Adjustable vs Fixed Spanners

[Trevanion]

I remember years ago a chap I worked with had some open ended spanners which were somehow shorter on one side of the mouth, and shaped so that you could effectively "ratchet" them. Anyone know what I'm talking about?

I've got a full set of these, Mine are old Ex-MOD Facom 40R "Speed" Spanners

(Not my picture, stole it from online)

They work the same as any other spanner really, It's just you can do a return stroke with the spanner without taking it off the nut just like the modern ratcheted one that pcb1962 showed.

 

[Inspector]

I was taught that the last wrench you reach for is a t’umb wrench. Those that do are graunch artists.

 

[AES]

Interesting that over the Pond you use the term "graunch". Is that common over there, or "just" an aero term (it's very common over here in aviation but I think I've heard it elsewhere)?

 

[Cheshirechappie]

My suspicion is that many of the objections to adjustable spanners go back to the days of tools like this;

https://img0.etsystatic.com/111/0/12655 ... 0_aemv.jpg

- made from steels that wore quickly, and with sufficient slop in the mechanism to develop out-of-parallel jaws and a complete inability to hold a pair of flats on a nut or bolt closely. In that case, objection is justifiable for any but the roughest work.

Nowadays, we have much better-made tools, such as this;

https://media.rs-online.com/t_large/F0539520-01.jpg

- which will take a surprising amount of use and abuse and still work well. I speak from experience - my 12" shifter has done about 30 years of sometimes rather hard service, and is still in very good order. I once saw a Bahco 18" adjustable with eight feet of scaffolding tube and a large bloke swinging his full weight on it; it never even grumbled - just took it, and was ready for more. Didn't damage the nuts, either (the job's or the bloke's).

 

[E-wan]

That locking adjustable spanner looks useful is Stanley the only brand that make these?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[Inspector]

Interesting that over the Pond you use the term "graunch". Is that common over there, or "just" an aero term (it's very common over here in aviation but I think I've heard it elsewhere)?

No it isn't a common term. I went to vocational school to be a aircraft mechanic and had a couple Brit instructors trying to pound (hammer) (hammer) good practices into us. They referred to us as a bunch of graunch artists a lot. (homer) (homer) (homer) (homer) (homer) (homer) (homer)

When I was actually working I realized t'umb wrenchs (a Newfie taught me that one) weren't the worst tool to use on nuts and bolts. It was the slip joint pliers that a Chinese guy loved to use. We took those away from him.

Pete

 

[AES]

OK Inspector, interesting. Seems "we" not only exported know-how but slang too at one stage.

I did my aircraft engineering apprenticeship in the RAF which is where I first heard "graunch". With us though it was "graunch merchants" rather than "graunch artists" - in just the same way I knew several blokes who referred to commercial engine overhaulers who were maybe, shall we say "somewhat suspect" (!) as "paraffin wash Johnnies" - but that was referring to "big round 'uns" of course, rather than today's fuel to noise converters.

 

[Inspector]

I worked on the big round 'uns myself with a firebombing company, so chased a lot of oil leaks on Pratt & Whitney and Wright engines in the Douglas A-26, Douglas DC-6, Grumman TBM and Trackers.

 

[AES]

Ahhhhhhhhhhh, Pratt 1830s, those was the days (along with those "abortionated" sleeve-valved Hercs and Centaurii)! The little Pratts (was it 1340s?) in the Beavers were good though, along with the Alvis Leonides - which I guess you didn't have in the US? (Percival Prince/Pembroke and Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer, among others).

Thread drift folks, sorry. Back to graunching.

 

[Inspector]

Only worked on the P&W-1830 on a stand and R-1340 (Harvard) in school. P&W-R2800 in the A-26 and DC-6. The Wrights were R-2600 and R-1820.
Pete
Announcer: Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

 

[TFrench]

Chesirechappie, I once saw a guy operating a piling rig pounding on his adjustable with a lump hammer to tighten a bolt. Serious tool abuse!

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[AndyT]

Ah, adjustable spanners... The really fascinating aspect is that so many mechanics have picked one up, used it and thought "I could make a better one" and hence there are enough designs to fill a book

http://taths.org.uk/99-new-book-the-adj ... ron-geesin

 

[AES]

Blimey? Over 3,000 (THOUSAND) variations! I had no idea. I must look at that properly later on, thanks Andy T.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

^^^^^ that's TATHS for you.

 

[Rhyolith]

That locking adjustable spanner looks useful is Stanley the only brand that make these?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Yes to my knowledge and only in 10”. If Bahco made them and in more sizes I doubt I’d have any other spanners in my toolbox.

 

[AES]

Yet another bit of thread drift, sorry, but not quite as much as my last anyway!

My lawn mover (a wheeled rotary) has the blade retained by a single large centre "nut" arrangement. Included with the machine is a large yellow "plastic ring spanner". This plastic is as tough as old boots because if you try and apply too much torque the "ring" expands a bit (it doesn't break) and the spanner just slips smartly around the nut to the next flat - a sort of poor man's torque spanner I guess.

Very clever except for the fact that if (when?) it slips your knuckles swing round and catch on the newly sharpened blade edge. Though of course the blade isn't razor sharp, it don't 'arf 'urt Mum - enough to draw blood. So far I've "only" done it once!

IF intentional (by the manufacturer) it's a clever idea though. No idea what sort of plastic it is.

 

[AndyT]

Probably nylon. If there's a sort of visible streakiness to it, it could be glass reinforced nylon.

 

[AES]

Thanks AndyT. No, I don't THINK it's reinforced nylon, it's a single yellow colour throughout as far as I can see. Clever idea though.

 

[Ernest]

Banned at most locations I’ve visited and worked at - too many accidents with them slipping and also pita with rounded nuts an ill adjusted spanner can leave.

MY Father told me that when he worked for the London General Omnibus Company, Chiswick in the 1920s adustable spanners were banned, and you could be sacked if found useing them. can anyone verify that?

 

[Seascaper]

Hello
I had to remove the starter motor from my Fordson Power Major last week because the spindle has stuck and needed grease. I was equipped with every spanner and socket under the sun and the one tool that gave me access to one of the 3 bolts was an adjustable spanner. Because it is an old 1958 tractor the bolts had seen some action and neither a metric or imperial spanner could get a grip. The adjustable spanner saved the day and got it running again,
Regards