Damnit! What are they called?!?!

yzmotoxer807

yzmotoxer807

Well-known member
So I am designing and building my own rod support system. I will have renders of the Solidworks Drawings up when I am done with the design, however, I am stuck because I cant find this part. I am looking for the little "L-Knob" that I assume an allen cap screw is pressed into and allows you to turn the screw with the knob instead of using a wrench (but still show the hex for the wrench if you want to use it). It is on seemingly every rod support clamp ever made but I cannot find then anywhere. I have found something sorta close on McMaster but they are plastic, cheasy, and don't show the hex for if I want to use a wrench. HELP!!! Does anyone know? Dennis? :)
 
In fact even the little knobs like on the Redrock rod support would be good. These don't have the hex head but that is fine as long as I can get something like this. I am looking for it to be adjustable tool-lessly and I know that the manufacturers get them from SOMEWHERE!
 
Oh so close to what I am looking for. I have seen these on McMaster too (even though these look nicer) but they are too big. I am talking about the little aluminum ones that the "lever" is like 10 or 15 mm long whereas the smallest one on that page is 40mm and that is at the wrong screw size. Thanks for trying though and I actually might be able to use one of the knurled knobs that is on that site too but I would like if possible to use the thing I am looking for.
 
Here is a picture of what I am looking for. The little red lever/handles/knobs:
attachment.php
 
Those are custom made by zacuto, they are not an off the shelf standard item. You will have to machine your own or settle for an alternative.... There are plenty of companies that make tightening knobs, they just wont be exactly that style. Have a look at Kipp.
 
Damn I was afraid of that. Oh well. The problem with anything that I have found is that they are longer handle than I want. So my options are to either get those plastic ones that press onto an allen cap screw head from McMaster, machine my own, or use tools (psh! who does that anymore?!:))

I don't really have a problem using the ones from mcmaster its just that because they are plastic press fit I don't know that they can grip the head of the bolt well enough to keep it from just spinning on the head. I suppose I could epoxy them though. Okay I think I just decided what Ill do. Thanks for helping to guide my rambling thoughts guys! :)
 
Note that those ones from Zacuto don't turn the screw at all. Screw stays stationary and the lever is threaded and is the clamping mechanism.
 
Thanks for those hoarp but I try to stay away from the metric stuff when I can. It's not that I like the english system better (NO WAY!) The metric system is way better but all of my dads shop is setup for english.

Anyway, I actually contacted Mandy from Zacuto and she got me the exact parts in the picture above (the little red ones). They were $8 a piece which is actually not a bad price. It would cost me about $5-$8 a piece to machine it my self on the cnc plus the time it would take so...

Jeff, this is okay because it comes to the same thing anyway since I am in the design stage now anyway. I will just try to emulate the way that the Zacuto clamps work.

By the way, I was very impressed with Zacuto today. From the time that I sent the first e-mail to the time my paypal order was paid was a little under two hours! Fast service! Also, I was glad that they didn't ask me for a serial number or something seeing as how this is the first Zacuto product I have bought and it wasn't a "replacement part".
 
Yeah zacuto rocks like that - had it been to fix broken ones they would've been free :) Gotta love a lifetime warranty! $8 a pop is a great price though, glad they could help you out. Are the Zacuto ones threaded for Metric or Standard? Seems like most of their stuff is standard, but I dont know about that part...
 
I actually don't know that. They couldn't give me a technical drawing and I didn't ask about the threads. If they are metric, its not the end of the world. The clamps will be designed around these parts. It's just that metric means I have to some metric taps. Oh well we'll see what they are when they get here!

Or, if they are metric, it may be possible to just drill and tap them the next english size bigger and do it that way. We'll see...
 
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