I am looking for Xmas presents for someone who often has to fix his car.

How useful for car work would one of these flexible extensions be?

Snake Driver Set
http://snipurl.com/11a9r

Maplin Flexible Ratchet Driver Set
http://snipurl.com/11a9z

Maplin Flexible Adaptor
http://snipurl.com/11aa7

The message
from Susan P contains these words:

How useful for car work would one of these flexible extensions be?

The amount of torque you can apply through one is minimal.

What I'd like 'cos I left mine behind when I stopped working, is a
magnetic dish to keep bits in. Splendid device.

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...51163&id=13203

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

"Guy King" wrote in message
...
The message
from Susan P contains these words:

How useful for car work would one of these flexible extensions be?

The amount of torque you can apply through one is minimal.


What Guy says is correct, but they are handy for getting nuts started in
awkward positions, they can then be tightened with something more rigid when
they've been run up to touch. Of the three I'd prefer the first one.

Steve

"Susan P" wrote in message
...
I am looking for Xmas presents for someone who often has to fix his car.

How useful for car work would one of these flexible extensions be?

Snake Driver Set
http://snipurl.com/11a9r

Maplin Flexible Ratchet Driver Set
http://snipurl.com/11a9z

Maplin Flexible Adaptor
http://snipurl.com/11aa7


I wouldn't be without
http://www.drapertools-online.com/b2...pp_skmno=35384

Used almost daily

"Susan P" wrote in message
...
I am looking for Xmas presents for someone who often has to fix his car.

How useful for car work would one of these flexible extensions be?

Snake Driver Set
http://snipurl.com/11a9r

Maplin Flexible Ratchet Driver Set
http://snipurl.com/11a9z

Maplin Flexible Adaptor
http://snipurl.com/11aa7

I've had a 1/4" one for well over 20 years. Came with the socket set.
I use the socket set frequently, but AFAIR I have never used it.
OTOH, over the same period, a universal joint in the kit has been used quite
a lot.
Mike.

On 05 Nov 2006, shazzbat wrote:

"Guy King" wrote in message
...
The message
from Susan P contains these words:

How useful for car work would one of these flexible extensions
be?

The amount of torque you can apply through one is minimal.


What Guy says is correct, but they are handy for getting nuts
started in awkward positions, they can then be tightened with
something more rigid when they've been run up to touch. Of the
three I'd prefer the first one.


Don't you think the first flexible extension might be so long and so
flexible that it is the weakest of the three?

http://snipurl.com/11a9r

On 05 Nov 2006, Guy King wrote:

The message
from Susan P contains these words:

How useful for car work would one of these flexible extensions be?

The amount of torque you can apply through one is minimal.

What I'd like 'cos I left mine behind when I stopped working, is a
magnetic dish to keep bits in. Splendid device.

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...&ts=51163&id=1
3203



What is it that makes a magnetic bowl better than something like a
shoebox for holding nuts and bolts?

Is it that the magnetic bowl can be placed on the car or that the bowl
holds nuts & bolts even after it has been knocked by mistake?

On Sun, 5 Nov 2006 19:49:20 UTC, Susan P wrote:

What is it that makes a magnetic bowl better than something like a
shoebox for holding nuts and bolts?

Is it that the magnetic bowl can be placed on the car or that the bowl
holds nuts & bolts even after it has been knocked by mistake?

Both, in my experience!
--
The information contained in this post is copyright the
poster, and specifically may not be published in, or used by
Avenue Supplies, http://avenuesupplies.co.uk

In article ,
says...
Is it that the magnetic bowl can be placed on the car or that the bowl
holds nuts & bolts even after it has been knocked by mistake?

