90 degree wrench.

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Sep 9, 2015
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i am working at a place that assembles air systems (large units) and we have some tight spots to get too with a wrench and its not easy to always get too it. i was going to try to make a wrench that would get at these spots easier, thought if i could bend a wrench 90* i could get to it at a different angle. so i tried to do it tonight and i tried to get it hot with a lot of friction on a really worn flap disc but i could bend it a little and it would snap. i tried a thicker wrench and a really thin one, and they both broke. i am wondering if there is a way to make this work at home or if i can/have to buy something similar. my friend has a blow torch, don't know if that would work.
 
How about pics of what you're trying to do.

Lots of small ratcheting box wrenches flex wrenches and stuff like that.
 
You'll have to heat it up enough to anneal the steel, and then likely re-temper. If left soft, then you will have trouble with it bending while in use.
Better option would be to cut the shaft and weld it in the direction you want to go. Overall that would be easier, the wrench will still be weaker, but if you are needing high torque, you should be using the proper tool to avoid stripping stuff.
 
something like this.
homemade-angle-handled-adjustable-wrench-2.jpeg

if anyone is curious to what it is being used on i work in assembly at https://www.powerexinc.com/
 
If crows foot sockets don't work cutting and welding new handles is the way to go .we made tools all the time when I worked in the automotive industry.

I have 7 big medical air pumps and 10 big medical vacuum pumps I am responsible for (15-20 h.p. each)
 
Yeah its got to be open ended because its on pipes and hoses. like it to be adjustable so I don't have to bend a bunch of them
 
adjustable is hard on fittings. If you are in a production environment, shouldn't you know which sizes you need, and only need a couple?
 
adjustable is hard on fittings.
i agree. that and its not as strong. they use adjustable wrenches on most things. this is my second week there and i am not 100% familiar with the sizes. that and the one we are finishing now is a prototype so it might different on the regular stuff. if it works good i will make a list of sizes they use.
 
I still don't see how a set of crows foot wrenches isn't the way to go? :confused:
 
Yeah, I'd see about how it all shuffles out, its very possible that its less of a problem than you think. Also, new guys and new ideas can be tough for some to deal with. I worked at a place where we asked for a tool every week because it would make our lives easier and damage less equipment, but the tool never arrived. The boss was happier to yell at us for breaking stuff. Meh, his problem, and before long, was no longer mine.
 
I still don't see how a set of crows foot wrenches isn't the way to go? :confused:
Its very possible that different depts use different tool sets. I've also come across situations where one guy had broken a thing, so that tool was no longer useful in the eyes of the decision maker. Even though it was obvious that the guy who broke things was an idiot. Not always logic decisions. As a new guy, you also have to think about the other egos in the room.
 
I know what these sell for. Glad you started this thread . If they are too cheap to get you the right tools to work on them I will definitely make sure we don't buy that brand for our facility.
 
Search the net for "distributor wrench" and for "starter wrench" and you will find various ready-made shapes. I don't know if these are what you want.
Another idea is to get the real Snap-On catalog and look for the specialty tools that they make to see if any of them will work for you.
 
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