What exactly is a Monkey Wrench?

[330Scott]

I got a soda riding on this.

 

[RAYJAY]

Monkey wrench
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


The Monkey Wrench is an adjustable wrench which is rarely used today. Its use has generally been replaced by the adjustable-end wrench, which has a compact head and so is more easily used in confined places.

The term "monkey wrench" is also used colloquially to refer to the pipe wrench.

Concerning the origin of its name, this from William Rogers, The Progressive Machinist, Theo. Audel & Company, New York, 1903:

In his interesting article upon the genesis of machine design, Mr. W.H. Sargent spoke of the slide which moves up and down in the handle of a monkey wrench as resembling a toy monkey, and thereby drew an analogy. To this Mr. H.E. Madden writes: "The wrench is not named from this, neither is it so called because it is a handy thing to 'monkey' with. The right name is 'Moncky.' Charles Moncky, the inventor of it, sold his patent for $2,000, and invested the money in a house in Williamsburg, Kings County, N.Y., where he afterward lived."

I even have a couple of this style wrench from my grand father ....lol

 

[Charles (in GA)]

The direct evolution of this is the "Ford" wrench.

Charles

 

[wythors]

I've got one of those.

 

[REFLEXX]

I prefer the "trunk monkey" just search for the video.

 

[330Scott]

Dang, it this rate I will be owing one soda to a girl. A girl mind you who knows what a monkey wrench is as opposed to me NOT!!! I sure hope this isn't a symptom of old-timers disease. I my defense I initially did say that it was any type of adjustable pliers type of wrench, but she made me be more specific. Doh...

 

[Ramblur]

The direct evolution of this is the "Ford" wrench.

Charles

I always thought THIS was a "Ford" wrench...

But I could be wrong,I have some friends that swear that this is the original
"Ford"wrench.

 

[Wardrum]

Damn, I have just got to get some new tools. I have a "Moncky" wrench and a "Ford" wrench.....and use them regularly. Maybe I need to get out more too!!!

 

[GearHead_1]

I always thought THIS was a "Ford" wrench...

But I could be wrong,I have some friends that swear that this is the original
"Ford"wrench.

Isn't it ironic that the Ford wrenches pictured are reserved primarily for General Motors vehicles.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

To add to this with some pics. Here is a all metal Moncky wrench which was in my Grandfathers (Dad's side) wooden tool chest. Also is a 24 inch "Genuine Stilson" pipe wrench which came from my Grandfather (Mom's side) who was a round house foreman for the Sante Fe.

Charles

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

The Stillson is a more traditional, pipe wrench, while the "monkey" wrench has the adjustment on the opposite side, and more importantly SMOOTH JAWS.

 

[Virgil Cain]

Dang, it this rate I will be owing one soda to a girl. A girl mind you who knows what a monkey wrench is as opposed to me NOT!!! I sure hope this isn't a symptom of old-timers disease. I my defense I initially did say that it was any type of adjustable pliers type of wrench, but she made me be more specific. Doh...

Please turn in your Man Card on the way out.

 

[Altec]

I'm sure he did....Five years ago...

 

[Ign]

It's an all-sixteenths

 

[porphyre]

I realize this is a necro thread, but I'm in bizarro world here. My folks were at my house a few hours ago and I was showing off my Plomb Stillson wrench that's 1 year younger than my dad... he told my mom, "Hey it's a monkey wrench." So I explained it was a Stillson and that a monkey had the moveable jaw on the bottom, not the top.

Strange this thread popped up this evening...

 

[Even 11]

As far as I know a monkey wrench is a adjustable wrench shaped like an "F" that has been replaced by the more common pipe wrench.

-Dane

*Holy **** this is an old thread!*

 

[I can fix anything]

None of the above in the poll.

These are Monkey wrenches



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[Boiler]

Yep, parallel smooth jaws that adjust as shown in the supplied photos. And yes I enjoyed this thread but the fact that it was a 5 year old necro wrecked it...

 

[defy]

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[Xenocide]

I was about to say - i bet Dave Grohl could tell you .

 

[John in OH]

None of the above in the poll.

These are Monkey wrenches

Yep! The originally posted poll is bogus because none of the choices is correct ... correct answer is "None of the above" (as noted by I Can Fix Anything) but it wasn't included by the originator of the poll.

