C-wrench discussion
- Thread starterporkchop
- Start date
In the pouch I wear to work every day is a 6" wide jaw Crescent wrench. My favorite "lighting specific" wrench is the UFT, and I've used almost all of them.
Hey everyone, run out and stock up on all the American made Crescent wrenches you can find. Apex tool group has recently moved their manufacture to China.
On the other hand, last year Ideal bought a failing American forge and has been investing in it while bringing more jobs BACK to the USA. Buck Knives has also been bringing jobs BACK to the US.
Does anyone, besides Klein, make their adjustable wrenches in America anymore?
Hey everyone, run out and stock up on all the American made Crescent wrenches you can find. Apex tool group has recently moved their manufacture to China.
On the other hand, last year Ideal bought a failing American forge and has been investing in it while bringing more jobs BACK to the USA. Buck Knives has also been bringing jobs BACK to the US.
Does anyone, besides Klein, make their adjustable wrenches in America anymore?
I'm not sure, but I think Ideal tools are made in USA. They now own S-K tools.
IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC. - Adjustable Wrenches
Grab one of those battery powered wrenches. I think it's black and decker? Another gimmick product but this time with a lever that runs it in or out like a camera focus haha
Weighs a bloody ton !. Somebody got the bright idea of getting me one for Christmas one year. It really is huge and heavy, I tied it once and placed it in the rear of my home tool box.
As to sliding c-wrench's ?, useless. With a screw gear adjustable, you can set it for 3/4", make an adjustment, shove it back in your pocket, pull it out again and it's mostly still set to 3/4". With the slider, the slide mechanism catches on the pocket and throws the adjustment all off. So another good idea that doesn't work in a real world stage setting.
As to the Ultimate Ratcheting Focus Wrench ?. I would never have plunked down $100 out of my own cash, but got the job to buy one and that's how I came to use it. Now I love it and can easily see making the investment.
As to the Altman ?. Great for the price but as with all tools made from aluminum being used on steel bolts ,including the non-ratcheting Ultimate at $75, can be a waste of money as the steel eventually wears down the aluminum and in time the tool is useless.
Well lookie at what I just found. This is awesome for those of us who want American made tools & stuff...
Still Made in USA.com - American-Made Products for Home and Family
I am the search czar...
Still Made in USA.com - American-Made Products for Home and Family
I am the search czar...
jglodeklights
Well-Known Member
I have a love/hate relationship with the ratcheting UFT and Speed Wrenches.
Several times (3) this summer I sent my AME up, with his ratcheting UFT, to lights I couldn't easily unlock adjustments of with my C-wrenches in 6, 8 and 10 sizes, or with bent clamp bolts.
To be fair to me, 2 of those times were his fault for using his ratcheting UFT to tighten a bent clamp bolt, thus making it almost impossible for anyone without a ratcheting tool to release them in a timely fashion.
In my experience, people just go overkill with tightening while using ratcheting tools. They take a little restraint....
Several times (3) this summer I sent my AME up, with his ratcheting UFT, to lights I couldn't easily unlock adjustments of with my C-wrenches in 6, 8 and 10 sizes, or with bent clamp bolts.
To be fair to me, 2 of those times were his fault for using his ratcheting UFT to tighten a bent clamp bolt, thus making it almost impossible for anyone without a ratcheting tool to release them in a timely fashion.
In my experience, people just go overkill with tightening while using ratcheting tools. They take a little restraint....
Joe, it's not an air powered torque wrench. How does a ratcheting tool make it easier to get a bolt tighter then with a non-ratcheting ?. It's still muscle power. All the ratchet mechanism does is position the tool for ease of use.
But yes, I agree that folks over-tighten c-clamp bolts all the time and it's a dangerous practice.
jglodeklights
Well-Known Member
More psychological consequence than physical, and, as you said, ease of use. Especially when it comes to bent bolts, instead of having to pull off completely and fully reposition each time you reach the limit, or optimum, you can simply pull back and then crank it some more. The physical sensation of both can, especially with those having less experience and muscle memory, vary greatly.
And ratcheting tools can more easily be positioned for optimum tightening power in tight situations, IMHO.
Like I said, a little restraint. It goes a long way with both ratcheting and non-ratcheting tools, but, as I said is MY experience, people with ratcheting tools tend to go too tight more often when compared to those with non-ratcheting tools.
And ratcheting tools can more easily be positioned for optimum tightening power in tight situations, IMHO.
Like I said, a little restraint. It goes a long way with both ratcheting and non-ratcheting tools, but, as I said is MY experience, people with ratcheting tools tend to go too tight more often when compared to those with non-ratcheting tools.
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Stilll got my insulated handle Klien 8" C-wrench at work so as to help protect me should something short, and my origional to college normal 8" Craftsman at home. Never dropped one down into the bays inside the theater in part due to duoble spring hook safties on them. Hook to my belt and to the tool.
Main concept on a C-Wrench is as per a set of calipers. When the jaws are brought together - are they parallel in meeting? Short of that, you might as well as per barbarian grab a pair of Channel Loc's as your primary lighting tool as seen at times for tech people with their tools. Quality of A C-wrench is a satement on you in tool used when crap tool used.
Also been working on a bunch of older than I am in age lights recetly where the bolts were due to stripping, not able to be removed or adjusted easily by say a box wrench or any concept of a modern fixture wrench.
Some Jesus wrench type might work well given you have worked at the thetater before and you don't find a stripped bolt that don't fit it's concept. A good 8" C-Wrench is always your best tool ready to go in any theater. Only after that a speed wrench in saving a few minutes perhaps and keeping that C-Wrench ready to go.
A thought at least in keeping that 8" insulated handle C-Wrench on your tool belt at least.
