# accurate hexagonal holes for bolt heads



## steamingbill (Jan 13, 2013)

Hello,

Have been inserting hexagonal nuts and bolt heads into home made knobs

Have tried using chisel, have tried using dremel, both were awkward but doable and my hexagons were a bit sloppy.

Can't help thinking there is a better way involving a jig or a template

Whilst googling the problem I found this thread

Photos Making hex head holes in knife handles - Page 3

with this video

hexagon hole drilling using the vika attachment. - YouTube

anybody use any other ways of cutting accurate hexagonal holes ?


Bill


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Bill

Use square head bolts and nuts it will make your job easy..

McMaster-Carr
==


steamingbill said:


> Hello,
> 
> Have been inserting hexagonal nuts and bolt heads into home made knobs
> 
> ...


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## cagenuts (May 8, 2010)

Or alternatively don't use a bolt at all.

Rather use threaded rod and an insert and then epoxy the rod in place.


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## me5269 (Jun 2, 2011)

Hi Bill,
Most of my knobs are cherry. I use 1/4"x20 bolts/nuts. I drill a hole with a 27/64" or 7/16" brad point bit 3/16" to 1/4" deep, then drill thru with a 1/4" bit. I pull the nut/bolt into the knob using a bolt/nut and fender washer. makes a nice tight, clean fit,


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## RTexasCwby (Mar 7, 2009)

Bill, 
I make mine exactly like Michael. It works very well.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

You are saying you want that hex bolt head showing, am I right?


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## Santé (Jan 14, 2010)

Hi all
exactly like Michael.


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## steamingbill (Jan 13, 2013)

*Hexagonal holes*



JOAT said:


> You are saying you want that hex bolt head showing, am I right?


Hello,

Thanks for all of the responses.

No the hex head wont show - I'm the only one that will know how sloppy they are.

Was simply wondering how to do the job better, am fairly sure that others would do a much tidier job than what I have done. The post was basically a "fishing trip" to initiate some discussion and find out how others approach this sort of job. ie make a clean blind excavation of a specific shape in some timber and put in a tight fitting metal insert.

If I go slow and careful with a narrow sharp chisel it looks ok but its fairly easy to slightly overcut one edge and on such a small hole even a little mistake is a big %age of the hole size and just looks ugly

FYI on another thread somebody recommended this parser tool Two Legged Parser

I thought the funny hex drill bit in the video I found is an amazing and interesting bit of gear

Metalworkers have tools called broaches that seem to do this sort of shaped blind hole very well.

I wasn't sure about how well epoxy would grip a bare threaded bar and I will give that a shot .

Thanks again for all of the various responses.


Bill


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

steamingbill said:


> No the hex head wont show - I'm the only one that will know how sloppy they are.


Ah. In that case, if it was me doing it, I'd probably just drill a round hole, then use JB Weld.


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## Dodis (Dec 13, 2011)

Hey guys, this IS a router forum, why didn't anybody suggest a template??? :lol:

I finally had the chance to draw one up. Drew the hexes then offset the size by 1/8" to allow the use of a 1/8" straight bit and a 3/8" bushing. Will leave a bit of material in the corners, should be enough to hold the nut in place while glue sets, or while the cover piece is glued in place. Sizes range from a 1/4" up to 1" by 16ths.

I suppose if you wanted, you could size it for a 1/16" bit and 5/16" bushing for the smaller size nuts.

If you attach the pattern to 1/4" plexiglass, scribe the alignment lines with a utility knife, then cut the outer hexes with a scroll saw, you should be good to go. Other material would work, just would be easier to align using plexi with scribed lines.

Mike "Dodis"


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## Dmeadows (Jun 28, 2011)

Dodis said:


> Hey guys, this IS a router forum, why didn't anybody suggest a template??? :lol:
> 
> I finally had the chance to draw one up. Drew the hexes then offset the size by 1/8" to allow the use of a 1/8" straight bit and a 3/8" bushing. Will leave a bit of material in the corners, should be enough to hold the nut in place while glue sets, or while the cover piece is glued in place. Sizes range from a 1/4" up to 1" by 16ths.
> 
> ...


Hmm, because we can... doesn't really mean we should! But... to each their own way.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi

I make a lot of knobs and have used hex head bolts for some of them No need to make a easy job into a hard one,by the way hex templates don't work well, you will end up with round holes not hex..just because you use a round cutting tool.

Just drill 7/16" hole with a forstner bit , drill a 1/4" hole in the blank put the 1/4" bolt in place a get your air impact out and pull the bolt head right into the knob and it's done just that quick,drill the forstner hole a little bit deeper than the head height so it has a place to push the stock down into the hole..the bolt head will peel the stock down just right..

deep it in the KISS way..
===


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## Dodis (Dec 13, 2011)

Finally getting a chance to get back to this, and I agree, many have their own way they are happy with, I don't hope to change anyone, just offering a choice.

