Today I encountered the shortest lived C-Clamp ever.

Bought a 4" cast iron C-clamp at Menards (actually two). As soon as I
tried to tighten one, without any extra effort, the casting broke in
two pieces. The casting was regular cast iron and I noticed a strange
brown tint to it, in the surface of the crack.

i

Ignoramus21664 wrote:
Today I encountered the shortest lived C-Clamp ever.

Bought a 4" cast iron C-clamp at Menards (actually two). As soon as I
tried to tighten one, without any extra effort, the casting broke in
two pieces. The casting was regular cast iron and I noticed a strange
brown tint to it, in the surface of the crack.

i

Probably was invaded by Dr. Strangerust.

Ignoramus21664 wrote:

Today I encountered the shortest lived C-Clamp ever.

Bought a 4" cast iron C-clamp at Menards (actually two). As soon as I
tried to tighten one, without any extra effort, the casting broke in
two pieces. The casting was regular cast iron and I noticed a strange
brown tint to it, in the surface of the crack.

i

I'm a big fan of rolling head pry bars. The last pair have failed instantly. Harbor
Freight stuff. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/pho...7399/97387.gif

Wes

--
"Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect
government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home
in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller

On 2009-09-14, Paul Hovnanian P.E. wrote:
Rust never sleeps.

Jerry Wass wrote
Probably was invaded by Dr. Strangerust.

It was not rust. It did not look like rust at all. The cast iron
nodules looks brownish, but it did not seem like rust. It was a
casting defect of some kind. I should have kept the C clamp.

i

The cast iron was likely not just iron. Scrap junk into the mix
so Al, Cu, zinc and trash.

I told the story in welding group IIRC - making some pipe joint plates
onto large sheet metal bases. The set the lady got me were HD and
when welded with Nickel rod - the flange flattened out like it was
full of air. She wanted a pair more - so I got mine from the hardware store.
USA made - and they welded like expected - kept shape except where welded on.

Junk metal is coming out of China - took our scrap, ran up the prices and
gives back crap.

I hope the massive dam they are making has quality RE BAR so it won't fail!

Martin

Wes wrote:
Ignoramus21664 wrote:

Today I encountered the shortest lived C-Clamp ever.

Bought a 4" cast iron C-clamp at Menards (actually two). As soon as I
tried to tighten one, without any extra effort, the casting broke in
two pieces. The casting was regular cast iron and I noticed a strange
brown tint to it, in the surface of the crack.

i

I'm a big fan of rolling head pry bars. The last pair have failed instantly. Harbor
Freight stuff. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/pho...7399/97387.gif

Wes

--
"Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect
government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home
in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller

On Sun, 13 Sep 2009 18:36:22 -0400, the infamous Wes
scrawled the following:

Ignoramus21664 wrote:

Today I encountered the shortest lived C-Clamp ever.

Bought a 4" cast iron C-clamp at Menards (actually two). As soon as I
tried to tighten one, without any extra effort, the casting broke in
two pieces. The casting was regular cast iron and I noticed a strange
brown tint to it, in the surface of the crack.

i

I'm a big fan of rolling head pry bars. The last pair have failed instantly. Harbor
Freight stuff. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/pho...7399/97387.gif

Silly boy. You're only supposed to use the _pointy_ end.

--
Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite
at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.
--Ronald Reagan

Martin H. Eastburn wrote:
The cast iron was likely not just iron. Scrap junk into the mix
so Al, Cu, zinc and trash.

I told the story in welding group IIRC - making some pipe joint plates
onto large sheet metal bases. The set the lady got me were HD and
when welded with Nickel rod - the flange flattened out like it was
full of air. She wanted a pair more - so I got mine from the
hardware store. USA made - and they welded like expected - kept shape
except where welded on.

Junk metal is coming out of China - took our scrap, ran up the prices
and gives back crap.

I hope the massive dam they are making has quality RE BAR so it won't
fail!

I guess you are talking about Seven Gorges and yes, it's complete with
several "problems", materials included but there sems to be a design flaw or
two as well.


--
John R. Carroll

In article ,
Ignoramus21664 wrote:

Today I encountered the shortest lived C-Clamp ever.

Bought a 4" cast iron C-clamp at Menards (actually two). As soon as I
tried to tighten one, without any extra effort, the casting broke in
two pieces. The casting was regular cast iron and I noticed a strange
brown tint to it, in the surface of the crack.

i

Years ago, a friend bought a 1/2" drive ratchet off the Mac truck... one
of their longer ones with the red plastic grip.

On first use, and with a very small torque load, the metal part of the
handle snapped out near the grip. He guessed about 30 - 40 ft/lbs did it
if memory serves me right.

Examination of the fracture disclosed little more than chrome had been
holding anything together. It was a remarkably clean almost transverse
break, and showed evidence of complete acid penetration from the plating
process. I remember wondering how they'd been able to press the grip on
without breaking it in the factory.

At first glance the Mac Dealer thought we'd been doing that 'cheater bar
kinda thang', then took a look and produced a replacement right away...
said it was a first for him. We believed him too.

