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3" or 6" shaft?

629 Views 9 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  wolfgang953
Yea, theres a question i never thought id ask random strangers' ... ...

Anyway, im looking to get a 3/8" nut driver. Im using it simply enough to remove a 10/24 nut from a hanger bolt.
In this particular case, i have a wing nut on the hanger bolt, upside down, then im useng a regular nut right up against it (like a lock nut). That way i can put reverse pressure on the hangerbolt and the nut keeps it from unscrewing. So the force goes into the hanger bolt and removes it from the wood, and its good for reuse.

After the hanger bolt is out, i have to remove the wing nut and the regular nut. But they are tight against each other. Usually it doesnt come off with hand power. So i use using 10mm socket screw driver thingy to losing it/break the connection. Then i could do it by hand. Trouble was, the socket screw driver thingy was already broke. The plastic on the handle had broken off doing something else. So its ability has greatly decreased. - I was using a 3/8 wrench for a bit. It works, but much more of a pain for this job.

So i was looking at a new 3/8" nut driver. And they had one with a 3" shaft and one with a 6" shaft. Same exact design, tho the 6" was a couple pennies cheaper for some reason... seems odd.. but i wasnt sure which one would be better for this application. I tried searching for it but best i found was 'depends on what you need it for' and 'i got both'.
So now you now the reason. And this tool would likely end up set aside, dedicated for this use mainly. Being used in the open, not a tight space. - So which would be better for this application?

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Side question... what the hell is that socket screwdriver thinggie actually called? lol
I was making a video the other day using one during it. But i forgot what its called and kept refering to it as a socket screwdriver thinggie. - While looking for a replacment i found the 3/8" nut driver. So maybe its a socket driver? Im honestly not sure, sadly.

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Its has a square end so i can put any number of sized sockets on the end.
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I dont rly see anything like this when i looked earlier. This set was bought probably back in the 90's by my dad, i assume. I think it was ever used until recently.
So when we say 'well use it one day!!! ' ... we mean it! might be a 30 year wait, but im using it!
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I got a Craftsman set like that in 2000 or so when I was really looking for a nut driver set. I think that it is much more useful. I'd call it a 1/4" socket set that includes a ratchet and screwdriver handle. A short handle with extensions gives the most flexibility.
do you have the 1/4 ratchet drive for that kit?
if the nut is "too far" onto the hanger bolt, you'll need a "deep socket" to get to it...

the thingie:
"Spinner Handle" . . .
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Side question... what the hell is that socket screwdriver thinggie actually called? lol
I was making a video the other day using one during it. But i forgot what its called and kept refering to it as a socket screwdriver thinggie. - While looking for a replacment i found the 3/8" nut driver. So maybe its a socket driver? Im honestly not sure, sadly.
The handles with the sockets "built in" are called spin tites and come in sizes from 3/16" to 1/2".
The separate sockets with 1/4" square drives are called socket drivers and only come in 1/4" sq , not 3/8".
There are socket sets for both 1/4" sq and 3/8" sq drives for use with ratchet wrenches.
Hollow shaft nut drivers allow for a deeper reach:

do you have the 1/4 ratchet drive for that kit?
The actual ratchet piece for that set, i do have. Im using that with a 3/4" deep socket to remove the hanger bolts from the wood itself. - Then i was using that spinner handle with one of those small sockets to loosen the regular nut afterwards.

if the nut is "too far" onto the hanger bolt, you'll need a "deep socket" to get to it...
I actually didnt think of that while looking for a new driver. Which is odd because i got both a shallow 3/4" and deep 3/4" for the actual hangerbolt removal portion of this for just that reason..

The socket i used, attached to that spinner handle, is about 1/2" deep. And that was working just fine. I already did several of these removals and had no issues. But the single nut drivers i was look at online do not list the depth of the socket portion.
Tho i could just get a new spinner handle itself. I guess that would give me more versatility in that i could use any of those sockets in that kit with it. Thats probably a better idea.

There are socket sets for both 1/4" sq and 3/8" sq drives for use with ratchet wrenches.
Yea, i found that interesting. At the start of this project i had bought a 3/4" shallow and a 3/4" deep socket since i wasnt sure which one would work better. And i didnt want to make a separate trip if i was wrong. After i got home i saw that both sockets had a different size square drive on the other end. The shallow fit the ratchet in the set i pictured above. The deep socket had a 1/2" drive and didnt fit. Luckily i had an adapter at home so i could still use it.

Hollow shaft nut drivers allow for a deeper reach:
Those ones you linked to were actually what i was looking at. Only i was looking at those in single units instead of a full set. But the same ones. For the 3/8" size specifically, they had one with a 3" shaft and one with a 6" shaft. I wasnt sure which would be better for this. Which was part of what i was asking about; which would be more suited for this.
Im still wondering that question, tho i think i might grab a new spinner handle instead. Or maybe both. Not sure yet.
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Buy sockets in sets, for 1/4" 3/8" or 1/2" drives and buy spin-tites in sets, so you'll always have the right size.
BTW, sockets and spin-tites come in SAE, 1/16" increments and Metric in mm increments.
Do not buy them one at a time, it's much more costly.
I already have the small socket set as you see in the op pic; including the socket size i need for this. I just have to get a new spinner handle since my little one broke.
I also already have a number of actual nut drivers. Just not the nut driver size of 3/8" that would fit a 10-24 nut.
So there is no point in getting full new sets. I also dont have the funds to do new full sets.

So im likely going to get a new spinner handle so i can use that whole socket set if needed. But if i do get a 3/8" nut driver for this specific task, which would be better/why between the 3" hallow shaft and the 6" hallow shaft
Two box or crescent wrenches can accomplish the same task with no restriction on barrel/shaft length. One big one hold the wing nut, the smaller one grabs the hex nut.

Or - use a vise with wood cushioned jaws to hold the threads and wing tips from turning and a crescent wrench to spin the hex...

Or - take the broken handles nut driver and make four flat spots at the top of the handle with your grinder - then use a crescent wrench to act as the handle and turn the remains of the nut driver.
I already have a process working just fine. With the nut driver/socket driver, i can hold the wing nut with my hand and break the seal with the driver. Done. Its very simple.
Until the spinning handle broke at least. - I can, and did, use the circle end of a regular 3/8" wrench. It works well enough. But the driver method was a lot faster and a lot more simple.

While looking at nut drivers, i saw they have some with 3" hallow shafts and the same thing with 6" hallow shafts. Just wanna know the difference between these and which would actually work better for this.
Chances are ill get a replacment spinner handle, since i can do more with that.. but i still want to know about the 3"-6" question i originally had.
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