Best Way to Make Blind Hexagonal Hole 1/2" Deep?

[Steve H Graham]

I want to make a six-sided cavity to hold a hex nut. The cavity would be blind. It's supposed to be a little tight, so friction will hold the nut in it when it is pounded in. It's for a nut for a Moxon-style vise.

Today I decided to try chiseling a hole in a piece of scrap, and while it worked, it was pretty atrocious. Apparently stuff that works well for chiseling a straight mortise aligned with the wood's grain gets a little iffy when you're chiseling a hexagon. Also, this is like the third thing I've chiseled, which may be a small part of the problem.

Am I better off cutting pieces on the table saw and glueing them to a bigger piece of wood? I could cut four long pieces with 60-degree cuts on the ends and glue them so they face each other and form a hexagonal hole.

I Googled and saw some people recommend drilling a round hole and opening the corners with a chisel.

[Roy Harding]

I'd hog out most of the mortise with a forstner bit, then cut the remainder with a chisel.

If your chisels only work when aligned with the grain, then they need sharpening.

Your table saw solution seems overly complicated.

[Garrett Ellis]

x2. drill the hole, then chisel. i would center the nut on the hole and trace around it as a guide.

[Dan Hahr]

If it wasn't massive or really hard wood, I'd drill a hole and pound it in with a hammer and block of wood.

Dan

[Keith Outten]

You might try cutting a hex shaped routing template then trim the sharp corners with a chisel.

[Bill Adamsen]

If it wasn't massive or really hard wood, I'd drill a hole and pound it in with a hammer and block of wood.

Dan

Hate to admit it ... I was thinking the same thing. Use the bolt threaded in to align, and a piece of hard wood (maple, ebony) as a platen or anvil against the nut.

[Steve H Graham]

The router idea is good. I have a tendency to destroy things when I use it, though.

I didn't consider forcing it. I do have a hydraulic press.

[Max Neu]

How big is the overall size? you might be able to use a multi-tool around the edges,then use a router and chisel to clean out the rest in the middle.Or try free handing it with a dremel and an 1/8" straight cutter.Either way,you will probably have to finish it with a chisel.

[Steve H Graham]

I don't have the nut yet, but today I practiced on one which is basically similar. The one I'm waiting for (two, actually) is an acme 3/4" nut. The one I practiced on is a 3/4" standard thread, and it's 1.1" across, from flat to flat.

[Andre Packwood]

As others have suggested, how about drilling a barely undersized hole and use your handy press to set the nut, THEN add expoy to keep the nut captive? If that is on the showing side, I am sure you can find something to hide the glue (and the nut). A veneer patch with a hole for the bolt?

Regards, André

[Roy Harding]

I like the pounding in or pressing in idea - unless you're working with ironwood or something else hard like that.

[Rick Lizek]

Use a t slot nut instead. Cut a rectangular hole instead.

[Steve H Graham]

I don't want to have to make my own T-nut with an internal acme thread.

[Chad Johnson]

I used the following process a few months ago when I completed this task. 1) drilled the holes for the threaded rod; 2) inserted rod through hole and placed a nut on each side of the board tightening the nuts and orienting the nuts so they are symmetrically oriented; 3) used marking knife to trace the shape and orientation; 4) used a 3/4 in Forstner bit to "rough" out the bulk of the material, setting the depth stop to the necessary depth to counter bore the but; 5) used a chisel to remove waste to my knife line.

A little extra room 1/32" is good around the nut because you want the nut to sit in the hole flat. If the nut is angled the rod may not freely thread through the nut and hole.

[Rick Lizek]

I don't want to have to make my own T-nut with an internal acme thread.

https://www.fastenal.com/products;js...%20Nuts%22%7C~
You buy them. They have standard threads not acme. Mount wide side in pocket and fill narrow with epoxy.