Today I was trying to work out a stubborn screw from an FCS plug and ended up stripping the key. I didn’t want to grab a new one just to ruin that, so i got some heavy duty cutters and snipped off the end (just the part that was stripped). The key worked fine for a bit until the bastard stripped it again. So I cut some more off and kept going.
You could do this procedure about three or four times before you’d have to get a new key, so it might save someone a few bucks in the long run. I don’t know if anyone else does this, but I thought I’d share it just in case someone has problems with the longevity of his FCS keys.
yep, or the same sort of shorten-the-wrench deal done with a grinder.
For what it’s worth, FCS keys/hex wrenches are made awfully cheap, possibly from recycled and hardened bubble gum. An allen or hex wrench, made of good hardened steel, will be a lot less likely to strip, round off or mess up the screw. About 25 cents at your friendly neighborhood hardware store. Keep it in your wallet, not on your key ring.
The rationale for an FCS key that eventually wears out is that it prevents the grub screw in the plug from doing the same. Getting a grub screw caught in the plug with no way to get it out is a tricky one. I have seen people try to drill the grub screw out with no success.
It is much easier to grab a new FCS key or file/cut/grind it down to look after the grub screw in the plug.
Yes a mild steel key will last for heaps longer but will eventually wreck the head of the grub screw. It will also rust which increases its size and will ensure you bugger the grub screw in the plug.
I get mine at Small parts in bulk. I think between $0.50 and $1 per allen key. They are 3/32" SAE hex wrenches, available at finer hardware stores everywhere. Or, number 4 size.
Or, just bum a Futures key from a surf shop, they are the same size and made of steel.
My personal belief is that the only reason FCS keys are soft metal is so they can save money. As an engineer I cannot imagine designing a hex key to fail. You cannot possibly expect an end-user to cut his hex wrench off and de-burr it, or diagnose the key rounding off and get a new one. Sure, it may work for some people, but your success rate will be MUCH higher with a system that works better initially.
I have often set the key into a worn grubscew with super glue then left it for a couple hours and slowly and carefully removing it and replacing it with a newie. i think its better to stuff a key up than a screw too as you can always find another hex key easy