Square tool?

[beachtomountains]

I have a Gillig with several access doors that lock with a square opening. I’ve tried several tool stores and online but can’t find anything to fit that square hole. Is this common to RVs or just commercial vehicles? Does anyone know what it’s called?

[plfking]

Square socket key?

[beachtomountains]

I looked that term up online and it came up with all female. I need a male. I think “key” is going to help my search though. I bet it is like that- like a plumbers key. Thanks!

[plfking]

https://www.steelcitysupply.com/prod...waAgn3EALw_wcB

[beachtomountains]

Originally Posted by plfking

https://www.steelcitysupply.com/prod...waAgn3EALw_wcB

Heck YEAH that is going to work! Thanks!!

[Mountain Gnome]

I've been lookin' for a drill bit that will drill one of those square holes, so I can add a custom "arm" to the back of a keyed drawer lock (found at HD). If you find one, let me know...

[beachtomountains]

Will do Mountain Gnome

[plfking]

Originally Posted by Mountain Gnome

I've been lookin' for a drill bit that will drill one of those square holes, so I can add a custom "arm" to the back of a keyed drawer lock (found at HD). If you find one, let me know...

Mortise bit....

https://huttamaza.com/products/easys...gn=sag_organic

[Phantom5824]

Originally Posted by beachtomountains

I have a Gillig with several access doors that lock with a square opening. I’ve tried several tool stores and online but can’t find anything to fit that square hole. Is this common to RVs or just commercial vehicles? Does anyone know what it’s called?

Sometimes called a Crown Key, or a VW key, it is 5/16" square and tapers to ease insertion. Like this one:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VW-Vintage-...4AAOSwNixdumXu


or, this one
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-VW-...Je~q9N&vxp=mtr



You can of course use a large screwdriver to operate the latches.



The key pictured in the second link is also used with a padlock to keep the folding front door closed and locked from the outside of a Gillig.

[Mountain Gnome]

Originally Posted by plfking

Mortise bit....

https://huttamaza.com/products/easys...gn=sag_organic

Well I'll be a rat's uncle!
except I need it to drill a square hole in steel flat-bar. The one in the link only does wood.

[plfking]

Originally Posted by Mountain Gnome

Well I'll be a rat's uncle!
except I need it to drill a square hole in steel flat-bar. The one in the link only does wood.

Yeah, my bad.....should have realized you were talking about boring the cam. I've never seen nor heard of a square bit for metal.

Could you use your existing cam, and either screw, bolt, or rivet your customization onto it?

[Mountain Gnome]

Originally Posted by plfking

Yeah, my bad.....should have realized you were talking about boring the cam. I've never seen nor heard of a square bit for metal.

Could you use your existing cam, and either screw, bolt, or rivet your customization onto it?

I was only being a clown at first.
You blew my mind that one exists for wood!


I found a slightly longer screw at the back of the lock that holds the cam, swing-arm, whatever you call it, on. Then cut a piece of 1/2" flat bar to twice the length of the cam-arm. Drilled a round hole in the middle-center for the screw to go through. Added a washer to the screw because it was just a bit too long. Now I can drill holes at the ends of the swing-arms for push-pull rods to pass through. On one end, the rod will pass through the newly added arm, as well as the original which has the square hole, locking them together. The push-pull rods will open/close latches, or the ends of the rods will BE the latches for my hanging/ceiling cabinets' doors, which swing down. The lock will be installed near the top, center of the door.

Just waiting for it to not rain for 2 days so the wooden front porch will dry enough to pull out the welder. The only 120V/20Amp outlet I have for it is next to the front door, with the circuit-breaker panel 5 feet below in the basement. I couldn't find the maximum length of 12ga solid wire for a 120V/20Amp outlet, or maybe I'd run a near 70' line out to the front of the garage. I got a spool of wire, so maybe I could run a double wire, rather than going to 10ga or 8ga.


Anyway, I need to weld 1/2"-20tpi stainless steel nuts to 1" flatbar. Cut the flatbar to 3"-4" lengths. Drill a hole in the middle-center; either thread it to 1/2"-20tpi, or make it a full 1/2". Run a screw with a nut on it through the hole, then weld the nut onto the flatbar. Drill two more holes at either end of the flatbar for 1/4" steel rivets. Match the flatbar pattern to the correct position on the cabinet doors, and drill out the three holes in the wood. Then the flatbar can be riveted in on the inside of the door near the side-edges, and an eye-hook can be screwed into the nut from the inside of the door, though the flatbar and wood door, and be capped on the outside with a cap-nut and washers. Then the depth of the eye-hook can be adjusted with a twist. The push-pull rods attached to the lock will run though the eye-hooks, and latch behind the shelf hangers that hang from each rib. Each door will be as wide as between each rib.

[Iceni John]

Oh, the irony of a Gillig needing a Crown key. It's OK really - Gillig owners are almost like Crown owners, just slightly less so. If it makes you feel any better, my Crown uses a Gillig hydraulic valve body part for the radiator fan motor's speed controller, so there was some incestuous cross-pollination going on with those two supposed competitors. And to answer your question, if you need a key for the A.L.Hanson #46 compartment latches that Crown (and Gillig?) used everywhere, one can use a VW Bus engine compartment (I think) key, or a stepped plumbers' key for toilets or toilet tanks or something toilety. It ain't rocket surgery.

Are you anywhere in or near Southern California? The reason I'm asking is that there are plenty of us Crown Coach Junkies here, and we also welcome Gilligites (OK, we feel slightly sorry for them) to our get-togethers.

John