Yes to both. They stay in the bowl where you put them. Even steel balls.
None of that "I just put it down for a second, I'm sure it was there.".
--
Carl Robson
Audio stream: http://www.bouncing-czechs.com:8000/samtest
Homepage: http://www.bouncing-czechs.com
Now Playing at home:Poesie Noire-Dark number

In article ,
"Mike G" writes:

I've had a 1/4" one for well over 20 years. Came with the socket set.
I use the socket set frequently, but AFAIR I have never used it.
OTOH, over the same period, a universal joint in the kit has been used quite
a lot.

I was about to post exactly the same comment, so I'll just
second yours...

--
Andrew Gabriel

Susan P wrote:
I am looking for Xmas presents for someone who often has to fix his
car.

How useful for car work would one of these flexible extensions be?

Snake Driver Set
http://snipurl.com/11a9r

Maplin Flexible Ratchet Driver Set
http://snipurl.com/11a9z

Maplin Flexible Adaptor
http://snipurl.com/11aa7

I've never used a flexible extension even though I've had one for
decades...I've often wished for a magnetic reach:
http://www.coleparmer.com/catalog/pr...sp?sku=0991436
usually when nuts / bolts / whatever fall down a tight gap and create even
more work getting them back than the job in hand.
Illumination is also a good idea, flexible lamps and such likes

In message , Andrew Gabriel
writes
In article ,
"Mike G" writes:

I've had a 1/4" one for well over 20 years. Came with the socket set.
I use the socket set frequently, but AFAIR I have never used it.
OTOH, over the same period, a universal joint in the kit has been used quite
a lot.

I was about to post exactly the same comment, so I'll just
second yours...

Double ditto. I've had access to them for 30 years at work but not once
have I found it useful.

--
Paul Giverin

British Jet Engine Website http://www.britjet.co.uk

On Sun, 05 Nov 2006 18:06:50 +0000, Susan P wrote:

I am looking for Xmas presents for someone who often has to fix his car.

How useful for car work would one of these flexible extensions be?

Snake Driver Set
http://snipurl.com/11a9r

Maplin Flexible Ratchet Driver Set
http://snipurl.com/11a9z

Maplin Flexible Adaptor
http://snipurl.com/11aa7

=====================================
Flexible adaptors appear in many socket sets / screwdriver sets and
they're almost all the same except the 'Snake' driver. Your money would be
better spent on a decent screwdriver set containing a flexible adaptor
such as this: http://lamats.co.uk/acatalog/JCB_60pc_Screwdrivers.html
Those I have are not particularly flexible and as others have said they
don't provide much torque (tightening power).

Cic.

--
================================
Testing UBUNTU Linux
Everything working so far
================================

The message
from Susan P contains these words:

Is it that the magnetic bowl can be placed on the car or that the bowl
holds nuts & bolts even after it has been knocked by mistake?

Both. If you're under the car it's really handy to stick it to the
underside and just shove bits at it - and they stick.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

Flexible adaptors appear in many socket sets / screwdriver sets and
they're almost all the same except the 'Snake' driver. Your money would be
better spent on a decent screwdriver set containing a flexible adaptor
such as this: http://lamats.co.uk/acatalog/JCB_60pc_Screwdrivers.html
Those I have are not particularly flexible and as others have said they
don't provide much torque (tightening power).

We sell the JCB range of tools at work and IMHO they're chocolate.


Tom

On Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:02:03 GMT Tom Burton wrote :
We sell the JCB range of tools at work and IMHO they're chocolate.

JCB (as in hand and power tools) is part of the Bush/Power Devil/
Alba/Hinari cheap and cheerful empire. Their only connection with
JCB the excavator company is that the latter receives a royalty for
use of the name.

--
Tony Bryer SDA UK 'Software to build on' http://www.sda.co.uk

"Tom Burton" wrote in message
...

Flexible adaptors appear in many socket sets / screwdriver sets and
they're almost all the same except the 'Snake' driver. Your money would
be
better spent on a decent screwdriver set containing a flexible adaptor
such as this: http://lamats.co.uk/acatalog/JCB_60pc_Screwdrivers.html
Those I have are not particularly flexible and as others have said they
don't provide much torque (tightening power).

