Joker wrenches

[pc1966]

Had these for years 0BA to 10BA. Got a ring spanner set somewhere.

Got the same, think mine came from RS but I think it was Spear 7 Jackson who made them.

Actually having 4BA (around 1/4") and 2BA (just over 8mm) sizes are handy for a lot of electrical work still.

 

[westward10]

They were indeed RS thirty odd years ago.

 

[telectrix]

you think that's old? i got a Moore@wright set calipers, inherited from my dad. stamped with the WD arrow, 1944. dad brought them home when he was demobbed, along with a webley revolver, ammo, and a few grenades.

 

[Simon47]

... I happen to have a 32mm gland with an earthing nut on it, Sizes are:
45mm
43mm
46mm
WTF! Why can't they make them all the same A/F size?

There's a good argument for different sizes - that way you don't need two spanners the same size. You'd moan if you needed 2off (say) 45mm. But those sizes don't sound like like common spanner sizes.
... or it coukd just be a matter of DGAS on the part of the manufacturer.

As an aside, the last U-bolts I bought for putting an aerial up turned out to be Whitworth threads.

 

[pc1966]

There's a good argument for different sizes - that way you don't need two spanners the same size. You'd moan if you needed 2off (say) 45mm. But those sizes don't sound like like common spanner sizes.
... or it coukd just be a matter of DGAS on the part of the manufacturer.

As an aside, the last U-bolts I bought for putting an aerial up turned out to be Whitworth threads.

Thing is the 46mm is a metric size in "common" use (common to folk with M30 bolts at least) but the others are not. Not even typical A/F or Whitworth sizes either

Yes, you occasionally see BSF/BSW but not that often now. Tripod threads used to be BSW but changed to the very similar UNC size a while ago (same diameter & thread pitch, just different cut angle).
[automerge]1586039876[/automerge]

you think that's old? i got a Moore@wright set calipers, inherited from my dad. stamped with the WD arrow, 1944. dad brought them home when he was demobbed, along with a webley revolver, ammo, and a few grenades.

I also have some WW2 era stuff from my father's friends.

Incidentally new profile pic, is the other dog still OK?

 

[telectrix]

Thing is the 46mm is a metric size in "common" use (common to folk with M30 bolts at least) but the others are not. Not even typical A/F or Whitworth sizes either

Yes, you occasionally see BSF/BSW but not that often now. Tripod threads used to be BSW but changed to the very similar UNC size a while ago (same diameter & thread pitch, just different cut angle).
[automerge]1586039876[/automerge]


I also have some WW2 era stuff from my father's friends.

Incidentally new profile pic, is the other dog still OK?

Thing is the 46mm is a metric size in "common" use (common to folk with M30 bolts at least) but the others are not. Not even typical A/F or Whitworth sizes either

Yes, you occasionally see BSF/BSW but not that often now. Tripod threads used to be BSW but changed to the very similar UNC size a while ago (same diameter & thread pitch, just different cut angle).
[automerge]1586039876[/automerge]


I also have some WW2 era stuff from my father's friends.

Incidentally new profile pic, is the other dog still OK?

other dog is her dad. he's fine apart for losing some teeth. with the latest pup we kept we have 5 dogs now.

 

[pirate]

As you said pc1966, a nut runner can be very useful for smaller sizes. The handles that come with socket sets are usually cheap and fail easily, but Halfords do an excellent one where the steel shaft runs right through to the end of the handle and you can snap a ratchet on it if needed for extra tightness. They also do adapters for different socket drives.
Needless to say, the standard 1/4" drive means you can use all your px ph torx etc screwdriver bits plus all the security bits. Very useful.

 

[Zerax]

...Actually having 4BA (around 1/4") and 2BA (just over 8mm) sizes are handy for a lot of electrical work still.

I watched a YouTube vid the other day about repairing a Dualit toaster... and the guy doing it said you needed a 6.5mm spanner. That's odd I thought... never seen one of those before... then it dawned on me... Dualit are British made.. I bet it's a 4BA ! Bingo ! Not sure if the guy just didn't know about BA sizes or he'd deliberately dumbed it down for the modern millennial.

 

[pc1966]

I watched a YouTube vid the other day about repairing a Dualit toaster... and the guy doing it said you needed a 6.5mm spanner. That's odd I thought... never seen one of those before... then it dawned on me... Dualit are British made.. I bet it's a 4BA ! Bingo ! Not sure if the guy just didn't know about BA sizes or he'd deliberately dumbed it down for the modern millennial.

It is odd as typically you won't see 6.5mm advertised for sale. Still these days it is not uncommon to see impact sockets in all sorts of odd mm sizes that you then realise are closest-fit to AF or BSW sizes.
[automerge]1586085206[/automerge]

other dog is her dad. he's fine apart for losing some teeth. with the latest pup we kept we have 5 dogs now.

Jolly good! My partner had one like that, made it to 17 years old sadly gone now. When young he was a notorious ankle-biter but mellowed a bit with age.

 

[telectrix]

funny that coz Dylan was no problem except for 1 woman neighbour. he hated her and bit her ankles a few times. then again, she was a witch. some say dogs and cats can tell.

 

[davesparks]

Related note; what would you say are the most common sizes electricians come across? 10, 13. 15, 17 & 20?

My everyday tools for nuts/bolts are a 1/4" drive socket set covering 5mm up to 13mm, a 17mm spanner and a couple of adjustable spanners.
The sizes I most commonly use are:
M4 - 7mm AF
M5- 8mm AF
M6- 10mm AF
M8- 13mm AF
M10- 17mm AF
M12- 19mm AF