Wing Nut Key Power Driver

This is an Easy  Re-purposed  DIY  tool..

I do a lot of tumbling of geodes which are amazing special rocks good for a tumble.

My large tumblers are a 9" barrels with rubberized innards that hold, a bunch of rocks,
in tap water, with a scoop of grinding grit and about 15% free air space = volume.. 
Then the barrels are sealed and rotated at 16 RPM 24/7 for about two weeks.

When spin time is right  the rocks ( geodes ) need to be looked at and
the tumbling barrel will have to be opened.

• I have to unscrew the six 1/4-20 Wing-nuts per barrel
• Which starts by using a pair of pliers to loosen each one of them.
• Then finger un-twisting each of the Wing-nuts
•  
•  A future ible will describe why this is a Fascinating Hobby  
•  
• Then repeat this process in reverse.
• Finger twist and tighten each of the Wing-nuts
• Finally using a pair of pliers to tighten each one of them.

Using this  Wing Nut Key Driver   makes it so  Much Easier  and  Quicker  to open
then close the tumbler barrels.

The only hardware items you need are;

• A Concrete Anchor.- - - - mine was left over from a recent deck extension.
• And a 1/4-20 Wing-Nut and a bolt - - - to tune the Key for a best fit.

The tools that will be used are;

• A 3 inch vice - - - - - - to squeeze the metal fingers together,  & yes mine is a 4".
• A hack saw - - - - - - - to cut the iron anchor rod..
• A grinder or rat file - - to dimple the Key fingers to clear the wing-nut center bulge.
• A wire wheel - - - - - -  to remove the paint and smooth sharp metal edges.

This is really simple

FIRST

• Do the cut,  longer is better ( _{you can always cut shorter} )
• Second picture

SECOND

• Pinch the fingers together
• Pictures 4, 5 and six

THIRD

• Grind the Key Fingers to seat the Wing-nut center bulge
• keep testing how well if envelops the key
• Pictures 7, 8 and nine

FOURTH

• Wire Wheel to clean the paint off of the metal
• Picture twelve

Side issue ......   I used that holy part of the iron anchor in making my  Magic Ladder  ible.

Enjoy using this simple tool
Which can magnetically help you open undo a Wingnut !
See the short Video.

While using my new .... WING NUT KEY ....  Undoing those stubborn Wingnuts

It was immediately obvious and desirable to have the  Key Driver 
automatically lift the iron based  Wingnuts as they disengaged
from the ¼-20 screw thread.

It turns out that the shape of my .. WING NUT KEY .. is a natural .. U .. shaped magnet configuration
and a group of NIB magnets o.42" long slides to the end of the  WING NUT KEY  fingers
and stops as the pictures show just in the perfect place to hold Wingnuts after they
are un-threaded from the ¼-20 bolt.

See the graphic of the Magnetic flux paths for a clear view.

I have a large selection of NIB magnets left over from my Lucky-Penny-4-You Instructable
and used  to hand  them out at  Burning man  as popular favors.

THIN .... Magnets o.37" in diameter o.06" thin that's  NdFeB Disc, 3/8 in. x 1/16 in. about 15¢ and
THICK . Magnets o.37" in diameter o.12" thick that's NdFeB Disc Magnet, 3/8 in. x 1/8 in about 55¢
You could just buy the 15¢  THIN  magnets.

Both of these NIB ( Neodymium-Iron-Boron ) can also be purchased at K&J Magnetic Products..

While the tool works on brass wing nuts  Don't expect the magnets to be of any help.

WHAT'S  ALL  THIS  STUFF  FOR  ?

Has been  asked ... and ...  Here is  the final result