Template for drilled hexentrics

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Messages 1 - 17 of total 17 in this topic
Mark Force

Trad climber
Cave Creek, AZ
Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 14, 2011 - 10:24pm PT
Anyone have the drilling template for the old Chouinard hexes? I have the polycentric drilled hexes for all sizes except the #8. Am collecting the symmetrical hexes (first generation) and would like to get the templates for those, also.
scuffy b

climber
dissected alluvial deposits, late Pleistocene
Sep 14, 2011 - 10:49pm PT
I don't think I ever saw drilled first generation Hexentrics.
TGT

Social climber
So Cal
Sep 14, 2011 - 10:57pm PT
You had to drill them yourself.

They would mail you cardboard templates.

Still have my original set, drilled, but finding the templates would be next to impossible.

mongrel

Trad climber
Truckee, CA
Sep 14, 2011 - 11:22pm PT
I'm pretty sure I saved a copy of the templates for the non-symmetrical Chouinard hexentrics, but don't believe I ever had these for symmetrical ones. I think you can sort of use the asymm. template for the other hexes, though. Send me an e-mail and I'll try to find them and send you a scan.
Mark Force

Trad climber
Cave Creek, AZ
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 15, 2011 - 12:30am PT
Chouinard did factory drill second generation hexes for a while. Crazy when you consider how time intensive that is and how little they were charging for them. The templates for DIY came before that, I think. They quickly went on to the thinner walls to keep costs down and they were actually ~400lbs stronger.

Here's the set of factory drilled polycentric hexes I got off eBay.



There was no drilled #8. I'd like to get a #8, or, if someone has one they don't want to part with, some pictures or a paper template. The plan is to complete the set and drill out the other thick-walled originals I have (definitely don't drill the later thinner walled versions!!) and offer the templates for any other weirdos out there that want to do the same.

Here's Yvon with some original symmetrical hexes he drilled. The pic can be found in the 1972 Chouinard catalog which has been scanned and made available online. It's a beautiful work of art and the writing is inspiring. http://climbaz.com/chouinard72/chouinard.html).


Here's me BITD stylin' drilled hexes.

Mark Force

Trad climber
Cave Creek, AZ
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 15, 2011 - 12:33am PT
Mongrel-
Thanks for the offer on the templates!!
Mark
Bullwinkle

Boulder climber
Sep 15, 2011 - 12:47am PT
One time BITD Bachar dropped a Chouinard biner from North OverHang in J.T. he no longer trusted it so he drilled lightening holes in it and used it for a ChalkBag biner.

SomeHow Yvon saw it when we went to the Shop to buy seconds, his eyes rolled back in his head and he turned purple. He then walked back into the store room and came out with a new biner, threw it at Jack and said "You Punks stay outta my trash can". . .
randy88fj62

Trad climber
LA, CA
Apr 28, 2016 - 03:26pm PT
I have a Chouinard #11 hex. Anyone know what wall thickness the old thick ones were or the new thin ones are?

Trying to decide if the #11 I have can be drilled out or not.
Tipkiss

Trad climber
CA
Apr 28, 2016 - 04:12pm PT
Anyone know what wall thickness the old thick ones were or the new thin ones are?

The sidewalls on my chouinard #11 range from 3/16ths of an inch to 1/4 inch thick, it is drilled
Mark Force

Trad climber
Ashland, Oregon
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 28, 2016 - 04:29pm PT
Take it to an REI cuz they still sell BD Hexentrics. Don't drill it if the walls of what you have are the same as the new ones!!!!

If it is thicker (should be substantially more substantial) you are good to go. Tom Frost did the template so the pattern was engineered. Don't randomly drill them out if you plan to use it!

I have the template pattern around in storage. If you need it I can send you the template once I get the new house done (~3 months).
Fritz

Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
Apr 28, 2016 - 07:11pm PT
Here's a link to a website (Vertical Archaeology) that has the drill templete you should be able to match to the undrilled Hexes.

http://verticalarchaeology.com/2015/03/18/chouinard-drilled-hex-template/

I suspect undrilled early Hexes may be more collectable, but I'm post dinner & drinking Zinfandel.
F10

Trad climber
Bishop
Apr 28, 2016 - 07:47pm PT
I remember seeing the templates for drilling hexes. With my dad's hand drill I gave it a shot. It was slow going and I gave up. A few hexes ended up with a couple of random holes.

On a different note I have a bunch of early 70's Chouinard hexes and stoppers that I would like to get rid of. PM me here

James
BruceHildenbrand

Social climber
Mountain View/Boulder
Apr 28, 2016 - 08:02pm PT
About 1975 Chouinard sent out a newsletter of sorts with the templates included. You cut them out, taped them to your hexes and drilled. I got the machinist who worked in the Physics Department at UC Davis to let me use his drill press. It was a bit funky since the hexes were excentric in all dimensions, but it worked out.

They didn't make me a better climber, well, duh, but they looked cool!
Mark Force

Trad climber
Ashland, Oregon
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 28, 2016 - 08:26pm PT
I remember getting the templates while going to college in Flagstaff in '76 and being so jazzed about drilling my hexes.

Talked Lee Dexter into letting me use his drill press in the back of the Alpineer in Flagstaff. It took me forever and I think he regretted giving me the OK. Even though they weren't much lighter for all that work and didn't work any better than before they sure did look cool!
randy88fj62

Trad climber
LA, CA
Apr 29, 2016 - 09:27am PT
Tipkiss,
Thank you for the clarification on wall thickness. Exactly what I needed.
Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
Apr 29, 2016 - 10:01am PT
I felt that the thick wall hexes "bit" the rock better than the thin wall models. They felt more "dead" and snug when seated. Maybe the thick wall, drilled or otherwise, were of a softer, more malleable grade aluminum?

When seated on their edges, the thick wall units give more surface contact. Heft can be a good thing.

The thin wall units seemed to rattle in the placement more easily. I didn't like them. It's like they were endowed with different harmonics, which actually mattered. Maybe wall thickness is good for vibration damping?
Mark Force

Trad climber
Ashland, Oregon
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 29, 2016 - 10:14am PT
^^^^Your observation seems quite sound. The older hexes had a certain feel and sound when you'd set them and you knew you were good - they'd be there when you needed them....

It does seem reasonable that this is related to a certain softness and/or elasticity of the aluminum in that generation of hexes that allows more bite.

Nice to "see" you around these parts, TarBuster.
Messages 1 - 17 of total 17 in this topic
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