Talk:Wrench (tool)

Metric aspects

I'm familiar with metric sockets, Allen drives, etc. on an English socket shaft system, but could someone insert the size of the standard metric drive systems? I assume they exist. Howard C. Berkowitz 13:28, 8 June 2009 (UTC)

Wouldn't it be better to use the term imperial rather than English to refer to imperial measurements? Certainly this is the standard word in the UK; I think many English people wouldn't even know what you mean when you mention English measurements. I presume imperial is the standard word in America too? Or are they always called English in America? That would be rather ironic, seeing as they are hardly even used any more in England... Caesar Schinas 13:49, 8 June 2009 (UTC)

English, or sometimes US Customary, is the common use in the US. Imperial is very rarely used. Just as a start, I'm looking for the standard diameters of things such as the drive bars and connectors for socket wrenches, and, in other article, standard sizes of such things as drill chucks. Howard C. Berkowitz 13:52, 8 June 2009 (UTC)

How odd! I have added this to British and American English. If US Customary is commonly understood in the US, I would suggest using it instead of English, as I think the English would understand better.

I'm afraid I can't tell you the standard sizes of drive bars and connectors for socket wrenches, drill chucks, etc, but I'm sure that WP will say - whether they'll get it right is another matter! Caesar Schinas 13:56, 8 June 2009 (UTC)

Photos

This article would become much clearer with photos of the several wrenches. I could take and upload a few, but I'm not quite sure about their English names and I don't own a very large collection of different wrenches. --Paul Wormer 15:24, 18 June 2009 (UTC)

PD Image
Adjustable wrench/spanner

I checked our big colleagues: they have photos. I found the name of the wrench in the photo, which in Dutch we call Bahco after the Swedish company that makes them. --Paul Wormer 15:42, 18 June 2009 (UTC)

Agreed. Unfortunately, I have misplaced my digital camera -- it's here somewhere. I can, I suppose, put wrenches on the scanner and see if that gives anything acceptable; it might for the flatter wrenches.

It would be useful to know names other than English. Generically, what you show there is an adjustable wrench, but it's usually called a Crescent wrench in the U.S., after the best known manufacturer. Howard C. Berkowitz 15:45, 18 June 2009 (UTC)

Howard, I can upload a few more, but they are all used (not as shiny as those at WP), do you think that matters?--Paul Wormer 15:49, 18 June 2009 (UTC)

I'm not sure what the standard is, but everyone I know just calls it an adjustable wrench. I've never heard anyone in america calling it a crescent wrench.Drew R. Smith 15:50, 18 June 2009 (UTC)

Adjustable wrench is the standard, but trust me -- I can't say when I first used heard the term, but I certainly grew up, 50 years ago, hearing it called a Crescent wrench. My grandfather was a machinist and my mother, before moving to psychotherapy, was a U.S. Navy Chief Aviation Metalsmith. Howard C. Berkowitz

This is a good opportunity to see if I can get back in touch with an acquaintance, who was the English engineer and team manager that, at least in the past, had the European motorcycle speed record. I'm sure he'd be authoritative; I just need to track down an email or remember to call during UK business hours. Howard C. Berkowitz 16:05, 18 June 2009 (UTC)

Distortion of photos

Sometimes I see the photos OK and sometimes they are terribly distorted, what is going on? PS. I see more edit buttons now. --Paul Wormer 08:21, 19 June 2009 (UTC)

They are distorted, cache clearing showed this, question is, why were they OK at certain point in time?--Paul Wormer 08:24, 19 June 2009 (UTC)

When you replace an image, the old image is shown from your cache, but the new size is used because the size is specified in the HTML. If you clear your cache the new image will be used at the new size. Caesar Schinas 08:30, 19 June 2009 (UTC)

Silly question about pipe wrenches

Although they may be bare metal, the vast majority I've seen, and apparently in Europe, are painted red. They are the only wrenches of which I know that have a common color.

Does anyone know why? Howard C. Berkowitz 13:34, 19 June 2009 (UTC)

A couple of points occur to me off hand:

• Most smaller wrenches are made of alloy steel which doesn't need painting.
• Some of the traditional anti corrosion pigments are red. For instance, see this article on red lead. -Derek Hodges 18:10, 19 June 2009 (UTC)

A pleasure...

To be collaborating on what might seem a simple subject.

Actually, there are a great number of wrench types with different applications and techniques, some of which may merit subarticles. This can be true of many humble tools. The international collaboration is very relevant, both to learn names, and sometimes techniques.

A sincere thanks to all participants.

Howard C. Berkowitz 14:11, 19 June 2009 (UTC)