Sunday, February 10, 2013

A 'Fits-All-Sizes' Wrench


At least, I think that's what it is. Applied to any size of hex within its range, the tool will engage somewhere with one 'corner' of the hex, like so.

For light wrenching, it gives you a lot of wrench sizes in one tool.

This can go in a drawer with some other spare wrenches.

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A Shut-Off Valve For 1/2" Iron Pipe


This is a gate valve. Here's a view of its innards.

The tapered 'gate' descends to close the valve, rises to open it. When wide open, the gate is completely out of the valve's passageway, like so.

This can join my other spare plumbing valves.

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A 3/8"-16 Bolt And Nut


It's 4" long, SAE grade 5. I'll give it a wire-brushing and it can go with my other 3/8"-16 items. (I keep a fair inventory of standard hardware items on hand. You can get a lot more work done when trips to the hardware store are minimized.)

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A Dandelion Puller


At least, that's what it looks like to me. It's kind of ugly, but it's well-constructed. It has a hole for hanging it on a nail, so I'll award it some toolboard space and hang it up.

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A 3/16", Tee-Style Hex Key


It's in fine condition. I just happen to have a bit of toolboard space directly above my rack of L-shaped fractional inch hex keys. I'll make a hanger for this key and get it up on the toolboard right now.

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And there we are.

Hangers for small tools can be made from pretty light material. That little bracket is 0.6mm thick aluminum -- entirely adequate for what's being asked of it.

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Saturday, February 2, 2013

Pruning Shears From Clyde, Ohio


This is a heavy-duty brute of a thing, with a compound leverage action that I've not seen before. Overall length is 29 1/2".

The maker's name is illegible, but I can make out "CLYDE, OHIO". There is a Clyde, Ohio, and it seems like the sort of place where such tools were likely made at one time.

It appears that one of its wooden handles must have broken, and been replaced with a length of 3/4" iron pipe. The handle replacement job was well done, but it makes the tool far heavier than need be. Making and installing a new hardwood handle would be an interesting wood turning project.

Anyway, the tool is usable as it is; it can go with our other garden tools. I'll keep an eye out for a suitable piece of material for a handle.

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