We sell the JCB range of tools at work and IMHO they're chocolate.



I bought a set of JCB screwdrivers from Amazon because they were cheap, and
they are just that. Not terrible and about 100 times better than cheap
screwdrivers that you used to get, but really not well finished or top
quality materials.

You might laugh but the Lidls sets I have bought are a couple of notches up
the quality ladder and are quite nice tools to use.

H

"Susan P" wrote in message
...
I am looking for Xmas presents for someone who often has to fix his car.

How useful for car work would one of these flexible extensions be?

Snake Driver Set
http://snipurl.com/11a9r

Maplin Flexible Ratchet Driver Set
http://snipurl.com/11a9z

Maplin Flexible Adaptor
http://snipurl.com/11aa7

All crap. Get him a 1/4 drive socket set with a universal joint adaptor. I
use mine all the time.

Fraser

"Susan P" wrote in message
...
I am looking for Xmas presents for someone who often has to fix his car.

How useful for car work would one of these flexible extensions be?

Snake Driver Set
http://snipurl.com/11a9r

Maplin Flexible Ratchet Driver Set
http://snipurl.com/11a9z

Maplin Flexible Adaptor
http://snipurl.com/11aa7

Things I use all the time while working on cars
Decent 1/4" drive socket set
Ratcheting screwdriver (Snap-on make an awesome one but big $)
Magnetic pick up tool
Claw type pick up tool
Really decent work light

Fraser

The message
from "Fraser Johnston" contains these words:

Really decent work light

I'd go with that one, too. That and a couple of boxes each of latex and
vinyl disposable gloves.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

In article ,
says...

"Tom Burton" wrote in message
...

Flexible adaptors appear in many socket sets / screwdriver sets and
they're almost all the same except the 'Snake' driver. Your money would
be
better spent on a decent screwdriver set containing a flexible adaptor
such as this: http://lamats.co.uk/acatalog/JCB_60pc_Screwdrivers.html
Those I have are not particularly flexible and as others have said they
don't provide much torque (tightening power).

We sell the JCB range of tools at work and IMHO they're chocolate.



I bought a set of JCB screwdrivers from Amazon because they were cheap, and
they are just that. Not terrible and about 100 times better than cheap
screwdrivers that you used to get, but really not well finished or top
quality materials.

You might laugh but the Lidls sets I have bought are a couple of notches up
the quality ladder and are quite nice tools to use.

H



LIDL/ALDI stuff is surprisingly good for DIY stuff, not workshop
quality, but good enough to do the job until it fails and you want to
replace it and cheap enough to replace.
--
Carl Robson
Audio stream: http://www.bouncing-czechs.com:8000/samtest
Homepage: http://www.bouncing-czechs.com
Now Playing at home:Poesie Noire-Dark number

In article ,
Susan P wrote:
I am looking for Xmas presents for someone who often has to fix his car.

How useful for car work would one of these flexible extensions be?

Limited. A set of 'wobble' extension bars is very useful if he doesn't
already have them. Halfords. etc.

--
*Age is a very high price to pay for maturity.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Susan P wrote:
I am looking for Xmas presents for someone who often has to fix his
car.

A new car?

--
Alex

"I laugh in the face of danger. Then I hide until it goes away"

www.drzoidberg.co.uk www.ebayfaq.co.uk

Guy King writes:

I'd go with that one, too. That and a couple of boxes each of latex and
vinyl disposable gloves.

What's the difference ? I've got latex ones but what are vinyl ones
like and used for ?

Jon

"Guy King" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Fraser Johnston" contains these words:

Really decent work light

I'd go with that one, too. That and a couple of boxes each of latex and
vinyl disposable gloves.

