square headed alon key instead of a hexagonal one? can you buy them at DIY stores?
I moved into a new home. There is a hideous chandalier in the living room that I have to remove. Problem is that it is screwed into the ceiling and I need an alon key with a square shaped head. My alon set is hexagonal. The tool to fit the chandalier was obviously supplied by the manufacturer. Is it hard to get a square headed alon key – any ideas where I can get one.
Thanks
June 7th, 2010 at 10:49 am
diy stores should have it, try a large b&q
June 7th, 2010 at 11:27 am
yep, home depot or any other hardware store… it is common, and they come in sizes just like phillips… #1, #2 and #3
June 7th, 2010 at 11:37 am
Why don’t you look on the Internet you should find what your looking for somewhere
GOOD LUCK……………
June 7th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
They are called, by most people, Allen Keys, although they are known in the trade as hexagonal wrenches.
I think you may be able to do what you are trying to do by the use of a suitably sized screw driver pushed tightly into the square hole diagonally.
June 7th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
You can buy a socket for a ratchet with these heads on also . Try looking in heating and electrical stores as well as motorfactors . Or any specialised tool company like snap-on. I would recommend screwfix direct online first.
June 7th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
A tight fitting screwdriver will do the job, or a piece of square steel with adjustable on it will do it.
June 7th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
They are called “Robertson” or Square drive and are generally in screwdrivers. By themselves, they are hard to find outside specialty strores (except in Canada where they are the more or less standard). But any good “multi-tip” screwdriver set will normally have a #1 and #2 Robertson bit, usually marked R1 and R2 or S1 and S2.
Lowe’s or Home Depot will often have a couple of these in either mutli-tip or single tip, if you look carefully.