Bronze ratchet

[Achilleus]

I bought a tool that I likely will not use for a while but I could not resist the price, I think someone missed off one of the digits since another seller wanted $330 for this.

It's an interesting contraption - there is no switch for on/off. And the cogs are 30-degrees a click, I assume because they had to make it really huge and beefy in the pawl since it's all made of aluminum bronze. I'm not supposed to ever use a pipe to extend the handle.

Super beautiful tool and gives me a reason to get out the Brasso occasionally.

I put the chrome one there to bring out the color in comparison, otherwise it just looks like any old ratchet in the pics.

I'll probably send them a message about this mistake in a couple of days, if there are any left still at the Amazon warehouse.

 

[nadogail]

That Ratchet may have once been on a Mine Sweeper.

 

[Achilleus]

That Ratchet may have once been on a Mine Sweeper.

This is actually brand new. But mine-sweeping is on their list of uses. They are not only non-magnetic (e.g. around NMR machines), but also non-sparking, like inside a gas tanker or flour mill.

 

[MileHighRover]

It's $331.94 now.

 

[four.cycle]

I think someone missed

somebody sure as hell missed something.
happens now and then.
years back I spotted a non-sparking socket set on ebay CRAZY cheap. (I THINK I put it in the "ebay hot deal" thread and a member bought it... been so long my memory is fuzzy on that one..)
some sellers don't know what they have.

 

[jgeoffr]

Still three in stock at that price...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RJNZYYM?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[MileHighRover]

I wonder how y'all are seeing $64.97? This is what I'm seeing even when clicking your link @jgeoffr

 

[Firebrick43]

I have worked on cnc machines with magnective linear ways. No steel/iron tools were allowed in the inner room of the machine where the ways resided or you would be severely injured by the tool flying. Most of the tools were bronze or beryllium.

 

[Ryno CW]

I wonder how y'all are seeing $64.97? This is what I'm seeing even when clicking your link @jgeoffr

I just copped one it's definitely 64.97. hopefully they don't cancel my order

 

[Achilleus]

I just copped one it's definitely 64.97. hopefully they don't cancel my order

Ryno - fingers crossed for you. If they figure it out, the item will suddenly be a 'no longer in stock' problem and they'll tell you it not available. Is your shipped yet? Is it from Amazon directly or another seller? Mine was shipped and delivered - same day - from Amazon after 2 days of waiting for it to ship.

The price for me now is back to $339.

It's almost worth writing some kind of gpt prompt to search for mis-priced items like this. Like the time I got a JET floor standing drill for the price of its 3/4" chuck

 

[Ryno CW]

The price is back up to 331.94. We'll see, says delivery by Tuesday

 

[jgeoffr]

FWIF - the ~$60 was sold by Amazon while the ~$300 was sold by Empire rigging.

 

[Achilleus]

FWIF - the ~$60 was sold by Amazon while the ~$300 was sold by Empire rigging.

There were 3 still in stock in Amz when I got mine. I wonder if 3 more people here picked one up?

 

[jgeoffr]

There were 3 still in stock in Amz when I got mine. I wonder if 3 more people here picked one up?

That was my thought. I decided to not get one...

 

[Hohn]

I have worked on cnc machines with magnective linear ways. No steel/iron tools were allowed in the inner room of the machine where the ways resided or you would be severely injured by the tool flying. Most of the tools were bronze or beryllium.

Well, beryllium copper-- the actual beryllium content is pretty minimal, but it's enough to make an alloy with quite remarkable properties.

 

[Firebrick43]

Well, beryllium copper-- the actual beryllium content is pretty minimal, but it's enough to make an alloy with quite remarkable properties.

Probably, just said beryllium on them. No grinding on the tools was allowed as the beryllium can cause serious lung disease if you breath the dust.

 

[Hohn]

it's a known carcinogen. Nasty stuff. But because of the special properties, it's everywhere in high end aerospace (nasa, etc).

 

[hobie18]

Known to cause things just by touch.

 

[Firebrick43]

Known to cause things just by touch.

Didn’t know that but there was a glove policy so I can’t recall touching it and if I did it would have been minimal

 

[Achilleus]

My old Sidgwick book on the chemical elements and their compounds describes beryllium sulphate as tasting sweet!

I believe Be is only toxic in the fumes/dust scenario, giving you lung cancer.

You also want to be careful with tellurium bronze - I know a guy that got Te into his body and he still smells of the stuff 25 years later.

 

[hobie18]

Didn’t know that but there was a glove policy so I can’t recall touching it and if I did it would have been minimal

This is dark stuff. Nightmares. Touch.

 

[Beerhippie]

My old Sidgwick book on the chemical elements and their compounds describes beryllium sulphate as tasting sweet!

I believe Be is only toxic in the fumes/dust scenario, giving you lung cancer.

You also want to be careful with tellurium bronze - I know a guy that got Te into his body and he still smells of the stuff 25 years later.

Beryllium Toxicity - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf

 

[rlitman]

This is actually brand new. But mine-sweeping is on their list of uses. They are not only non-magnetic (e.g. around NMR machines), but also non-sparking, like inside a gas tanker or flour mill.

Aluminum bronze (like your ratchet) is minimally magnetic (and non-toxic), but a neodymium super magnet will pull on it a bit, as opposed to beryllium bronze which is completely non-magnetic (and toxic when ground into dust).

 

[dscheidt]

Aluminum bronze (like your ratchet) is minimally magnetic (and non-toxic), but a neodymium super magnet will pull on it a bit, as opposed to beryllium bronze which is completely non-magnetic (and toxic when ground into dust).

I have an Aluminum bronze pry bar, and a big neodymium magnet. The magnet is strong enough I can put it on the bottom of an i-beam with about an inch stick past the bottom, and hang from it. It's attracted to the pry bar, but the attraction isn't enough to stick the magnet to it. (It'll just about rip a steel pry bar out of my hand as you bring them together....)

 

[rlitman]

... It's attracted to the pry bar, but the attraction isn't enough to stick the magnet to it. (It'll just about rip a steel pry bar out of my hand as you bring them together....)

That sounds about right, and matches my experiences. Still magnetic enough to throw off an MRI's calibration (even if it may be weak enough to keep a tool from being ripped from your hands), if you're someone who services those. It's just an easy way to differentiate AlBr from BeCu.

 

[Ryno CW]

The price is back up to 331.94. We'll see, says delivery by Tuesday

Update it actually came in!

 

[Achilleus]

@Ryno CW Awesome! Get out the Brasso