> (I've got square nuts on my lathe and plumbing caps, but who wants a
> socket for those?)
My Triumphs have multiple square headed pipe plugs, for gearbox drain &
fill, engine oil drain and differential drain & fill. As someone already
said, you want something that will grip all 4 corners, as otherwise they
tend to round off.
Haven't resorted to using a socket on the lathe yet, but it's nice to be
prepared in case something jams. By using a T-bar combined with a socket,
you can apply rotary force without a lot of side force, which is difficult
with an ordinary wrench.
Taps are another place I use 8pt sockets, especially for the pipe & O2
sensor taps that are too large for any of my tap handles. 1/2" drive T-bar
& an 8pt socket works quite well. Can't stand any side force, so wrenches
and whatnot are not suitable here.
1/4" drive ratchet & 8pt socket works really well on Triumph rear brake
adjusters, especially when you want to back them all the way off to remove a
drum. It's really a joy, compared to having to go 1/4 turn, then pull the
wrench off, then grope where you can't see to put it back on, etc. And the
threads tend to corrode and seize, so the extra force comes in handy too.
Square flats are easier to machine when fabricating tools & fixtures, too,
especially since I don't have a rotary table or dividing head (yet).
Randall
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