The Build Behind This Item
The roof joint combined the rack’s quarter-twenty hardware with M5 hardware at the smaller added extrusion. The rack nuts slid in through an opening; the smaller nuts were harder to keep aligned while starting their bolts.
The Allen key helped me move those small nuts around in the channel. It was a slow part of assembly that came after the larger cutting and drilling tasks, and made the hand tool’s reach and handle shape relevant to the job.
Using a Thin Key to Position the Small Slot Nuts
- I joined the added beam using M5 hardware at the 2020 extrusion.
- The small nuts moved and spun when I tried to start the bolts.
- I used the thin bars of an Allen key to fish the nuts into position.
Camper Van Project Applications
A folding metric key set keeps common hex sizes together for repeated fitting work. Around aluminum extrusion, access to the head and room to turn the tool can decide whether the folding form is convenient. A driver bit and a hand key offer different reach and feedback at the fastener.
For a wider view of the build kit, see my van conversion tool checklist and budget versus professional tool comparisons.
Manufacturer Specifications And Instructions
| Specification | Manufacturer Detail |
|---|---|
| Model | DWHT70263M |
| System | Metric |
| Set | Eight folding keys |
| Locking Positions | 90°, 135° and 180° |
| Key Ends | Flat |
DEWALT’s folding-locking design keeps the keys in one handle and lets the selected key lock at different angles. That changes the available reach and hand position around a bracket. For my extrusion work, it gave me a compact hand tool for hex-socket fasteners when access or alignment made a powered driver less convenient.
My Experience with This Tool
I own several folding metric hex-key tools, but this DEWALT is the one I reach for first when I see it. It is another of my favorite DEWALT tools.
Watch My DEWALT Metric Hex Keys Review
My narrated review covers the folding set I reach for first and the small slot-nut positioning work in my roof camera-bracket assembly.
Press Play To Start The Video.
Read The Video Transcript
Hi, I'm Steve Smith with Camper Van Freedom. This is my DEWALT folding metric hex-key set. I own several folding metric tools, but this is the one I reach for first when I see it. It is another of my favorite DEWALT tools. On my roof assembly, an Allen key also helped position the small slot nuts.
The matching product picture shows the keys retained in a folding handle. An individual key rotates out for work at the fastener. Keeping the keys together changes how I carry and handle the set compared with separate L-shaped keys. The handle shape also matters when there is little room beside a joint.
My roof-assembly photographs show small bolts, slot hardware and an angle connection. The rack used quarter-twenty hardware, while my added twenty-twenty extrusion used M five hardware. These were different hardware systems meeting in the assembly. The workshop footage illustrates measuring and holding work.
The small nuts moved and spun while I tried to start the bolts. I used the thin bars of an Allen key to fish them into position inside the extrusion. Positioning the nut came before getting the bolt started. The diagram separates the slot, the moving nut and the approaching bolt.
My owner review is straightforward: this DEWALT is the folding metric tool I reach for first. That preference sits alongside the practical assembly story. A compact hand tool helped with a fiddly positioning job after the larger cutting and drilling tasks were already behind me.
The close-up photographs show the connection rather than a cutaway of the channel. Moving the nut, lining up the opening and starting the bolt were separate parts of fitting the joint. The small hand tool's reach mattered here, as did the room occupied by its handle.
My page compares two researched alternatives. Bondhus one zero nine nine nine supplies separate L-shaped metric keys with ball ends. Klein seven zero five eight two keeps metric keys together in a folding handle. Their matching pictures show the two arrangements. My own preference in this review is the DEWALT I used.
Thanks for watching. I'm Steve Smith with Camper Van Freedom. This was my DEWALT metric hex-key review and the small-nut alignment problem behind my roof connection. The full review, build photographs and current buying options are linked below. Until next time.
Watch This Review On YouTube · English Captions (VTT) · Download The Transcript
My Takeaway for Choosing the Kit
I would compare the format around the actual joint. My DEWALT purchase and the Klein alternative retain their keys in folding handles; Bondhus supplies separate L-shaped ball-end keys. A folding body keeps the keys together, while the separate-key format changes the space occupied by the handle beside a confined connection.