Erik

On Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:46:40 -0500, Ignoramus21664
wrote:

On 2009-09-14, Paul Hovnanian P.E. wrote:
Rust never sleeps.

Jerry Wass wrote
Probably was invaded by Dr. Strangerust.

It was not rust. It did not look like rust at all. The cast iron
nodules looks brownish, but it did not seem like rust. It was a
casting defect of some kind. I should have kept the C clamp.

i

Strictly speaking, casting is a defect in a C/G cramp...

They should be forged, not cast :-)


Mark Rand
RTFM

On Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:46:40 -0500, Ignoramus21664 wrote:
On 2009-09-14, Paul Hovnanian P.E. wrote:
Rust never sleeps.

Jerry Wass wrote
Probably was invaded by Dr. Strangerust.

It was not rust. It did not look like rust at all. The cast iron nodules
looks brownish, but it did not seem like rust. It was a casting defect of
some kind. I should have kept the C clamp.


You _should_ have taken it back to the store where you bought it, and
got a replacement or reimbursed. I'd have picked reimbursed, so that I
could buy a proper clamp - what guarantee is there that a replacement
wouldn't also be crap?

Cheers!
Rich

On 2009-09-15, Rich Grise wrote:
On Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:46:40 -0500, Ignoramus21664 wrote:
On 2009-09-14, Paul Hovnanian P.E. wrote:
Rust never sleeps.

Jerry Wass wrote
Probably was invaded by Dr. Strangerust.

It was not rust. It did not look like rust at all. The cast iron nodules
looks brownish, but it did not seem like rust. It was a casting defect of
some kind. I should have kept the C clamp.


You _should_ have taken it back to the store where you bought it, and
got a replacement or reimbursed. I'd have picked reimbursed, so that I
could buy a proper clamp - what guarantee is there that a replacement
wouldn't also be crap?

Well, that's what I did -- returned for a refund -- but I regret doing
so. For just $3.47, I could have kept a specimen of an interesting
casting defect.

i

On Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:23:58 -0500, Ignoramus11401 wrote:
On 2009-09-15, Rich Grise wrote:
On Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:46:40 -0500, Ignoramus21664 wrote:
On 2009-09-14, Paul Hovnanian P.E. wrote:
Rust never sleeps.

Jerry Wass wrote
Probably was invaded by Dr. Strangerust.

It was not rust. It did not look like rust at all. The cast iron
nodules looks brownish, but it did not seem like rust. It was a casting
defect of some kind. I should have kept the C clamp.

You _should_ have taken it back to the store where you bought it, and
got a replacement or reimbursed. I'd have picked reimbursed, so that I
could buy a proper clamp - what guarantee is there that a replacement
wouldn't also be crap?

Well, that's what I did -- returned for a refund -- but I regret doing so.
For just $3.47, I could have kept a specimen of an interesting casting
defect.

Oops! Of course, you're right. For a couple of bucks, it apparently would
have been worth keeping for just that reason.

I hope I didn't induce you to take back such a cheap part - I was thinking
the ten to fifteen bucks range, which to me these days is a lot of money. )-;

But I still think, even if you'd kept it, it would have been a good idea
to tell the store that they're selling crap - maybe just take it there to
show them, and tell them, "I'm posting pictures of this crap on my
webpage," then watch the reaction. :-

Cheers!
Rich

On Sep 13, 4:14*pm, Ignoramus21664 ignoramus21...@NOSPAM.
21664.invalid wrote:
Today I encountered the shortest lived C-Clamp ever.

Bought a 4" cast iron C-clamp at Menards (actually two). As soon as I
tried to tighten one, without any extra effort, the casting broke in
two pieces. The casting was regular cast iron and I noticed a strange
brown tint to it, in the surface of the crack.

i

Been eating extra Wheaties? ;)

TMT

On Sep 13, 4:14*pm, Ignoramus21664 ignoramus21...@NOSPAM.
21664.invalid wrote:
Today I encountered the shortest lived C-Clamp ever.

Bought a 4" cast iron C-clamp at Menards (actually two). As soon as I
tried to tighten one, without any extra effort, the casting broke in
two pieces. The casting was regular cast iron and I noticed a strange
brown tint to it, in the surface of the crack.

i

Is Menards a tool store?

TMT

On Sep 16, 6:55*pm, Too_Many_Tools wrote:
On Sep 13, 4:14*pm, Ignoramus21664 ignoramus21...@NOSPAM.

21664.invalid wrote:
Today I encountered the shortest lived C-Clamp ever.

Bought a 4" cast iron C-clamp at Menards (actually two). As soon as I
tried to tighten one, without any extra effort, the casting broke in
two pieces. The casting was regular cast iron and I noticed a strange
brown tint to it, in the surface of the crack.

i

Is Menards a tool store?

TMT

They're a competitor to the likes of Lowe's and Home Despot. Looks
like they're leading in the race to the bottom of the Q.C. curve right
now. Don't have any around here, they're mostly in the Midwest. I
used to buy a lot of home improvement stuff there for my parents. They
used to have better quality than their competitors.

Stan