Will this work?

It's a square nut on Logan tailstocks AFAIK, regardless. Dunno if there are any standards for those, heavy or not. Square nuts are trivial to make, though — don't even need a mill. Either start with bar stock of the required dimensions, or scribe a square on the end of a round rod and mill the flats with an end mill in the spindle and the work held on the compound (in a tool holder or just clamped to the compound with shims).

Unless the interior of the wrench has worn to a complete circle (which would surprise me), it sure seems easier to make a new nut out of scrap than to make a new wrench or modify the existing one.
 
Rex Walters said:
Funny you mention "Kipp" lever -- I never knew what those things were called until Stefan used the name in one of his videos.

Interesting history: https://www.kipp.com/gb/en/Company/History.html
Click to expand...
I have six different Kipp levers on my lathe. Only a chuck key is needed to operate. On machines, I usually "upgrade" to Kipp if generic levers are used. Their big levers are real nice, my tailstock, toolpost, and carriage lock are that type. It's an elegant touch.
 
pontiac428 said:
I usually "upgrade" to Kipp if generic levers are used.
Click to expand...

I removed the handles from the annoying pot metal gib locks on my vertical mill (knockoff Kipp levers). I use a tee handled hex driver instead that I hang from a magnet by the mill.

The originals were such soft metal that they rounded over pretty much immediately.

(Hey, I’m sorta on topic for a change! Though I suspect the forged Logan wrench lasted several decades longer than the few minutes my cast pot metal levers did.)

One of these days I’ll get around to rebuilding the thing. When I do, I’ll have to source some real Kipp levers.
 
Instead of finding who hijacked what, let's play a game!

How many Kipp levers can you count in this photo?

PXL_20230430_182513748.jpg

How about this one?

IMAG1393.jpg
 
You've inspired me John. I see that Kipp makes ball-handle clamp levers. I love the look of ball handles, so I thought I'd add them to my tailstock lock, carriage lock, and cross-slide lock (as well as replacing the gib locks on my mill).

Then I saw the prices! (Over $100 for the steel ones.)

So I will eventually make ball handled clamp handles for all my machines going forward. It helps that I've now got a ball turner now, but balls under 1/2" diameter I just use a form tool.

I've at least taken the first step of adding it to my project list. That list is becoming a bit ridiculous, but only I get to choose what to move to the top.

Instead of the Kipp-style spring loaded, adjustable type, though, I'll almost certainly just face bushings/washers to length and clock the handles where I want them. Easier to make a custom bushing for each location than to make a spring-loaded adjusting mechanism I think.

I got plenty of practice clocking ball handles when I built my Quorn!

Lathe:
  1. Carriage lock
  2. Cross-slide gib lock
  3. Light fixture base (?) lock
  4. Compound gib lock
  5. Tool post mounting lock lock
  6. Tool post dovetail locking lever
D-bit grinder:
  1. Axis 1 lock
  2. Axis 2 lock
  3. Axis 3 lock
  4. Maybe others I can't see in the photo.
My Quorn has WAY more ball handles than that grinder, but my lathe is feeling inadequate! :)
 
Last edited:
Rex Walters said:
You've inspired me John. I see that Kipp makes ball-handle clamp levers. I love the look of ball handles, so I thought I'd add them to my tailstock lock, carriage lock, and cross-slide lock (as well as replacing the gib locks on my mill).

Then I saw the prices! (Over $100 for the steel ones.)

So I will eventually make ball handled clamp handles for all my machines going forward. It helps that I've now got a [ball turner](https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/jims-truly-simple-ball-turning-tool.107341) now, but balls under 1/2" diameter I just use a form tool.

I've at least taken the first step of adding it to my project list. That list is becoming a bit ridiculous, but only I get to choose what to move to the top.

Instead of the Kipp-style spring loaded, adjustable type, though, I'll almost certainly just face bushings/washers to length and clock the handles where I want them. Easier to make a custom bushing for each location than to make a spring-loaded adjusting mechanism I think.

I got plenty of practice clocking ball handles when I built my Quorn!

Lathe:
  1. Carriage lock
  2. Cross-slide gib lock
  3. Light fixture base (?) lock
  4. Compound gib lock
  5. Tool post mounting lock lock
  6. Tool post dovetail locking lever
D-bit grinder:
  1. Axis 1 lock
  2. Axis 2 lock
  3. Axis 3 lock
  4. Maybe others I can't see in the photo.
My Quorn has WAY more ball handles than that grinder, but my lathe is feeling inadequate! :)
Click to expand...
I know a guy who makes these things :)
 
For your wrench, make an insert.

Brass makes a good contrast.

Get some thin shim stock from the local hobby store, you can use the nut as a die, place it on a bolt in your vise.

Fold the brass over the corners, use a c-clamp to hold it.

A small hammer can be made to get it to exact fit.

When you cut to last corner get the fit good. Then solder it closed.

Make sure it can come off and on the nut.

Now, fit this inside the wrench, either open wrench or thin the brass.

Will the wrench accept solder?

Proper heat and Flux, if clean the solder should flow, solder the insert in place then clean up the outflow.

Epoxy also works.

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk
 
tq60 said:
For your wrench, make an insert.

Brass makes a good contrast.
Click to expand...
I was kind of leaning this way. I basically solder thin brass for a living. I've never soldered brass to cast iron, though. I guess epoxy would work. The forces on the adhesive are basically compression, not shear.
 
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