Archive for the ‘Wrenches’ Category
Keeping A Pipe Wrench Around For Good Measure
There are many water pipes that run across the entire property on the family cattle ranch. This can be a bit of a problem when a pipe leaks or bursts and we can’t get a plumber out to help us in a timely fashion.
It’s times like these when keeping a pipe wrench in the shop can save us a whole lot of money which a plumber would have charged us to come all the way out in the country especially on weekend when these sorts of things tend to happen for some strange reason. We also save a lot of water from running as we wait for a plumber as well. I think it’s safe to say that the pipe wrench has more than paid for itself tenfold since we bought it a few years back.
Never Get Caught Without Your Pipe Wrench
In Texas, the weather usually stays pretty mild in the winter but when the mercury drops, the plumbing isn’t really set up for a deep freeze and there are usually problems. We recently encountered quite a deep freeze that froze the water in pipes that were way down in the ground. This caused the water to expand when it froze and pushed out a section of the PVC pipe and caused quite a leak when the temperature thawed it a bit.
It’s a good thing I always keep a pipe wrench handy for just such incidents. I purchased some replacement pipe and some twist-on couplers that need to be tightened with hand tools such as a pipe wrench. I just adjusted the pipe wrench to a size that fit the new coupler and once it all the pieces were in place, used it to tighten everything up so there were no more leaks.
When shopping for pipe wrenches, there are a few things to know that will help you decide which pipe wrench is for you.
The first thing to consider is the material. Pipe wrenches are hand tools that are usually manufactured by using either steel or aluminum. Aluminum pipe wrenches are much lighter than steel, but tend to be a bit more pricey. If you don’t mind the weight though, steel pipe wrenches will do the job just fine.
The next and final thing to consider is the size of pipe wrench you are looking for. Pipe wrenches range from about 10 inches all the way up to 48 inches which will let you take on just about any size pipe job.
A Vice Grip Wrench Is Well Adjusted Around the House
When it comes to buying things that have to be assembled when you get home, I am the all time champion of the world. Something that I don’t like to do however, is fumble with a whole bunch hand tools while I’m putting something together.
This is why I like to keep a Vice Grip wrench around the house. There’s no need to go running for a wrench set when when the Vice Grip wrench is around. Because the face adjusts to fit nearly any standard size nut or bolt, it’s good many things require different size wrenches to be assembled. My favorite feature of the Vice Grip wrench is the comfort grip handle. I can really give things a good tightening and my hand is left in tact for the next job.
Crescent Wrench: The Household Wrench
In my house, clutter is something that we all try to avoid. Because everyone lives within the same space, their things can often pile up. And when it comes to hand tools, the same thing tends to happen if you have too many tools than you really need.
This is why we keep a crescent wrench (also known as an adjustable wrench) as our all-around household wrench. Because the face of the crescent wrench adjusts to fit any size nut or bolt, we don’t need to keep entire sets of wrenches around to have something else around to lose or trip over.
There are many people out there that have heard of a torque wrench, but are still not clear about exactly what a torque wrench is. If I may take a minute to explain, I will explain the simple mechanics of these hand tools for those that are interested.
The torque wrench is a wrench with an elongated handle to give the user control over a specific amount of force, or torque to apply on a particular nut or bolt. The wrench works by setting it to a specific torque amount by adjusting the handle, then turning the wrench until it feels like the wrench slips or “breaks”. This is what the torque wrench was designed for, so that when the pressure becomes too great, the mechanism inside the wrench will absorb all of the force leaving the nut in tact.
Neiko Tools: The Right Combination
Recently, I was searching for a set of combination wrenches. I found many different types of sets of SAE and metric standards. I know the difference between the SAE and Metric, but what I didn’t know was the difference between manufacturers. I thought they were all the same, but I was wrong.
A defining feature of a quality combination wrench set is how the face of the wrench fits on the nut or bolt. The fit should be exact, and have no movement at all. The difference between a quality and generic wrench set is the higher quality wrench will fit exactly, where as the generic wrench may be slightly larger, which can slip on, and strip a stubborn nut very easily. An example of a quality combination wrench set is the Neiko Tools stubby combination wrench set. Neiko Tools is a hand tools company that many mechanics and craftsmen far and wide trust in their shops because they’ve stood up to the test of time. Try out these wrenches and you will soon make Neiko Tools the standard in your shop.
With the Cluttered Mess Lies An Adjustable Wrench
If you’re like me, somewhere within your house is a cluttered drawer full of things that family members might find useful some day. If you dig really deep through the mess you’ll usually find the original hand tools that were put there to have close by in case of a quick fix. Not many tools make it to the “drawer full of crap”, and one tool especially should be noted, which is the adjustable wrench.
The reason why the adjustable wrench deserves special acknowledgement, is because it’s the perfect tool if you need a wrench around for times when you don’t know what you’re going to be fixing next, and you don’t have the space for all those combination wrench sets. With a few flicks of the thumb, the face of adjustable wrenches open up to whatever size nut or bolt I need to deal with, saving you time which could be spent fixing something else, because there’s always something else to be fixed. around the house.
My First Kitchen Sink Project Using A Pipe Wrench
As a young man, one of my first at-home projects was to fix the kitchen sink. Thinking that it was going to be a one-two-three job, I grabbed my hand tools, including my pipe wrench, and took on the job head-first. quickly I discovered that the sink was very old and hadn’t been touched in what looks to be ten years.
Because of the awkward position of the sink under the counter, i couldn’t get a good fit on the pipe with the pipe wrench. Because the handle of the pipe wrench was so long, it was bumping into everything. At that point, I broke out the channel lock pliers, which still gripped the pipe like the pipe wrench, but the handle was much shorter making it at least able to turn. It took a lot more muscle, but I got the pipe off, and didn’t wind up damaging it too much.
Keep An Eye On Your Aluminum Pipe Wrench While On The Job
Being an avid tool enthusiast, I like to browse the tool forums about new products, opinions, and perspectives about power tools and hand tools. One thing I’ve noticed people talking more and more about, is tool theft on the job site. There are many reasons this is happening, and some tools are being singled out for one reason or another.
The aluminum pipe wrench is one of these tools that are discussed. The reason the aluminum pipe wrench is being stolen from the job site more and more, is that it’s lightweight and easily slid down a pant leg. Another reason for the aluminum pipe wrench being targeted for theft is that they can get pretty costly depending on their size, and to a contractor this can be a big deal when multiple pipe wrenches have to be purchased to run the business. The aluminum pipe wrench is one of the top lost items in the plumbing industry, so just be mindful of where you leave your hand tools laying around.