Wrench handle not straight!

[djfergus]

I have several sets of combination wrench, almost all of them have some wrenches whose handle are not straight. So I think maybe it's a difficult work for a wrench company to produce a wrench whose hanle is totally straight. Am I right? The pictures I showed are Facom 440 10mm, GearWrench 16mm, Tune 8mm, Sheffield 9mm.

I also purchased Hazet 600LG/13 in which the handle of 18mm is bent a little. There are any defects in Hazet 600LG/13, so I returned it to Amazon.

 

[gleman]

Most of my wrenches are straight but quite a few aren't really flat.

It's never been a problem,for me, to use them. I've also never bought one to a definite spec where where the dimensions are stated and tolerances were listed.

 

[Komet]

Just put it in a vice with soft jaws and pull a little.

 

[MJK]

Not straight is a good thing in my book. You can flip it over and use it in tighter spaces, which is not fun but can be a lifesaver.

 

[djfergus]

Just put it in a vice with soft jaws and pull a little.

I don't think it's a good practice to do so. Maybe it will make this wrench weak.

 

[djfergus]

Not straight is a good thing in my book. You can flip it over and use it in tighter spaces, which is not fun but can be a lifesaver.

Not that much bent. No real effect on its usefulness. Just not good looking.

 

[Dave455]

It does happen. I must admit it’s (one of) the reasons why I’ve tended to buy the highest quality I can, as any bent ones seem to be picked up at quality control.

I’ve never encountered a Snap On, Stahlwille, or older British made Britool, that has any noticeable bend. I’m sure someone here has though. I generally prefer open end and box end wrenches to combination, and I think these designs are less prone to this problem.

Having said that, I have a few Facom 440’s as well, and they are faultless. In fact, the consistency and overall quality of finish are one of the attractions of these wrenches. I would certainly return the Facom, if you still can.

 

[Komet]

I don't think it's a good practice to do so. Maybe it will make this wrench weak.

Unlikely. If it weakens the wrench, it was already junk.

 

[djfergus]

It does happen. I must admit it’s (one of) the reasons why I’ve tended to buy the highest quality I can, as any bent ones seem to be picked up at quality control.

I’ve never encountered a Snap On, Stahlwille, or older British made Britool, that has any noticeable bend. I’m sure someone here has though. I generally prefer open end and box end wrenches to combination, and I think these designs are less prone to this problem.

Having said that, I have a few Facom 440’s as well, and they are faultless. In fact, the consistency and overall quality of finish are one of the attractions of these wrenches. I would certainly return the Facom, if you still can.

No, I can not return my Facom 440. It's been so long since I purchased it. Only the 10mm one has noticeable bend.

 

[djfergus]

One more wrench set: Crescent. There are more bent ones in this set.

 

[Outahere]

My 17pc set of Hazet 600N wrenches has two that are slightly bent: a 6mm and a 9mm. Doesn't bother me.

 

[Boogerman]

Read over the years on Garage Journal; those are wrenches not pass Snap-on quality control. So, factory stamp different name and sell cheaper. Chance get prestige wrenches at cheap price; all manufacturers use same material, same design, same factory, just stamp different name at end depending on how good finish tool look. Read on GJ many times over many years; must be true.

 

[djfergus]

My 17pc set of Hazet 600N wrenches has two that are slightly bent: a 6mm and a 9mm. Doesn't bother me.

Bother me. I'am disappointed with such quality control.

 

[djfergus]

After doing some research, I'm pretty sure that the deformation happens after quench process.
So there must be a straightening procedure at the end. Then this is totally a quality control issue!

 

[tak1313]

After doing some research, I'm pretty sure that the deformation happens after quench process.
So there must be a straightening procedure at the end. Then this is totally a quality control issue!

I also think it's caused by heat treating. It's not done until the tool is almost completely or completely machined. When it's quenched, there is not way to absolutely prevent some kind of warpage. Sometimes it's used as a design "feature."

A notable example is samurai swords. Without getting heavy into the process, the sword is comprised of layers/sections of steel at differing temper, carbon composition, etc. Just before final sharpening, most of the sword is covered with a clay, with the edge exposed in a pattern.

The clay protects the back steel while allowing the edge to reach a higher temperature. It's then quenched.

Before heating and quenching, the sword is actually straight. The sword does not have the famous (or infamous) curve until it's quenched. The combination of the metallurgy, composition, and clay causes the heat/quench to causes the curve because of the differences.

I have a "family sword" - my family was from the samurai class, though my father was born in Hawaii because my grandfather immigrated to Hawaii. He (my father) joined the US Army when Pearl Harbor was attacked, and was part of the Military Intelligence Service. He was part of a group that had to break and translate intercepted Japanese military communications/codes.

 

[Garcky]

Hmm. It's hard for me to see the problem, really, in your photos. I don't think I'd be bothered by such small deviations from perfection. in fact, I don't actually study my individual tools that closely. If they work, they're fine for me. It would take a much larger bend in a combination wrench to cause me any concern.

 

[djfergus]

Hmm. It's hard for me to see the problem, really, in your photos. I don't think I'd be bothered by such small deviations from perfection. in fact, I don't actually study my individual tools that closely. If they work, they're fine for me. It would take a much larger bend in a combination wrench to cause me any concern.

You're right. Not a real problem to its function.