Anyone have a source for inexpensive wrenches sold individually? I'm
putting together separate maintenance tool sets for each of my machines
and I'd rather not shell out for Craftsman (much less Mac/Snap-On).

Thanks.

JP

"Jay Pique" wrote in message
ups.com...
Anyone have a source for inexpensive wrenches sold individually? I'm
putting together separate maintenance tool sets for each of my machines
and I'd rather not shell out for Craftsman (much less Mac/Snap-On).

You'd rather round off the nuts and bolt heads? If so, check out Harbor
Fright.

I did the same thing and it sure made life in the shop easier.
Each machine has it's specific setup/adjustment wrenches,
hex keys, etc stuck to magnets near the point of use. No
more wasted time searching for them.

If you have a HF store near you they sell individual wrenches
and cheap(in both senses of the word) hex key sets which are
plenty good enough for the TS throat plate levelers, BS guide
blocks, etc.

Art

"Jay Pique" wrote in message
ups.com...
Anyone have a source for inexpensive wrenches sold individually? I'm
putting together separate maintenance tool sets for each of my machines
and I'd rather not shell out for Craftsman (much less Mac/Snap-On).

Thanks.

JP

Jay Pique wrote:
Anyone have a source for inexpensive wrenches sold individually? I'm
putting together separate maintenance tool sets for each of my machines
and I'd rather not shell out for Craftsman (much less Mac/Snap-On).


Harbor Freight, Ace Hardware, garage sales, Cash Converters (franchised
operation like a pawn shop only they just buy and sell used goodies
including tools, etc.) Google to see if one's near you.

"Jay Pique" wrote in message
ups.com...
Anyone have a source for inexpensive wrenches sold individually? I'm
putting together separate maintenance tool sets for each of my machines
and I'd rather not shell out for Craftsman (much less Mac/Snap-On).


Three 15 dollar sets of Stanley combinations and two of hex keys did it for
me. Mix and match, with hex keys held on magnets, wrenches hanging on
hooks. Color code the hex keys, because you may have metric/imperial
problems which old eyes can't easily resolve. Tape works fine.

Sockets are one set garage, one set workshop.

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"Jay Pique" wrote in message
ups.com...
Anyone have a source for inexpensive wrenches sold individually? I'm
putting together separate maintenance tool sets for each of my machines
and I'd rather not shell out for Craftsman (much less Mac/Snap-On).

You'd rather round off the nuts and bolt heads? If so, check out Harbor
Fright.

Yeah - that would be penny wise and pound stupid. I'm not planning on
wrestling with any corroded nuts or bolts so I think the tolerances and
quality of steel even in cheap wrenches should suffice. I'll use the
"keepers" if I need to really torque something - which I shouldn't have
to do if the machines are kept up.

JP

On 21 Oct 2005 20:04:49 -0700, "Jay Pique" wrote:

Anyone have a source for inexpensive wrenches sold individually?

Snap-on, off eBay. My machines tend to be big, old and English. So a
lot of their nuts are either imperial, or even Whitworth. As size isn't
such an issue with woodworking machines as it is with cars, then they
only use the same couple of sizes for everything - no 14mm and 18mm
heads, just to fit in the tiny space.

So when those one or two odd wrenches and sockets go past on eBay, I
grab them - usually cheaply, because none of the car fettlers are
interested. They're usually got the owners name on, and all seem to be
Canadian Snap-on for some odd reason, but they work fine for adding to
the machine toolsets.

My own car-fix box is of course full Snap-on (or Facom) Cost a bloody
fortune and several years that lot did, so I don't want to leave odd
ones wandering around the workshop.

Since we are both in Ann Arbor, I would be interested in what you find
here. I have a Jacobs Power Collet that I have installed on my router
table. It might work for everything, but from what people tell me, I
will probably use the standard collet for some things like larger bits.


The nut on the Power Collet is 1 1/4 inch and with all my wrenches, I
don't have one that large. Harbor Freight has a jumbo set, but it
costs $29 (as I recall) on sale. I did not see (and did not ask) if
they had singles, so if you find one, let me know

eganders wrote:
Since we are both in Ann Arbor, I would be interested in what you find
here. I have a Jacobs Power Collet that I have installed on my router
table. It might work for everything, but from what people tell me, I
will probably use the standard collet for some things like larger bits.


