mar 16, 2016

They make a little magnet that looks like a speed square. It works very well of keeping everything straight. I think HF has them for a few bucks. Plus it like a 3rd hand, helping to hold the part and not burning the hand.

Soslow · Mar 19, 2016

That's a pretty good idea. Thanks!

Fabbed up some socket holders

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