I know many engineers use them, but personally I don't get on with them at
all.
I like to feel what I am doing. Means I might have to spend 15 mins
scrubbing my hands afterwards, but it suits me.
Also you get less messy on your own car, if you keep the engine and
mechanical parts relatively clean.
As far as flexible drives are concerned though, what I do find is useful, is
a flexible drive screwdriver with a fixed hex socket for Jubilee clips.
Mike.

"Susan P" wrote in message
...
On 05 Nov 2006, shazzbat wrote:

"Guy King" wrote in message
...
The message
from Susan P contains these words:

How useful for car work would one of these flexible extensions
be?

The amount of torque you can apply through one is minimal.


What Guy says is correct, but they are handy for getting nuts
started in awkward positions, they can then be tightened with
something more rigid when they've been run up to touch. Of the
three I'd prefer the first one.


Don't you think the first flexible extension might be so long and so
flexible that it is the weakest of the three?

http://snipurl.com/11a9r

Not really. They don't get subjected to pulling or pushing forces, but
torsional(twisting) forces. It will be considerably stronger than the human
arm on the end of it. If you look at the picture closely, you will see that
it is wound in the direction which means it will tend to close up when
tightening. This makes it become more rigid. It will be considerably less
strong in the other direction. At 1/4" square drive, it is only for small
nuts and bolts, and strength is unlikely to be an issue. I have got one I
kept when I left the army in 1980 and it still works a treat. It isn't the
greatest tool in the world, but as I said earlier it is handy for awkward
spaces.

Steve

shazzbat wrote:
Not really. They don't get subjected to pulling or pushing forces, but
torsional(twisting) forces. It will be considerably stronger than the human
arm on the end of it. If you look at the picture closely, you will see that
it is wound in the direction which means it will tend to close up when
tightening. This makes it become more rigid. It will be considerably less
strong in the other direction. At 1/4" square drive, it is only for small
nuts and bolts, and strength is unlikely to be an issue. I have got one I
kept when I left the army in 1980 and it still works a treat. It isn't the
greatest tool in the world, but as I said earlier it is handy for awkward
spaces.

Steve


I've seen a few times "wobbley" sockets that allow a certain amount of
movement - they're a bit like inbetween a regular socket and a UJ
adaptor. For car work, I think those would be more useful.

The message
from "Mike G" contains these words:

I like to feel what I am doing. Means I might have to spend 15 mins
scrubbing my hands afterwards, but it suits me.

I seem to have the sort of skin that doesn't come clean no matter how
hard I scrub, nor with what. The sides of my index fingers are worst -
where you spin a nut against your thumb. For the sake of matrimonial
bliss[1] I'd rather wear gloves.

[1] The wife won't cuddle me if I'm all grubby. Though she will scrub my back.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

The message
from Jonathan Schneider contains these words:

What's the difference ? I've got latex ones but what are vinyl ones
like and used for ?

Latex are great, but they're not as tough and they degrade in less than
a minute with some solvents, making them useless for brakes - for
example. They also age badly in the box. Leave them to get hot or damp
and you've had it.

Vinyl are tougher, but less elastic and thicker so they're less
sensitive, less comfortable but last ten times longer.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

The message
from "shazzbat" contains these words:

It will be considerably stronger than the human
arm on the end of it.

There's a word for people like you.

Optimist!

Some of us are more capable of gorilla tool abuse than others. I've
snapped several 3/8" ratchets and extension bars - even a nice Facom
one.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

"Phil L" wrote in message
.uk...
Susan P wrote:
I am looking for Xmas presents for someone who often has to fix his
car.

How useful for car work would one of these flexible extensions be?

Snake Driver Set
http://snipurl.com/11a9r

Maplin Flexible Ratchet Driver Set
http://snipurl.com/11a9z

Maplin Flexible Adaptor
http://snipurl.com/11aa7

I've never used a flexible extension even though I've had one for
decades...I've often wished for a magnetic reach:
http://www.coleparmer.com/catalog/pr...sp?sku=0991436
usually when nuts / bolts / whatever fall down a tight gap and create even
more work getting them back than the job in hand.
Illumination is also a good idea, flexible lamps and such likes



A magnetic reach is an excellent idea.