The nut on the Power Collet is 1 1/4 inch and with all my wrenches, I
don't have one that large. Harbor Freight has a jumbo set, but it
costs $29 (as I recall) on sale. I did not see (and did not ask) if
they had singles, so if you find one, let me know

Will do. Coincidentally, I am right now looking at a flyer I got in
the mail for a "Cummins Industrial Tools Truckload Tool Sale" that's
taking place right here in town today. Looks like Harbor Freight
quality, but maybe they'll have the odd wrench for sale cheap. Further
bulletins as events warrant.

JP

HF has some junk, BUT my son and I have multiple sets of combination and
impact socket wrenches from them. All seem to be the right sizes and have
proved immune to much mindless abuse, like pounding with hammers to break
things loose. We get the black ones, but I don't know if they are better
than the shiny ones or not.

If you can tolerate the idea of low pay in the third world, they are fine.

BTW, we also have a couple of the 4" angle grinders, which have held up fine
for a couple of years.

Wilson
"Jay Pique" wrote in message
oups.com...

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"Jay Pique" wrote in message
ups.com...
Anyone have a source for inexpensive wrenches sold individually? I'm
putting together separate maintenance tool sets for each of my machines
and I'd rather not shell out for Craftsman (much less Mac/Snap-On).

You'd rather round off the nuts and bolt heads? If so, check out Harbor
Fright.

Yeah - that would be penny wise and pound stupid. I'm not planning on
wrestling with any corroded nuts or bolts so I think the tolerances and
quality of steel even in cheap wrenches should suffice. I'll use the
"keepers" if I need to really torque something - which I shouldn't have
to do if the machines are kept up.

JP

On 21 Oct 2005 20:04:49 -0700, "Jay Pique" wrote:

Anyone have a source for inexpensive wrenches sold individually? I'm
putting together separate maintenance tool sets for each of my machines
and I'd rather not shell out for Craftsman (much less Mac/Snap-On).

Thanks.

JP

Garage sales??

I've picked up several old wrenches and odd sockets out of "bargain boxes" at
garage sales...

of course, you could just convert as many as possible to allen head and hang an
allen wrench on the machine with a magnet..


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

"Jay Pique" wrote in message
ups.com...
Anyone have a source for inexpensive wrenches sold individually? I'm
putting together separate maintenance tool sets for each of my machines
and I'd rather not shell out for Craftsman (much less Mac/Snap-On).

Thanks.

JP


Northern Tool has the polished Chrome design and they are quite cheap and
IIRC also have a life time guarantee.

Fri, Oct 21, 2005, 8:04pm (EDT-3) (Jay*Pique) for
some reason asked:
Anyone have a source for inexpensive wrenches sold individually? I'm
putting together separate maintenance tool sets for each of my machines
and I'd rather not shell out for Craftsman (much less Mac/Snap-On).

C'mon Jay, you had to ask? Yard sales, garage sales, flea markets,
pawn shops (a last resport as far as I'm concerned), steal 'em from your
kids (then immediately paint them and deny even seeing their tools),
bargain paper.

You live in Ann Arbor? I was born there, and raised about 16 miles
north. Too damn cold for me to ever live there again.



JOAT
If it ain't broke, don't lend it.
- Red Green

In article . com, "Jay Pique" wrote:
Anyone have a source for inexpensive wrenches sold individually? I'm
putting together separate maintenance tool sets for each of my machines
and I'd rather not shell out for Craftsman (much less Mac/Snap-On).

Well, I just got a fistful of Craftsman wrenches at an estate auction a couple
weeks ago, seven or eight wrenches... six bucks.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

Andy Dingley wrote:

Snap-on, off eBay. My machines tend to be big, old and English. So a
lot of their nuts are either imperial, or even Whitworth.

Good old snap-off, I'll stick with my Britool and Metrinch for most
things, but snap-off screw drivers and deep sockets are almost unbeatable.

eganders wrote:
Since we are both in Ann Arbor, I would be interested in what you find
here. I have a Jacobs Power Collet that I have installed on my router
table. It might work for everything, but from what people tell me, I
will probably use the standard collet for some things like larger bits.


The nut on the Power Collet is 1 1/4 inch and with all my wrenches, I
don't have one that large. Harbor Freight has a jumbo set, but it
costs $29 (as I recall) on sale. I did not see (and did not ask) if
they had singles, so if you find one, let me know


Wrong set. The Jumbo set currently on sale starts
at 1-3/8" 1-1/4 is a bear, you could have a
small size sets and a large size set and still not
have a 1-1/4"

"Ba r r y" wrote in message

What's Whitworth?


