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Homemade hex

Original Post
Nate Berman · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2013 · Points: 85

We machined this hex from a piece of aluminum barstock. I have an older Eiger hex so we basically duplicated it slightly smaller. I think it turned out really well and would like to hear what other people have to say.

Hex

Machine

Process

Hex

Hex

teece303 · · Highlands Ranch, CO · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 596

While impractical, I think this is pretty awesome!

Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349
"I think it turned out really well and would like to hear what other people have to say. "

"Yer GONNA die!!!"...
mountainhick · · Black Hawk, CO · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 120

Nice project. What else can you make that is original, new and ground breaking?

BTW I am VERY envious of the equipment! Wish I had a machine shop!

Gunkiemike · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2009 · Points: 3,492

My only criticism is that it appears to be symmetrical. If so, you're losing the second camming position that's a bit bigger than the usual. Read up on camming BD Hexes if you don't know what I'm referring to.

Mathias · · Loveland, CO · Joined Jun 2014 · Points: 306

That's awesome! I'd considered attempting this at work on the mill we have, but getting the right material was a concern. My understanding is that aluminum alloys are expensive. Cool project though!

Pavel Burov · · Russia · Joined May 2013 · Points: 50

Has anybody ever tried to print a hex using a 3D printer?

There are plastic nuts on market, why not to try plastic hex?

Xam · · Boulder, Co · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 76
Mathias wrote:That's awesome! I'd considered attempting this at work on the mill we have, but getting the right material was a concern. My understanding is that aluminum alloys are expensive. Cool project though!
Virtually all aluminum stock is alloyed but you pay more as the alloy gets more exotic. You can look for yourself at McMaster-Carr . Standard 6061 1 inch bar stock goes for $6.91 a foot. But if you need something higher strength, it will cost you more. Of course, if you are going to make something like a symmetric hex, you might as well start out with hex stock.
teece303 · · Highlands Ranch, CO · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 596

Can you explain what you mean, Gunkiemike?

This hex looks a lot like my BD hexes. What am I missing?

Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349

I'm missing it as well.

Gunks Jesse · · Shawangunk Township, NY · Joined May 2014 · Points: 111

The most important part of this from my perspective are the holes you run the cord through. You must remove all sharp edges and breaks from the holes. More than just debuting, you really need a tool that puts a good radius on the top holes where the webbing wraps around to prevent breakage. The bottom hole should be radiused as well but it isn't nearly as important as the top hole. There was much research done on this in the 1960s and 1970s and it drasticaly improved gear design. Essentially you need to increase the radius over which the webbing will pass.

For more info, read about MOACs in this link: needlesports.com/NeedleSpor…

Also, your hex would be more useful if it were a hexcentric (has two different leg lengths to vary placement options as suggested above). Compare currently sold hexcentrics to the Eiger hex nut.

will ar · · Vermont · Joined Jan 2010 · Points: 290
teece303 wrote:Can you explain what you mean, Gunkiemike? This hex looks a lot like my BD hexes. What am I missing?
Based on the second to last pic it looks like the hex he made is completely symmetrical. If you look at BD's hexes they are not-this allows you to place it rotated slightly clockwise and fit one size placement or rotate it slightly counter clockwise and get a different sized placement.

Gunks Jesse wrote:You must remove all sharp edges and breaks from the holes.
+1, not doing so is going to lower the strength of the cord or cable you're slinging them with.
djh860 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2014 · Points: 110

I love it

Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349

I'm no longer missing it.

Nate Berman · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2013 · Points: 85

Gunkiemike: doing an asymmetrical hex would be some pretty advanced machining. I'm 17 and not very experienced with the mill so this was the best I could do

Mathias · · Loveland, CO · Joined Jun 2014 · Points: 306

I'd assume that the front side and back side could still be parallel. All you'd have to do is make the two faces on one side, different dimensions from the two faces on the opposite side of the center line. That should give you the desired asymetrical effect. It really shouldn't be that hard to do, just think about it a while. You'll figure it out.

Matt Duthie · · Ann Arbor, Michigan · Joined Dec 2014 · Points: 10

Sweet little project, and very well done. If you wanted to get a little curious with angles and asymmetric faces for camming and whatnot, I'd recommend holding some round stock in a 3-jaw chuck on a rotary table squared up on the mill table (if you can gain access to one). Same deal, side-cutting with different angles and y-axis positions for each face, feed on x-axis. It'll afford you a lot more options with virtually no setup time required. Then if you want to do the math, you can even feed with the rotary table and machine radii on the corners for a truly modern looking piece of gear. Waste of time and energy, maybe, awesome fun to make your own things, definitely.

Bang Nhan · · Charlottesville, VA · Joined Dec 2010 · Points: 35

Correct me if I am wrong, the holes where you sling the cord through seem to have sharper edges than the worn down BD Hex. I guess you chamfer the holes down a little more to make them smoother.

Michael Brady · · Wenatchee, WA · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 1,316

CAM would obviously make the eccentric shape easy to obtain but since you only have a knee mill, the options that come to mind would be a rotary table, dividing head or a super spacer, and use a single flute fly cutter. 6061-T6 is what a lot of climbing gear is made out of and is widely available, if you wanted something a bit stronger 7xxx series is the logical step up.

Good job though, it looks nice. You can definitely make slung passive gear (that is subpar, useability wise) for a reasonable price but with a manual machine you will be paying with you time, thats why they extrude and forge as much as they can.

Michael Brady · · Wenatchee, WA · Joined Jul 2014 · Points: 1,316
Pavel Burov wrote:Has anybody ever tried to print a hex using a 3D printer? There are plastic nuts on market, why not to try plastic hex?
I would assume the plastic gear is made out of acetal or something stronger. ABS or PLA would equal death. DLMS would be viable but a poor use of the tech and very expensive.
Randy Travis · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 5

Definetly chamfer the holes for the sling! Really a smooth radius is best. Look up McMaster Carr Supply they have all kinds of metels for sale in small quanteties and really educational info on the different alloys. Mike Brady- I am under the impression that a lot of gear is 7050 or 7075? Would depend on how thin you dare make it! Have to agree with the pay with time thing. The forged and extruded ready made stuff is much stonger. I do understand how cool it is to make your own. When I started climbing in the 70s I used to file the threads out of machine nuts and sling them on 1/4" goldline.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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