 

[oldjacks]

Mechanics in the early days of motoring were called "Grease Monkeys". Question did Grease Monkeys ever use Monkey Wrenches to work with?

 

[Charles (in GA)]

In the pic that "I Can Fix Anything" posted above, note that the tool in the very foreground is a pipe wrench with a wooden handle, common on older ones, and the wrench in the background is a "auto" wrench, distinguished from a "monkey" wrench by its much narrower jaws (allowing it to fit in tighter places, and the lack of a hammer head on the backside of the head.

Charles

 

[Zrexxer]

 

[leg17]

Mechanics in the early days of motoring were called "Grease Monkeys". Question did Grease Monkeys ever use Monkey Wrenches to work with?

Which was co-opted from the name given those, (usually boys), whose job in early industry was to climb around the overhead lineshafting and lubricate all the bearing blocks. Picture a 12 year old scampering around the ceiling amidst a maze of revolving wheels, pulleys, shafts, and belts. My great-uncle's brother, a "grease monkey", was killed at work when he fell from the ceiling in a shop in the Upper Peninsula around the turn of the century, (no, the OTHER turn of the century).

 

[RBailey]

This is a monkey wrench.
It belonged to my grandfather or great grandfather (I'm 38) so not a new tool ! No markings other than in way of the jaw is says steel.

 

[I can fix anything]

What do you call this?



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[I can fix anything]

^^^^^^^ Anyone???? ^^^^^^

 

[evildky]

I would think that a monkey wrench is any wrench with a monkey hanging off the end, so basically any wrench that I am using

 

[superautobacs]

Which was co-opted from the name given those, (usually boys), whose job in early industry was to climb around the overhead lineshafting and lubricate all the bearing blocks. Picture a 12 year old scampering around the ceiling amidst a maze of revolving wheels, pulleys, shafts, and belts. My great-uncle's brother, a "grease monkey", was killed at work when he fell from the ceiling in a shop in the Upper Peninsula around the turn of the century, (no, the OTHER turn of the century).

Similar to what I've heard.
In the 1800's, during the time when steam power evolutionized the industrial production, factories needed maintenance workers to frequently maintain the steam machines. The nature of the work required them to work off the ground, up high in the building, hopping from one station to another. Kids, being agile and enthusiastic, were employed to do the work, often dirty, greasy work. The tool of the trade for them was the F-type wrench, not because they didn't need to carry a full set of wrenches with them, but because there was no standardization set for fasterners at the time (a set of wrenches would've done them absolutely no good at the time).
These maintenance workers were aptly named "grease monkeys", and their tool of the trade was tagged the name "monkey wrench".

What do you call this?



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I think it's just another variation of the monkey wrench. Afterall, there's supposedly 440 different companies in the US that were producing a total of around 1100 different types of F/S/Crescent-type wrenches during that century!

 

[leg17]

What do you call this?



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Bemis & Call referred to it as a "Combination Wrench".

 

[Frank The Plumber]

Nope.

A monkey is formed and non adjustable made to fit a square valve.

All of the ones here are adjustable spanners.

 

[radrush]

This is a monkey wrench.
It belonged to my grandfather or great grandfather (I'm 38) so not a new tool ! No markings other than in way of the jaw is says steel.

Here's another monkey wrench: stainless steel Pipe Wrench / Stillson Wrench $620

I was going to get one but the shipping was just too high.

 

[Outlawmws]

This thread is almost 5 years old; and that's a pipe wrench with a smooth jaw option, not a monkey wrench...

 

[mmack66]

This thread is almost 5 years old; and that's a pipe wrench with a smooth jaw option, not a monkey wrench...

This thread is nearly 8 years old. It was brought back from the dead almost 4 years ago, and again just recently.

Must be some sort of curse.

 

[radrush]

This thread is almost 5 years old; and that's a pipe wrench with a smooth jaw option, not a monkey wrench...

I know, but Jeff loves it when an old thread is revived.

 

[ZRX61]

I have THE book...

Did Monkeys Invent the Monkey Wrench?" Hardware Stores & Hardware Stories by Vince Staten.
ISBN 0-684-83274-7

Well worth a read, funny & fun.

 

[metaldad]

monkeys fling poop

 

[rshadd]

 

[ganymede]

^^^^
Finally after 8 yrs someone posts a pic of a stereotype monkey wrench.