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

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

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

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

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 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