Wrenches that will not rust???

[radgto]

Hello,

I'm new here but have read here for over a year before joining.

I am a machine mechanic at a food processing plant which uses tomatoes, lemon juice, degreasers, bleach, etc. All of these can do a number on wrenches that we chain to the machines for the operators to use.

Obviously we can't have rusty tools laying around food and I was wondering if any company makes wrenches that will not rust at all if left in this situation.

Does anyone here have experience in this type of environment?

Thanks for any help and for providing an excellent tool forum.

 

[american lockpicker]

what about bronze?

 

[Stuey]

If I remember correctly, stainless steel wrenches are made specifically for the food industry. I'm not sure where to get them, but a few brands do offer them.

 

[kissmeimgerman]

Titanium?

 

[royesses]

A web search turns up this and pliers and other tools.
Also craftsman used to sell wrenches and ratchets in stainless. might try ebay for those.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003E48D4E/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[diesel research]

Genius makes stainless tools.

 

[radgto]

We actually looked into Titanium but they were so expensive that the company would rather just replace something like an Armstrong or CM pro once a month.

Don't think Bronze would hold up.

I actually did google searches and couldn't come up with a standard style combo wrench that would fit the bill. that wrench set from Amazon looks like it would work. Now If we could get get 20 each of 19mm and 15mm and none of the rest we'd be in business

Thanks for the help.

 

[RKA]

Mcmaster Carr has stainless combo wrenches that can be ordered individually for $10-20 each. The catch...I only see SAE on their website??? Call them and see if they can source the metrics for you.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#combination-wrenches/=dy9sg8

Edit:
Found double open end stainless in metric. $58 and $88 for the 15 and 19mm respectively. It's a 420 stainless...says autoclavable to 250F if that matters.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#open-end-hand-wrenches/=dyj571

 

[benny27]

looks like you can special order metric sizes and just get your 15mm 19mm

http://aventools.thomasnet-navigato...tainless-steel-combination-wrenches?forward=1

http://aventools.thomasnet-navigato...inless-steel-combination-wrenches/21187-0516?

 

[2oolhound]

Here's another lead from Princess auto in Canada, you will have to contact them for what you want:


"
http://www.princessauto.com/worksho...heting-stainless-steel-combination-wrench-set

 

[John Timmins]

Try non-spark tools like Ampco

 

[Wrenches of Death]

Hello,I am a machine mechanic at a food processing plant which uses tomatoes, lemon juice, degreasers, bleach, etc. All of these can do a number on wrenches that we chain to the machines for the operators to use.

These people:

http://www.steritool.com/

Not cheap, but...

WoD

 

[Skin]

Gedore sells a line with a special anti-corrosion finish called COROSTOP for use around salt water. No idea how well it holds up in the real world.

http://www.ucu-gedore.cz/docs/G9.pdf
http://www.gedoretools.com/index.php?dispatch=pages.view&page_id=1

Fair warning they arent nearly as expensive as titanium or an excellent grade of stainless but they arent cheap either. Perhaps they'd cut you a deal if you were buying in bulk though.

 

[Sterff]

These people:

http://www.steritool.com/

Not cheap, but...

WoD

No kidding... A 15/16" is $400

 

[Wrenches of Death]

No kidding... A 15/16" is $400

Yep, they ain't cheap. But they are at the top of their field.

Their prices make Snap-on look like something off of the Globemaster bargain tools table at the Western Auto.

Check out the prices of their ratchets and torque wrenches.

WoD

 

[Boiler]

No kidding... A 15/16" is $400

A craftsman pro 15/16 is about $17. If they are replacing them every month as stated it would take 2 years to get their return on investment on a $400 wrench that they only have to buy once. Not bad really. An added bonus, they don't have rust near the end of the cycle issues.

The bad news: $400 wrenches probably will grow legs.

 

[porphyre]

Stainless Steel is the way to go.

But I think you should think outside the box. Why do the workers need wrenches? Is there a way to update or redesign the machine to be tool-less?

I mean, if they're using the wrench to tighten and loosen one bolt to adjust the thickness on a cutter or something, could you redesign the bolt to loosen/tighten via a cam-lever or something similar?

 

[diesel research]

The bad news: $400 wrenches probably will grow legs.

Not if the brand is unfamiliar AND the price is not mentioned to the workers. Some supers have a bad habit of moaning about how expensive something is. As soon as they attach a price tag to the equipment is when things go bad. Or when the name is recognizable.


For example, we used a lot of proto, wright, williams, old USA napa pro, along with a couple of vlchek, plvmb, and possibly even a stallwille in the mix.

