slim 4-40 nut driver - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: Alex Eisenhut
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 11:34:23 pm
content: I got this thing I want to take apart, it is held together by 4-40 nuts but as you can see they are in a pretty tight spot.It is a Tektronix S-42. The manual hasn't revealed anything yet about what tool to use.Of course I can't find my freakishly small wrench.If someone was able to tighten them, there must be a tool for it.What terms should I look for? I tried slim, narrow, and small. Didn't find much. It's like I need a nut driver with very thin walls.

author: maginnovision
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 11:38:57 pm
content: Usually you'd call it a thin wall socket. Might also find some open ended wrench that'd work but it'd be a special sort of tool. Can't you get it carefully with some pliers?

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 11:47:33 pm
content: I have some equipment that uses 2-56 nuts in a similar situation and I had to turn the shaft o.d. down on some small nutdrivers to make them fit. I used the short Xcelite brand nuts drivers that are about 4" long. The standard 2-56 nuts are 3/16" across but I managed to find some flange nuts that have a thin wall and are only 1/8" across the flats and 3/16" diameter flange. Sadly, I used all of the ones that I had and I haven't been able to find any more of them. Herehttps://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-of-12-Xcelite-Nut-Drivers-P3-P10-slot-Screwdrivers/283525460782?hash=item42036f332e:g:2NAAAOSwDXpdD5ck:sc:USPSPriority!32765!US!-1is a link to an E-bay auction that shows both the large and small Xcelite nutdrivers. The ones that I used are the same as the small red handled one that is 2nd from the left on the bottom row.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 12, 2019, 11:53:31 pm
content: Got a 1/4" drive socket set ?Find the socket that fits then chuck it in a drill and grind the walls of the socket down.Yes sacrilege I know but sometimes it's the only way.

author: digsys
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 13, 2019, 12:25:50 am
content: Our local electronics supply store has this type of thing - the "cheap" ones actually have very thin walls, and I use them for the exact same situations

author: duak
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2019, 02:50:21 am
content: I made a socket-wrench for a sensor nut by tapping a hex piece of steel into a piece of aluminum tubing. A commercial socket wouldn't work because the sensor had a cable coming out of its end. Do you have any tubing and a few 4-40 steel nuts or hex standoffs or an Allen key? For something like a 4-40 nut, copper tubing might just do the job.

author: edpalmer42
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2019, 03:14:17 am
content: Try <precision nut driver set> or <precision screwdriver set>. Many of these sets include nutdrivers. They're are often metric, but you should be able to find something that fits.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2019, 04:54:20 am
content: you can take a big one and grind it down to make a weak oneyou can spin it in something and carefully file it to reduce its diameter, then hold a sharpening stone to it while its spinning to make it look less crappy, then sand paperit will just fail sooner then regular onesthe only trick is having a tool to spin it in and being patient for a while gently filing it and holding a file strait (big drill press works), and you might also be able to jam the handle into a hole saw or something that attaches to a conventional drill with similar diameter (or make a clamp).Since its steel you might want to use a dremel on it while its spinning (the file works good for brass, I have not tried one on steel I imagine it would take a while or be otherwise challenging or downright impossible its hardened).

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2019, 07:54:15 am
content: That is not the only place on Tektronix equipment where access requires thin wall nut drivers. I got a set from Wiha for them.https://www.wihatools.com/tech-tools/precision-screwdrivers/nut-driversUpdate: Wera has thin walled nut drivers also.

author: SparkyFX
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2019, 08:54:47 am
content: "deep sockets" are usually thin wall the whole way and fit deep enough for such problems. I´ve got a metric set from Proxxon, no idea if they make imperial sizes.

author: Alex Eisenhut
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 14, 2019, 02:52:31 am
content: Thanks everyone, I will mull these options over.