To me, the design looks solid and the pin action should work well on rusty nuts and bolts.Posted on 04/06/2002 4:40:37 AM PST by GRRRRR
I have seen the add for Gator-Grip dozens of times and I don't normally buy things off the TV...BUT, has anyone tried this tool?
To me, the design looks solid and the pin action should work well on rusty nuts and bolts.
Have any of you used this tool to free up tight bolts etc? Going to replace garage panels and I've got many rusty nuts that will need to be undone.
GRRRRRRRR
Just mho...
Not today, dear: I've got a...
This gadget looks like a nice all purpose tool, you are right about going in for high torque though...when you get up to 60-70 ft-lbs of torque, those pins could shift and mess up your bolt or nut heads.
I'm going to get it and see how it performs.
Saturday is TOOL DAY!
GRRRRRRRRollin'
They're rusty- what do you want to save them for?
A tool that grabs tight enough will just break the bolt off at the surface mostlikely at the weak point where the threads end.
It depends on which is stronger the contact between the bolt and the nut, or the area of bolt where the threads end. The bolt almost always breaks.
The liquid wrench or WD-40 soaks into the rust making the surface between the nut and then bold slick. The contact between the bold and the nut is weakened enough to allow the nut to turn with a normal wrench.
Actually the little rods in the TV wrench soon bend on hard to turn objects and the wrench ceases to work.
Con artists start a marketing firm. It sells the wrench on TV and guarantees it for life. The guarantee is for the life of the marketing firm. The marketing firms go out of business about a week after the TV ads end this year.
Next year they start a new marketing firm and the same wrench shows up on TV again with a "Lifetime Guarantee."
These ads show up in slow TV ad sales times. The slowest months are February and July. The people that do the ads pay the station for each wrench sold. Generaly the TV or channel station gets half the price plus shipping and handling. Generally something that could sell in a store for $6.95 will cost $19.95 plus "shipping and handling" on TV.
Just remember that every time Billy May sells you a Whopping 4 lb bucket of OxyKlean for $19.95 the TV channel gets 10 bucks for running his ad. Some cons that work especially well will convert from PI payment to the station to regular adds, because they can make a lot more by just buying regular time. It the thing does work well, it will show up in stores for about 1/4 the total TV cost.
The configuration of hexagonical pins is great for gripping odd surfaces, like the water spigot with a broken handle. The downside is that there must be sufficient space around the offending bolt for the "unused" region of the socket to occupy.
Now, consider the situation likely to be encountered in the "rusty nut" scenario: Usualy, the fixture is located in some type of recess that allows water to accumulate. This will render the huge socket useless.
No, I have found the combination of high strength six-point sockets (like the kind you get with impact-tools) and WD-40 to be far more effective in breaking rusty nuts loose. That, and a short piece of pipe to extend the handle, therefore increase the leverage, of the socket wrench.
Juts saw that on your post. Sorry.
As an aside, I find your posts about the inside of the braodcast biz very enlightening. I worked there for a more than a few years myself, and the bits I spot and recognize, like this one, reinforce the accuracy of your posts.
Grinding is the easiest way to get your rusty nuts off (without burning them off).
I do this a lot on bolts less than 1/2 inch (on the larger ones first cut off the bolt near flush with the nut).
Grind the exposed bolt down to inside the nut:
the heat expands the crack between the nut and bolt,
exposes the crack between the nut and bolt so you can apply the "wd-40",
and it can be done without taking excessive care to protect the nearby surface.
It also leaves a nice dimple in the bolt for centering your bit in case you have to drill it out.
The more of the nut you remove the better- but then you start having to worry about protecting the surrounding surface.
In summary:
Grind enough to expose and lubricate that crack, then you can easily get your rusty nut off.
(Hey, let us know how that tool works out!)
Not to start an argument 'r nothin', but WD-40 ain't no oil. It's a solvent that is designed to displace water (hence WD - water displacement). Yes, it does penetrate and to provide some *temporary* lubrication (which subsequently evaporates).
Stick with products that are intended for the purpose: Liquid Wrench, Break Free, etc. Several good soakings, allowed it sit, more soakings. Then hit it with a conventional wrench or a pair of Vice Grips. Forget the gimmick tools.
GRRRRRRRRollin
The best penetrant I've found, oddly enough, is Marvel Mystery Oil. I keep some in a squirt bottle, and use it on rusty bolts, preferably applying the day before I actually start working on the project.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.