None of those tools ever grew legs. The milwaukee and craftsman stuff were the only ones to grow legs.

I still suggest checking out Genius brand. Chadster pushes a lot of them to his budget conscious customers along his route.

 

[rlitman]

Don't think Bronze would hold up.

Berylco, or Ampco BeCu tools will hold up in an underwater marine environment just fine, and are far stronger than steel. Still, the price will knock you over (think NASA pricing, since their tools are made from the same stuff too).

I agree with other posts that you way want to consider toolless modifications to your line. Even if that involves bringing in a welder to add stainless handles to some fasteners making an ad-hoc wingnut. If it's permanently attached like that, there's no reason it would walk, and done right, it should last forever.

 

[Wrenches of Death]

Not if the brand is unfamiliar AND the price is not mentioned to the workers. Some supers have a bad habit of moaning about how expensive something is. As soon as they attach a price tag to the equipment is when things go bad. Or when the name is recognizable.

I never really even thought about it from that angle. I guess that to the majority of the workforce, a wrench is just a wrench. But an "expensive wrench" is something to steal.

I still suggest checking out Genius brand. Chadster pushes a lot of them to his budget conscious customers along his route.

A friend has a couple of sets of Genius brand 3/4" drive impact sockets, a standard and a metric set. He's been unable to tear them up over the course of several years of working on trucks and off road equipment on a daily basis. They seem to be holding up well and the workmanship/finish of them are as good as anything I've bought that was made here.

WoD

 

[fabrk8r]

As suggested earlier, McMaster-Carr stainless steel tools are probably going to be the best buy.

If you don't already use them for various fasteners, gasket material, tools and other industrial supplies you soon will once you set up an account and place an order. They are very reasonable on prices and have almost everything you'll ever need. If we order from the Chicago warehouse before 2:00 pm it arrives at the shop at 11:00 the next day.

 

[Monte]

Drop forged stainless steel metric combination wrenches are available from Elora, "made in Germany"

Available in the US:
http://www.bloomertool.com/DIN-3113B-ISO-3318-Metric-Combination-Wrenches.html

Hazet sells a stainless Steel 1/4" socket set:

 

[superautobacs]

Here's Japan's answer to SS tools:

A manufacturer called TONE has been making SS tools for several years:

They have wrenches, sockets, ratchets, screwdrivers, pliers, hex keys, and tool boxes.

http://www.tonetool.co.jp/English/Products/sus_tool.html

 

[Kev442]

Freely plagiarized from the internet, sounds like the ticket for way less than $400 a pop!





Home News Aven Stainless Steel Wrenches
Aven Stainless Steel Wrenches
Assembly, Contract Manufacturing, Industry News

Meeting Critical Sterility Standards

TMD January 24, 2011

Corrosion-resistant tools are a best-practice choice for medical device manufacturing, electronics fabrication, biotechnology, hospitals, environmental engineering, food processing, pharmaceutical labs, aerospace facilities and research centers.

Six corrosion-resistant combination wrenches are among stainless steel maintenance tools that Aven, Inc. supplies to help assure aseptic environments in critical areas for industrial, scientific and health care users.

The Grade 420 stainless steel wrenches can be autoclaved up to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, just as lab equipment and medical tools are. A multi-level hardening process provides durability and strength.

"Like our dozens of other stainless hand tools, these are designed for settings where it's essential to avoid rust, chrome particles and other contamination," says Aven president Mike Shahpurwala. Using general purpose carbon alloy tools to install or repair process equipment introduces ferrous contamination risk.

Aven's stainless combo wrenches, with overall lengths of five to eight inches, each have an open end angled at 15 degrees and a 12-point box end for hexagonal or square nuts. These sizes are provided individually or as a six-piece set in a roll-up pouch: 5/16", 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", 9/16" and 5/8". Metric sizes are available by special order.

They're suitable for medical device manufacturing, electronics fabrication, biotechnology, hospitals, environmental engineering, food processing, pharmaceutical labs or plants, marine applications, aerospace facilities, research centers and chemical production.

The 27-year-old old industrial and scientific supplier, based in Southeast Michigan, also offers 400 series stainless steel pliers, cutters, screwdrivers, hex keys, nut setters and bits.

For more information, call Aven at (734) 973-0099. A digital catalog is at www.aveninc.com.

 

[kursplat]

comes with a nice box too...

 

[Monte]

The Aven wrenches look very thin, and they don´t look drop forged, just stamped

 

[Wrenches of Death]

Here's Japan's answer to SS tools:

A manufacturer called TONE has been making SS tools for several years...

Man, that set in the SS tool box gave me a physiological response I haven had in a while.

I hope that the wife comes home soon.

WoD