Main concept on a C-Wrench is as per a set of calipers. When the jaws are brought together - are they parallel in meeting? Short of that, you might as well as per barbarian grab a pair of Channel Loc's as your primary lighting tool as seen at times for tech people with their tools. Quality of A C-wrench is a satement on you in tool used when crap tool used.
Also been working on a bunch of older than I am in age lights recetly where the bolts were due to stripping, not able to be removed or adjusted easily by say a box wrench or any concept of a modern fixture wrench.
Some Jesus wrench type might work well given you have worked at the thetater before and you don't find a stripped bolt that don't fit it's concept. A good 8" C-Wrench is always your best tool ready to go in any theater. Only after that a speed wrench in saving a few minutes perhaps and keeping that C-Wrench ready to go.
A thought at least in keeping that 8" insulated handle C-Wrench on your tool belt at least.
TassieBogan
Member
The C-Wrench / Crescent wrench must be an American specific thing. I'm in Tasmania - try asking for either of those down here and you'll just get a blank look.
We call them shifters, or shifting spanners.
Out of interest, any of you folks know what a podger is? Or is that another aussie idiosyncrasy?
We call them shifters, or shifting spanners.
Out of interest, any of you folks know what a podger is? Or is that another aussie idiosyncrasy?
kiwitechgirl
Well-Known Member
But if you ask for a crescent "over the ditch" from Tasmania, in New Zealand, you won't get blank looks at all - it's a common term over there! My British workmates called them AJs - for "adjustable jaws", I'm given to understand.
I prefer this: Gator Grip Main Page The down side is no way to attach a lanyward without some messy tape, etc.
Use it with a short handle. Tools for stagecraft has a short handle, with a belt pouch, for about $75. Not cheap, but I prefer buying expensive tools. I tend to take care of them. Whereas my $10 wrenches always disappeared.
Use it with a short handle. Tools for stagecraft has a short handle, with a belt pouch, for about $75. Not cheap, but I prefer buying expensive tools. I tend to take care of them. Whereas my $10 wrenches always disappeared.
Sounds like a useful tool would be something like a scaffold ratchet.
Proto J5449SC 1/2 Drive Scaffold Ratchet
SA936A, Ratchet, Scaffold, Standard Handle, 10 5/16"
They come with the socket pinned in so it doesn't pop off. They also have a hole for a lanyard. Now if you could pin a Gator Grip socket onto a scaffold ratchet, you might have something.
Re: Hey check out this cool C-wrench
Correct. It was the Kobalt version and it wasn't dropped any sort of unusual height. I believe it was just tossed on a work bench and stopped working.
As has been said, no tools on the grid without a lanyard. Build your own using telephone handset cord, a biner, and a little shrink tubing to make it look pretty.
Correct. It was the Kobalt version and it wasn't dropped any sort of unusual height. I believe it was just tossed on a work bench and stopped working.
As has been said, no tools on the grid without a lanyard. Build your own using telephone handset cord, a biner, and a little shrink tubing to make it look pretty.
Re: Hey check out this cool C-wrench
Appearing very soon from Apollo dealers everywhere-
The Apollo Wrench is a winner! | From The Horse's Mouth
http://blog.apollodesign.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/20111028-163642.jpg
Appearing very soon from Apollo dealers everywhere-
The Apollo Wrench is a winner! | From The Horse's Mouth
http://blog.apollodesign.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/20111028-163642.jpg
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Re: Hey check out this cool C-wrench
Now, if the slot in the middle of the wrench were big enough and shaped correctly to crack and tighten T-Handles, then it might be a competitor, but it is still a $60 wrench. I just don't understand why people think that selling a tool for that much or more makes it worth it? I can get a c-wrench for $10 or less almost anywhere. I can work on every nut and bolt that the Apollo Wrench can or the UFT can. So tell me why I should spend six times more on your wrench (or 10 times more on a UFT). All you did was mill some holes in it that happen to be standard sizes for theatre. I just fail to see why manufacturers think that we should pay that much for these tools. I have to imagine that the profit margin is pretty high at that MSRP, and don't tell me that we are paying for the R&D of the tool, because the concept and execution of similar devices has been on the market for a while.
Now, if you attached a wrench/focus tool to a good tactical flashlight with a 3W LED and white/blue/red color selection (maybe stick a green laser in there too), I would consider spending $60-80 on it as it actually means one less tool in my pocket and a good flashlight is that price anyway. For now though, I don't see any reason to upgrade from my current c-wrench, it does everything all these facny tools do and it is cheaper by a mile.
Now, if the slot in the middle of the wrench were big enough and shaped correctly to crack and tighten T-Handles, then it might be a competitor, but it is still a $60 wrench. I just don't understand why people think that selling a tool for that much or more makes it worth it? I can get a c-wrench for $10 or less almost anywhere. I can work on every nut and bolt that the Apollo Wrench can or the UFT can. So tell me why I should spend six times more on your wrench (or 10 times more on a UFT). All you did was mill some holes in it that happen to be standard sizes for theatre. I just fail to see why manufacturers think that we should pay that much for these tools. I have to imagine that the profit margin is pretty high at that MSRP, and don't tell me that we are paying for the R&D of the tool, because the concept and execution of similar devices has been on the market for a while.
Now, if you attached a wrench/focus tool to a good tactical flashlight with a 3W LED and white/blue/red color selection (maybe stick a green laser in there too), I would consider spending $60-80 on it as it actually means one less tool in my pocket and a good flashlight is that price anyway. For now though, I don't see any reason to upgrade from my current c-wrench, it does everything all these facny tools do and it is cheaper by a mile.
Re: Hey check out this cool C-wrench
It is the best of both worlds! Has the common lighting bolts and the adjustability for anything else.
