30 May
2005
30 May
'05
4:57 p.m.
On Mon, 30 May 2005, Tony Duell wrote:
We hardly ever see Facom around here.
The ratcheting open ends that we can get around here tend to have too
thick a side wall to be usable.
The MAC open ends have a tolerably thin side wall, and a half hexagon
broach, instead of the half oval broach that most open-ends have.
The SNAP-ON ratcheting box-ends are the only ones with a thin enough side
wall, and fine toothed enough to ever be usable.
For example, some of the early Honda Civics did not have a removable pully
on the water pump. Two of the water pump bolts could be easily removed
with a Snap-On ratcheting 10mm, or by cycling through three different
box-ends, but no socket or open end would fit.
It helps to have a lot of different ones
"reasonably complete" is a VERY subjective quantification.
I would
agree... [RARELY used]
open end wrenches of all sizes used (MAC were best)
I like the Facom combination
spanners (ring (==box-end?) at one end, and
a hooked open end at the other). They're effectively self-ratcheting and
save a lot of time when working in a confined space. Ratcheting box
ends in 6 and 12 point (SNAP-ON)
I've never found much use for those. The ends
are so large they won't
fit into the sort of space whrre a ratchet spanner would be useful. Facom (again) do some lovely spanners that are
effectively ratchet rings
that you can open to fit round a pipe, then clamp onto the union nut to
loosen/tighten it. The only problem is that they are _very_ expensive.
I completely left out flare-nut wrenches, crow's foot wrenches, etc.
"obstruction" wrenches (box end in C and S shapes, and with odd offsets)
Very useful... I've never needed the 3/8" drive sockets.
Where I need more torque than
can be applied with a1/4" drive, there's enough room for a 1/2" socket.
On the other hand, a 3/8" drive (or adapter) is essential, many timing
belt tensioners have a 3/8" hole in the plate which you use to untension
or tension them.
I have often needed more torque than a 1/4 could handle, but not
enough
clearance for 1/2"
Around here, 3/8" is the default for auto repair; when I was in the
Washington, DC area (salted roads, etc.) 1/2" was the default.
I've never nneded anything over 3/4" drive to
work on a car. The largest
torque wrench we have here has a 3/4" drive and goes up to 350lb.ft, so I
guess that's strong enough :-)
That'll do nicely for assembly.
I have encountered VW bus rear axle nuts that needed WELL over 1000 ft lbs
to break loose. I would never subject a torque wrench or even a ratchet
to that kind of force. The Craftsman 3/4" breaker bar just bends.
Don't forget the odd sizes. Very few UK spanner
sets include 11/32", but
I have a number of tools that I've rarely had need
of. But once is
enough.
I wonder what's considered to be a reasonable hand
toolkit (i.e. not
including test gear, soldering tools, etc) for classic computer repair.
My starting list would be :
medical hemostats (called "roach clip"s in California)
dental mirror(s)
inspection light(s) and/or otoscope
right-angle ratcheting 1/4" bit driver
small "slim-jim", such as IBM punch card jam clearer
If others have been in it before, then add:
reachers/dropped item retrievers
5wR vise-grips for removing destroyed fasteners
taps
drill
BIG dead-blow mallet (only for use on Packard-Bell, etc.)