About twenty shillings.

Whitworth is the ******* size used on Triumph motorcycles and such.
http://www.mototools.com/Whitworth.htm

"Ba r r y" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 22 Oct 2005 13:42:52 +0100, Andy Dingley
wrote:

On 21 Oct 2005 20:04:49 -0700, "Jay Pique"
wrote:

Anyone have a source for inexpensive wrenches sold individually?

Snap-on, off eBay. My machines tend to be big, old and English. So a
lot of their nuts are either imperial, or even Whitworth.

What's Whitworth?

Thanks,
Barry

Whitworth is an Imperial standard invented before the USA was
discovered, but I am surprised as the USA is so backward in adopting the
otherwise worldwide metric measure that they don't still use it for
everything.
Especially as it is such a rough and ready style.
--
John G

Wot's Your Real Problem?

On 21 Oct 2005 20:04:49 -0700, "Jay Pique"
wrote:

Anyone have a source for inexpensive wrenches sold individually? I'm
putting together separate maintenance tool sets for each of my machines
and I'd rather not shell out for Craftsman (much less Mac/Snap-On).

Thanks.

JP
============
Found all the time at Automobile swap meets etc.... tables after
tables of wrenches screw drivers etc.... majority of wrenches are
Craftsman for some reason... but all priced at 2 bucks or under
normally....3/8 in flare wrench that my son "borrowed" then lost was
replaced for $1.50 Sears price was 18 bucks just for that wrench...

Bob G.

"John G" wrote in message
...

Whitworth is an Imperial standard invented before the USA was discovered,
but I am surprised as the USA is so backward in adopting the otherwise
worldwide metric measure that they don't still use it for everything.
Especially as it is such a rough and ready style.
--

Well, since it costs no more to get things right:

Joseph Whitworth (1803 - 1887) was a British mechanical engineer and tool
maker who was also responsible for establishing precision measurement and
manufacturing standards.

I believe ~1848 is the correct time frame for the standardization. US dates
from either 1776 or 1789, depending on your desire.

Ba r r y wrote:

On Sat, 22 Oct 2005 13:42:52 +0100, Andy Dingley
wrote:

On 21 Oct 2005 20:04:49 -0700, "Jay Pique" wrote:

Anyone have a source for inexpensive wrenches sold individually?

Snap-on, off eBay. My machines tend to be big, old and English. So a
lot of their nuts are either imperial, or even Whitworth.

What's Whitworth?

Whitworth is the only thread standard that makes sense, everything
else that came after it was a retrograde step.


--

Jay Pique wrote:
Anyone have a source for inexpensive wrenches sold individually? I'm
putting together separate maintenance tool sets for each of my machines
and I'd rather not shell out for Craftsman (much less Mac/Snap-On).

Well, I found a couple of cheap wrenches. I was on eBay and saw a
couple of jumbos. One is a 1-1/2, 1-3/8" open end, and the other is a
1-5/8, 1-7/16" open end. Both are "Blue-Point". I bought the two of
them for $30 delivered to my door.

So now the arbor nut is off of the RAS (as well as everything else -
it's fully disassembled now). The wrenches seem, well, very
wrench-like. These suckers are heavy. While there's no mention of
Snap-On on them at all, it looks like Snap-On uses the term Blue Point
on some of their tools. IAE, if I bought them new at the price listed
on the Snap-On website they'd cost me over $300!!! (Craftsman would be
around $75).

I'm wondering if they were really his dad's now, what with "Paul" being
etched on each of them.

JP
***************
Torn.

On Sun, 23 Oct 2005 00:14:23 GMT, Ba r r y
wrote:

Snap-on, off eBay. My machines tend to be big, old and English. So a
lot of their nuts are either imperial, or even Whitworth.

What's Whitworth?

Whitworth was a thread form designed specifically for use in cast iron
(as there was little else in use at the time). So even in the modern
world, it still has a use. Under 1/2", it's the same as UNC (within a
whisker). If you tap metric threads into cast iron you can often have
problems with poor thread form or thread stripping (the coarse metric
series is rarer than Whitworth).

Whitworth / BSF (British Standard Fine) have much the same relation as
UNC / UNF. Although I maintain a full set of Whitworth tools and do
still use them, the BSF kit is just there for historical reasons. I
remember my Dad hauling scrap brand-new BSF tap and die sets by the ton
load a few decades ago.