DON’T CHEAT WITH WRENCHES

Among the many definitions of cheat listed in Webster’s Dictionary is the following:

"To deceive by trickery." This definition seems to aptly describe the wrench cheating technique; an unorthodox technique used by the unwary to get extra power by adding a length of pipe or other extension to the wrench handle to gain extra leverage. The trick is that the tool user is in a sense falsely telling the wrench it can do more than it was designed to do. When this is the case, something has to give and it could result in damage to the tool, damage to the fastener, injury to the tool user or all three.

The Hand Tools Institute, a trade association of American hand tool manufacturers, says that persons using this dangerous technique, knowingly or unknowingly, are in a sense playing a game of Russian roulette and the odds are stacked against the tool user.

Simply stated, the main function of a wrench is for holding and turning nuts, bolts, cap screws, plugs and various other threaded parts. Since the threads of the product being turned act as a remorseless wedge, it is possible to strip the threads by applying excessive torque. Threads can be an integral part of costly equipment.

Here are some additional safety tips from HTI when using wrenches:

Select a wrench whose opening exactly fits the nut. Too large an opening can spread the jaws of a wrench. Too large a box- or socket wrench can mar or turn the corners of the nut. Exercise care in selecting inch wrenches for inch fasteners and metric wrenches for metric fasteners.

Never use a wrench as a hammer.

Always pull – never push – on a wrench and adjust your stance to prevent a fall in case something lets go.

To free a "frozen" nut or bolt use a striking face box wrench.

Always wear safety goggles when using hand tools to avoid eye injury.

Manufacturing plays a central role in the economic growth of our nation, primarily through a unique, interdependent system of innovation that affects all sectors of the economy. By nurturing innovations from concepts through to full-fledged improvements in products and processes, American manufacturing is responsible for providing the basis for more jobs, improved productivity, prosperity and a higher quality of life. Support American Manufacturing

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