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I am trying to shorten an Allen wrench. What is the easiest way to do that?

Nick Valenza said:
Hey Brian, if it's not tool Steel, you don't recommend a dremel/angle grinder?
Click to expand...
Not without a lot of quenching - I'd be concerned at the steel losing temper then your shortened allen wrench would become an l-shaped dowel rod the first time you used it for anything resembling torque... If it was carbon steel, it could typically be cut quite well with a hacksaw and avoid the loss of temper, depending on the quality of the steel. M2 HSS would likely just flatten the teeth of a hacksaw (But then I'm no metallurgist I've cut down hand tools - wrenches, etc - with hacksaw while fabricating that "special purpose" tool in small engine/automotive/heavy duty repairs, as well as hardened steel crankshafts and so on, but never had any luck when I hit newer higher quality HSS.. took me years before learning that HSS isn't bothered much by the heat of grinding and cut-off wheels though..)
 
I have a cutoff wheel on my pneumatic die grinder that's used for this sort of thing. The end surface can then be cleaned up on the 80gt grinder wheel I use for rough grinding of my turning tools. The remaining surface can be polished nicely with a 3M deburring wheel. The results will be perfection.

The die grinder is also great for sharpening lawnmower blades!

-o-
 
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