--
Billy H

Jonathan Schneider typed


Guy King writes:

I'd go with that one, too. That and a couple of boxes each of latex and
vinyl disposable gloves.

What's the difference ? I've got latex ones but what are vinyl ones
like and used for ?

Jon

Tough, not stretchy, oil resistant, not very sensitive.

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

"Mike G" wrote in message
...

"Guy King" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Fraser Johnston" contains these words:

Really decent work light

I'd go with that one, too. That and a couple of boxes each of latex and
vinyl disposable gloves.

I know many engineers use them, but personally I don't get on with them at
all.
I like to feel what I am doing. Means I might have to spend 15 mins
scrubbing my hands afterwards, but it suits me.

If it's about hand cleaning then I've found the best way is to use a good
squeeze of fairy liquid with a good dose of washing powder as grit. As good
as swarfega every day of the week.

Oh yeah, and the fairy liquid makes the hands as soft as the face.

)



Also you get less messy on your own car, if you keep the engine and
mechanical parts relatively clean.
As far as flexible drives are concerned though, what I do find is useful,
is a flexible drive screwdriver with a fixed hex socket for Jubilee clips.
Mike.



--
Billy H

In article ,
says...

"Guy King" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Fraser Johnston" contains these words:

Really decent work light

I'd go with that one, too. That and a couple of boxes each of latex and
vinyl disposable gloves.

I know many engineers use them, but personally I don't get on with them at
all.
I like to feel what I am doing. Means I might have to spend 15 mins
scrubbing my hands afterwards, but it suits me.
Also you get less messy on your own car, if you keep the engine and
mechanical parts relatively clean.
As far as flexible drives are concerned though, what I do find is useful, is
a flexible drive screwdriver with a fixed hex socket for Jubilee clips.
Mike.


I use those disposable latex/vinyl gloves a lot: on one side your hands stay
indeed more clean but -to me- more important : the number of small cuts and
brushes goes down a lot.

Oh yes: the manicurist doesn't get a heart attack when I enter ;-)

Don't laugh! I had to work for a "nail technican" lately. Went to his shop,
allready wondering what on earth somebody who sells nails needs a shop at
Brussels Avenue Louise (the most expensif lane in Brussels).

The bloke drive 911 turbo and has a herd (30 or so) of nice looking girls
fitting another sort of nails. Sometimes I like my job, sometimes I think there
were better ones ;-)

Tom De Moor

In article ,
says...


Some of us are more capable of gorilla tool abuse than others. I've
snapped several 3/8" ratchets and extension bars - even a nice Facom
one.



Aye but you don't tell the complete story. You had a pipe as extra lever and
when the bolt refused to release, you had to put your total weight on it.

You didn't? I certainly did. Never went back for a refund or free remplacement
of the broken socket.

Never... on the exception of the bloke at Snap-On which kept buggering me about
his life-time garanteed tools. They make it, we break it! Garanteed :-)

Tom De Moor

The message
from Tom De Moor contains these words:

Aye but you don't tell the complete story. You had a pipe as extra
lever and
when the bolt refused to release, you had to put your total weight on it.

You didn't? I certainly did. Never went back for a refund or free
remplacement
of the broken socket.

Nope - I'm just unreasonably beefy.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

Tom De Moor wrote:

The bloke drive 911 turbo and has a herd (30 or so) of nice looking girls
fitting another sort of nails. Sometimes I like my job, sometimes I think there
were better ones ;-)

Tom De Moor

I'm not sure 'Herd' is the polite term :-)

The message
from Albert T Cone contains these words:

The bloke drive 911 turbo and has a herd (30 or so) of nice looking girls
fitting another sort of nails.

I'm not sure 'Herd' is the polite term :-)

Room for an udder one?

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.