Yet another hair-brained ratchet mod

[DadsTools]

I was musing over the pile of Taiwan-style 3/8 ratchets I've accumulated over the last several years and wondering what in the heck am I going to do with all these. A few of them are actually pretty decent.

Then it struck me. You know...one of those hair-brained mental pictures that once you envision it, you can't un-see it or get it out of your mind. The kind that gnaws a hole in your brain like one of those tunes that for some reason gets stuck in your head and you can't shake it loose while it plays over and over without end. I tried to escape its persistent, perverted image but to no avail. Like a mouse trapped in a maze, I could see only one way out--I had to build it.

Once I beheld my embarrassing creation and found that it actually worked better than I had ever dreamed ( ), I felt the need to hide it away where no one else will ever know my shame. And yet, there remained a strange compulsion to post it here for others to see. Sometimes you just have to talk out loud about your problems. I really am very sorry to spring this on you--my deepest apologies to all my fellow GJers who might now be similarly wounded by this shocking image straight from the tool-island hell of Dr. Moreau that they too will not be able to un-see. I just couldn't help myself.

DISCLAIMER: Only tool-shaped metal objects were used in the making of this mutant mechanism. No real tools of value were harmed in any way during its production.

 

[Musicinabottle]

Now that's funny! Thanks for sharing!

 

[tym]

Aieee! It burns! It burns!

 

[4xdog]

I've not used one, but the 50s-60s era Craftsman speeder ratchets had their ratchet head in the center, a doorknob-style handle mounted on one end and a counterbalancing mass at the other end. That always seemed like a good design.

Does your handle tend to get tilted or off balance in use? Seems like it would be a little awkward.

A fun mod though for an otherwise likely-to-be-orphaned tool.

 

[Snakebyt]

nothing wrong with that

 

[Lassen Forge]

I wish I had a picture of it, but on one of these threads someone posted a "Taiwanese" ratchet that had been bent at a 45, yet I did that (to a raised panel Craftsman, nonetheless) with an Acetylene Wrench because I needed access to a bolt, and that was the only way I was going to get to it without tearing an entire motor down to get to it. I may still have that thing somewhere, but it did what I needed it to do, and saved the day.

When I think of the Craftsman tools I went out and bought to modify because I didn't want to do terror to my truck tools, well... sorry. But you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes...

 

[PelicanPines]

Requires bottle opener...

 

[Mr Ratchet]

My eyes Love the anti gouge acorn nut on the bottom of the handle. I wonder how hard the metal is and if it could be threaded. It'd be more steam lined but, less ornate.

 

[bonneyman]

A "suicide handle" ratchet, like the steering wheel knobs of old.

 

[DadsTools]

I've not used one, but the 50s-60s era Craftsman speeder ratchets had their ratchet head in the centeer, a doorknob-style handle mounted on one end and a counterbalancing mass at the other end. That always seemed like a good design.

Does your handle tend to get tilted or off balance in use? Seems like it would be a little awkward.

A fun mod though for an otherwise likely-to-be-orphaned tool.

I'm sure the old Craftsman was somewhere in the back of my mind when this creature came forth. I've never handled one of those personally, but always thought the design was interesting. But it also seemed the beam on those were too short and the knob too small to apply any torque to speak of.

The handle is indeed weighty (I'm sure everyone noticed this is a section of a brass candle stick), but in the few things I've tried it on it works fine. I intended it as a two-handed affair to take the place of a typical brace-style speeder wrench that I often find either too long or too awkward with little torque to get those bolts that seem to bind midway out. This has a 4-1/4" throw. One hand on the extension bar stabilizes it as well as any speeder wrench. It's too big to fit in tight places, but that wasn't my intention. It zips spark plugs in and out with remarkable ease, easily outperforming a bent-handled flex head. Same with lug nuts. Spins out those carburetor bolts out nice too (yeah, a carburetor--gives you an idea of what I work on where there's actually room to use a thing like this).

Thanks for caring.

 

[DadsTools]

Requires bottle opener...

Darn! I knew I overlooked something!

 

[DadsTools]

My eyes Love the anti gouge acorn nut on the bottom of the handle. I wonder how hard the metal is and if it could be threaded. It'd be more steam lined but, less ornate.

Thanks for noticing the nut. It was the only one like it I had in the place. When I found it rooting for a nut in the organizer, I thought, "THIS is what I've been saving this for!"

The metal is hardened. It required drilling (more like boring) with a carbide tipped bit at lowest rpm with lots of pressure and oil. I thought about tapping it, but anticipating the ordeal just drilling the hole, I didn't want to go back and fight at it again with a tap and possibly breaking it off, then having to cut the bolt to make it flush on the bottom. It really just started out as some spare-time silliness that actually turned out pretty decent.

 

[Stadger]

That *****!

Not really. I think it's great.

 

[anndel]

Wow!