What do you do with very large wrenches?

[tool_scrounge]

Many years back I picked up these large wrenches at a garage sale. My dad is impossible to buy for at Christmas so I thought these wrapped up under the tree would be pretty amusing (it was). But now that I have them back and after tripping over them the last few years, I am unsure what to do with them. The big wrench is sized for a nut slightly less than 4" and they all weigh quite a bit. I believe they are all Armstrong, though I don't see any markings on the largest one. I cannot think of the last time I needed to tighten a 4" nut...

Mounting them on the wall is tempting, but for safety reasons I will probably pass on that.

For a few seconds I thought I could get rid of one on the GJ Secret Santa exchange, but then then I realized the cost of shipping to Germany if I was unlucky

So, what do you do with your obnoxiously large tools that you never use?

 

[jhelrey]

Those things are huge!

 

[rsieracki]

paperweight

 

[greasemonkey44]

those are monsters; anchors for a ship maybe?
or door stop?
i store my big work wrenches in a drawer but they are no where near that size
maybe mount them on a trophy plaque to the wall?

 

[Danglerb]

Sell them, everybody wants something.

 

[blazemaster83]

I have used some big stuff on the tools I have restored, but I don't think I have needed a 4" yet. gotta be close though, what ya want for em?

 

[rsanter]

ebay??

I vote for mount them ao the wall. just make a bracket that will not let them fall

bob

 

[countryroad82]

Another vote for wall art!! The biggest I have is 2 7/8 which I used that junk when I was working on heavy equipment, that **** is huge by large lol.

 

[GirlnAgarage]

You can keep them for decorations. If you don't have an idea for them, maybe your SO might. If you weld any you can turn them into a project.

Or take them down to the local antique store and see about selling them. You can put them on consignment.

 

[capswin]

If it was me, I'd keep them.
As soon as you get rid of them, you'll have a need for at least 1 of them. If you keep them, you will be insuring that you won't have to work on anything that BIG!

 

[JSBriggs]

Ive seen big wrenches like that used as for door pulls on a barn/workshop doors.

-Jeff

 

[FergusonTO35]

I use my over 1" tools on my tractor alot. Never had call for anything larger than 1-5/16 however.

 

[Jeeprz!]

Ive seen big wrenches like that used as for door pulls on a barn/workshop doors.

-Jeff

exactly what i was thinking, if you could make a bracket/holder of some sort you could use them for a door pull or a tool cart push handle. If you made the brackets right you could slide them in and out so as not to destroy the tools (maybe a set screw on the back of the brackets so they don't fall out and break your leg?). What about a handle for the lid of your shop trash can, like the old skool metal cans, just make a bracket for it to slide into, could probably make the brackets by bending up some galvinized metal sheet if you dont weld. If you have a bathroom in your shop rig up the handle so the huge wrench is the flush handle!

 

[Squankum]

Plate them in gold, put them on very sturdy necklaces, learn to rap?

 

[canuckian]

I'd be out looking for some really large bolts to remove if I had wrenches that big!! lol

I do like the barn door pull idea though.....if you have a barn, that is.

 

[Slow Gray Mule]

Attitude Adjusters

 

[Packard V8]

Find a local group which restores and preserves steam locomotives. They'd be glad to have those bad boys.

jack vines

 

[BHH]

-1 to putting them on the wall. That seems kinda white trash. I like the idea of using them as barn door handles or something. Or donating them to a group that will get use out of them. You can get your name engraved on them as the donator.

 

[WR250F]

Put them on Ebay.

They will bring more than you imagine

Big wrenches cost a small fortune and those who use them are usually willing to buy used

 

[Coach James]

The two alligator wrenches are A+ cool. I would keep them. I have my railroad wrenches on a shelf in my garage so I can see them easily.

Coach

 

[american lockpicker]

Plate them in gold, put them on very sturdy necklaces, learn to rap?

This. ^^^

 

[Hawk Thor]

I used a 80 mm (3.15") slogging wrench and a same size open end wrench on a pulley block on a trawler the other day.

I've seen 120 mm slogging wrenches around here as well, and I´m sure there are bigger wrenches lurking behind the counter of the tool department at work.

I would either mount them on the wall or sell them to someone who has a need for big wrenches.

 

[diesel research]

What do you do with very large wrenches?

I put them on bolts of the same size while hammering away at the nut of the same size with a moderate sized impact or hytorc.

One I used looked very similar to one in your pic. Believe it was 4-5/8 although it had no markings. I don't remember there being a hang hole on the end though?

 

[Jim Johnstone]

Find a local group which restores and preserves steam locomotives. They'd be glad to have those bad boys.

jack vines

I vote for this. I don't know how common groups like that are, but I think those bad boys should be in use, yanking on giant nuts and bolts.

 

[diesel research]

It's hard to generate the thousands of foot pounds typically required with such a short wrench.

 

[Recoil Rob]

That's just a miniature Coca Cola can....

 

[toymn6366]

ebay them i have seen guys building ratrods use them for headlight brackets and things

 

[tool_scrounge]

A log of good ideas! The toilet flushing lever is pretty ingenious, though the thought of it breaking its restraints and taking out the toilet bowl makes me cringe. Using them as a tool box or door handles has some merit. There is a local train museum that may have some interest so I will talk to them regarding the two big wrenches.

Thanks for all the input!

 

[kv501]

Just after high school I worked for a company that makes heavy equipment service truck bodies. I assembled cranes and used a 4 1/2" wrench every single day on the lift cylinder pivot bolt nuts, and 3" on the rod end bolts of those cylinders. There are a lot of uses for those wrenches.

I will also second the eBay suggestion made earlier. Ebay is not only full of people looking for everything imaginable, it is also full of suckers.

 

[camarotoolman]

Ebay, i just got 99.00 for a 2-1/2" They would make some cool bumpers for a rat rod.

 

[slob]

On the railroad we use them to remove and tighten bolts. Seems kind of silly now that I think about it.

 

[Greatbear]

Put on a sleeveless shirt, find an old steam engine, and recreate Lewis Hine photography.

 

[Brad54]

See if there's a hydraulic cylinder repair place around you... they might have a use for one that big.

Otherwise, Ebay.

-Brad

 

[JAKE-THE-TOOL-MAN]

Bench press them and do bicep curls

 

[USMCdodge]

those big nuts at the base of telephone poles!

 

[Adam McLaughlin]

-1 to putting them on the wall. That seems kinda white trash. I like the idea of using them as barn door handles or something. Or donating them to a group that will get use out of them. You can get your name engraved on them as the donator.

What is more trashy? The wrenches on the wall OR the ******* calendars kicking it at shops?

Adam

 

[xwarp]

you know that cheesy handle on that mini fridge in the garage?

 

[camarotoolman]

Bumpers on a rat rod!

 

[xwarp]

one helluva tie tack!