Free 186 More Best Homemade Tools eBook:  
Get 2,000+ tool plans, full site access, and more.

User Tag List

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 11

Thread: Labeling My Wrenches

  1. #1
    Supporting Member rgsparber's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Phoenix, AZ
    Posts
    1,278
    Thanks
    733
    Thanked 2,763 Times in 650 Posts

    rgsparber's Tools

    Labeling My Wrenches

    How you organize your tools is a personal choice. What works well for one can be a nightmare for another. It is also challenging to look at a new scheme and know its value. You have to live with it for a while. In this spirit, I offer you my new labeling of combination wrenches.

    If you are interested, please see

    https://rick.sparber.org/LabelingWrenches.pdf



    Your comments are welcome. All of us are smarter than any one of us.


    Thanks,

    Rick

    186 More Best Homemade Tools eBook
    Rick

  2. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to rgsparber For This Useful Post:

    kb4mdz (Sep 4, 2020), Sleykin (Sep 3, 2020), techcollect (Sep 4, 2020)

  3. #2
    Supporting Member mklotz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    LA, CA, USA
    Posts
    3,434
    Thanks
    357
    Thanked 6,380 Times in 2,117 Posts

    mklotz's Tools
    "Is this a good idea?"

    It is in my book; in fact, I've done it myself with a few sets of tools.

    I think the problem with it is the fact that Usonians, despite their immersion in the idiocy of fractional nomenclature, have no facility with fraction arithmetic. If they know that they're dealing with a 3/8 inch fastener, they can't fathom how to convert that to sixteenths. Doing it mentally is beyond them.

    I was astounded to note the number of mechanically adept members in the local metalworking club couldn't understand how multiplying numerator and denominator of a fraction by the same number didn't change its value. The ignorance became apparent when I was showing them how the inverse of a fraction is a fraction formed by interchanging numerator and denominator.

    2000 Tool Plans
    ---
    Regards, Marv

    Home Shop Freeware
    https://www.myvirtualnetwork.com/mklotz

  4. #3
    Supporting Member Frank S's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    Peacock TX
    Posts
    11,179
    Thanks
    1,974
    Thanked 8,766 Times in 4,195 Posts

    Frank S's Tools
    What's so hard about fractional sizes? if you want to know what is near to say 27/64" merely add 1 to the 27 then divide both numbers by the largest hole number possible or simply divide by 2 then try again you will come up with 14/32 or 7/16" as the next larger size to find the size smaller just substract 1

    While I agree with the way Rick has numbered his wrenches all by 16ths above them if I were under a truck and sent the driver to fetch me a #9 as in needing a 9/16" he might bring me a 9/32" because that would be the only wrench with the #9 stamped on it or he might reach for the metrics on the other set of nails
    Never try to tell me it can't be done
    When I have to paint I use KBS products

  5. #4
    Supporting Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Perth Western Australia
    Posts
    77
    Thanks
    25
    Thanked 68 Times in 27 Posts

    Peter Sanders's Tools
    It seems to me to be a validation of the METRIC system! :-) No fractions just whole numbers... SOOO much easier :-)

  6. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Peter Sanders For This Useful Post:

    bigtrev8xl (Sep 7, 2020), rgsparber (Sep 4, 2020), Tule (Sep 4, 2020)

  7. #5

    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Posts
    38
    Thanks
    5
    Thanked 11 Times in 9 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by rgsparber View Post
    How you organize your tools is a personal choice. What works well for one can be a nightmare for another. It is also challenging to look at a new scheme and know its value. You have to live with it for a while. In this spirit, I offer you my new labeling of combination wrenches.

    .......

    Your comments are welcome. All of us are smarter than any one of us.


    Thanks,

    Rick
    Only thing missing is the spot for an All-16ths inch wrench. Come to think of it, you should have one for the All-mm wrench, too.

  8. #6
    Supporting Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2020
    Posts
    25
    Thanks
    62
    Thanked 17 Times in 8 Posts
    Rick’s idea is great for those willing to organize and shows his regular willingness to be better and help us and others do so as well. (Like everyone here)
    If anyone were to suggest manufacturers stamp tools with the size or range expressed in 1/16th also, (Such as 1/2 - 8/16 ) you can imagine the horrors, the word spews, the fainting and falling.
    Being a newcomer to the forum I am hesitant to jump in the deep end of the pool here.
    The problem of course is the legacy of,
    “It got us to the Moon didn’t it? (speaking of Imperial measure)
    “People aren’t ready for that!” (what has 2020 taught us? Little things we should have been doing all along and weren’t, has bitten us.)
    A few observations about the ‘reasons’ we have not completely switched to the metric issue.

    1. How long would it take if the US were to convert over to the metric system, to be done with items, systems and their tooling expressed in fractions?
    2. Legacy systems like the US infrastructure still use Windows XP. They shudder at the thought of upgrading on every level. I believe the same applies to the metric system; Money.
    3. Many people that hold the reins of power still measure their riding horses and polo ponies in ‘hands’.
    4. Like so many things, converting has been used as a divider and political issue that hasn’t had all the use wrung out of it yet.
    5. My fifth and final listing is this: “it takes two hands to handle a meter, only one to handle a foot.” I was told this by a DuPont engineer years ago. Over time I believe person to person that has merit because of common human thinking. (I’m not saying it’s right, just valid)

    I’m not trying to be negative here or stir the flotsam the first time out. As much as we like to help, sometimes talking to others outside our own circles gets other motivated as well.

  9. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to techcollect For This Useful Post:

    bigtrev8xl (Sep 7, 2020), rgsparber (Sep 14, 2020)

  10. #7
    Content Editor
    Supporting Member
    DIYer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    3,056
    Thanks
    772
    Thanked 1,850 Times in 1,652 Posts


    Thanks rgsparber! We've added your Wrench Labeling Method to our Storage and Organization category,
    as well as to your builder page: rgsparber's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:




  11. #8
    Supporting Member rgsparber's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Phoenix, AZ
    Posts
    1,278
    Thanks
    733
    Thanked 2,763 Times in 650 Posts

    rgsparber's Tools
    Quote Originally Posted by Frank S View Post
    What's so hard about fractional sizes? if you want to know what is near to say 27/64" merely add 1 to the 27 then divide both numbers by the largest hole number possible or simply divide by 2 then try again you will come up with 14/32 or 7/16" as the next larger size to find the size smaller just substract 1

    While I agree with the way Rick has numbered his wrenches all by 16ths above them if I were under a truck and sent the driver to fetch me a #9 as in needing a 9/16" he might bring me a 9/32" because that would be the only wrench with the #9 stamped on it or he might reach for the metrics on the other set of nails
    If my wrenches were in increments of 1/32", I would number them that way. so #9 would be 9/32. If I needed a 9/16" wrench, I would call out for a #18 .

    Rick
    Rick

  12. #9
    Supporting Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
    Posts
    217
    Thanks
    4
    Thanked 43 Times in 38 Posts
    And here I was thinking metric !

  13. #10
    Supporting Member rgsparber's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Phoenix, AZ
    Posts
    1,278
    Thanks
    733
    Thanked 2,763 Times in 650 Posts

    rgsparber's Tools
    Quote Originally Posted by mbshop View Post
    And here I was thinking metric !
    Call it poor man’s metric.

    Rick
    Rick

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •