allen wrench size to remove Flatiron neck bolts?

[Dave Richard]

I have to reset the neck on a 1984 Flatiron mando, and the neck is secured(not very well, it turns out) by two small allen bolts. I'll need to buy a 12" long allen wrench to reach through the endpin hole. Does anyone know what size I'll need? I'm hoping to avoid buying a whole set from a local specialty tool dealer.

[sunburst]

Sorry, I don't remember what size wrench it takes, and I also don't know what the situation is with the mandolin, but...
Sometimes the bolts get loose, especially if there has been some moisture cycling (going from high relative humidity to low RH), and the neck angle can be restored by simply tightening the bolts. Of course, that requires the wrench you seek, but when you get the wrench...

[Willie Poole]

Possibly get a long 1/4" extension and a small socket that fits a short Allen wrench, if the socket will fit through the end pin hole you are home free, beats buying something that you don`t need...I am not sure what sizes they are but I do know there are sockets that fit Allen wrenches....

Willie

[Skip Kelley]

Dave, for what it's worth, I know of one guy who welded the straight part of the allen wrench to a 12 inch piece of steel rod. He went in through the end pin hole and took the bolts out without a problem. It was cheap enough.

[George R. Lane]

Dave,
I would contact Bruce Weber. I am sure he would know the size.
Contact him at bruce@montanalutherie.com

[sunburst]

Dave, for what it's worth, I know of one guy who welded the straight part of the allen wrench to a 12 inch piece of steel rod. He went in through the end pin hole and took the bolts out without a problem. It was cheap enough.

Yep, easy enough if you have even basic welding skills and the equipment to do it (a T-handle is a nice addition), but you still need to know the correct size wrench.

[John Arnold]

My recollection is 5/32", but I am not 100% sure. I took a piece of 3/16" cold rolled steel rod and filed a hex on the end of it. Yes, it's not hardened like a real Allen wrench, but for a single use, it worked just fine. It's probably still around here somewhere.

[Dave Richard]

Thank you all for your helpful replies. I may be able to just make one up, as described, and if not, I'll contact Bruce Weber.

[acousticphd]

If you buy one, you might want to get a 14" length just to make sure, unless you are certain you can reach it with the 12" - keep in mind that the wrench may have a short collar on the handle that will not fit into the end-pin hole, making the effective reach shorter than 12" .... I bought a 12" Allen wrench tool to adjust the internally accessed truss rod of my Givens Legacy, and it was like 1/4" too short. So I have both 12" and 14" tools, somewhere.

[Rick Lindstrom]

If the bolts aren't in too tightly, you might be able to back them out with a long, skinny slot head screwdriver through the end pin hole. Buy a cheap one at Harbor Freight and grind the head down to fit across the major axis of the hex recess. Once you get the bolts out, you'll know what size hex wrench to get for a proper re-installation.

[MikeEdgerton]

Please note message #9 in this thread.

[Dave Richard]

I was able to make a 9/64" long wrench, as suggested by John Arnold. Thanks again to all!