And I agree, KISS, no "need" for a template, but the question was also asked about a neater way to do this. A fancy (and surely high-dollar) hex-drill would do it, or build a parser, but a template to use with the routers, bits, and bushings we already have would be simple, cheap, and quick. (or cheaper to buy for those starting out)

As for only getting a "round hole", I have drawn up a 1/2" and 1/4" hex opening, with the appropriate 1/16" radius corners from a 1/8" bit as an example to see how small the rounded corners would be. Should be just enough wood to hold a nut in place while glue dries, or for an exact hex, just tiny corners to clean out. I also show the relationship of the bit and bushing to the template for both a 1/8+3/8 and 1/16+5/16 bit+bushing combo, both work the same with this one template.

As for me, I haven't made the template, just the plans. When I need metal threads in a wood project, I use T-nuts... though I may just have to make it to show results pics instead of drawings.

P.S. I re-attached the template as well, for anyone that does want to use it/try it, I had the hole sizes labeled wrong from 7/16 up...

Mike "Dodis"


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Thanks

It's not a big deal but I use the Hex template below
The Beall Tool Company

==



Dodis said:


> Finally getting a chance to get back to this, and I agree, many have their own way they are happy with, I don't hope to change anyone, just offering a choice.
> 
> And I agree, KISS, no "need" for a template, but the question was also asked about a neater way to do this. A fancy (and surely high-dollar) hex-drill would do it, or build a parser, but a template to use with the routers, bits, and bushings we already have would be simple, cheap, and quick. (or cheaper to buy for those starting out)
> 
> ...


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## steamingbill (Jan 13, 2013)

*No such thing as a 5 minute job*

Hello,

Have never used bushes and templates, so following various comments above decided to have a go and give myself some education.

As I went up to the shed I thought it would only take 5 minutes to knock up a quick jig - An hour later I remembered a mate of mine I used to work with, he always said there's no such thing as a 5 minute job.

See attached picture.

Learned something for future reference - you chaps already know this and will have a quiet chuckle - my final hexagon was pretty good but it was too big - by the diameter of the bit.

Following the faffing around, am beginning to think that if in future I just take the time to be a little more careful with the chisel if I ever have to do this sort of stuff where the holes will be seen, and be content with something a bit more rough and agricultural if the holes won't be seen, using the drilling methods described above.

Valuable for me to learn a bit more about templates and bushes so Thankyou.

Bill


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## Dodis (Dec 13, 2011)

Steamingbill, I agree, I spent about an hour myself doing a 5 minute test too.

I didn't have time tonight to do what I wanted to, so I went ahead and made a quick template. Glued a printout to a piece of 1/4" scrap, and quickly cut out the 3/8 and 7/16 hexes on the scroll saw. Of course, I didn't want to change the settings on my regular routers for the current job, so I had to make a quick subbase for my HF trim router, so I could use bushings. Then, using a 1/8 bit and the 3/8 bushing, routed one hole for each. Dropped a #10 and 1/4" nut in each, and just a light push they slipped right in. With a little more care at the jigsaw, I could tighten it up a bit more.

Later on, if I get some "free" time, I may go ahead and make the full template with a piece of 1/4" plexi, or if I come up with a need for it.

Mike "Dodis"


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## cagenuts (May 8, 2010)

Why can't this simply be cut using a morticing bit on the drill press? Just rotate the piece to match your layout lines.


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## Chris Curl (Feb 13, 2012)

sorry, i have to ask ... why not just use a t-nut? that is what they are made for.

here is how i make my knobs:

http://www.routerforums.com/jigs-fixtures/34299-my-first-knobs.html#post274698


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## steamingbill (Jan 13, 2013)

cagenuts said:


> Why can't this simply be cut using a morticing bit on the drill press? Just rotate the piece to match your layout lines.





Chris Curl said:


> sorry, i have to ask ... why not just use a t-nut? that is what they are made for.
> 
> here is how i make my knobs:
> 
> http://www.routerforums.com/jigs-fixtures/34299-my-first-knobs.html#post274698


Thanks gents - yes lotsa ways to skin this cat, and I'll be storing your ideas for future use

2 reasons I started the thread - find out how other folk make knobs and find out how other folk achieve accuracy when inserting a foreign piece into a wooden plate.

Bill


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## Will_Matney (Apr 20, 2013)

*Another way.*



steamingbill said:


> Hello,
> 
> Have been inserting hexagonal nuts and bolt heads into home made knobs
> 
> ...


If it is to be a blind nut, that you can't see, you can simply use T-Nuts in a counterbored hole, and cover the end with a wood plug.

For a 1/4-20 T-Nut, the shank diameter is 5/16", which would be the through hole through the part, then counterbore the part with a Forstner bit to 3/4" to accept the flanged head of the nut. Simply press the nut in, and then cover it with a 3/4" dowel, glued in, and sand it smooth. This also keeps the T-Nut's teeth from backing out of the wood. Its a great way to make wood knobs, etc.


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