I was trying to free a lug nut that was put on entirely too forcefully by someone or other. Now these were old steel, and at least one of them was showing bending when I inherited it. Still and all, I guess I thought they were strong like he was.
Nothing lasts forever, not even him. I raised a glass in his memory. I always like using his old tools. It makes me think of him. Today I got his air wrench out to finish the job.
He’d probably be proud of me more than mad, breaking steel in my hands. My uncle could do that when he was young, and that with new-forged steel rather than older and long-fatigued stuff.
6 comments:
A trick used by power-display shows that you have probably seen: bending two of something while implying that it is the same as bending one of them twice as think. But bending two 1/4-in diameter pieces is actually much easier than one 1/2-in.
That's true. There's a much bigger cross-section involved.
Not only the sectional area- the distance between the compression and tension sides. So- hand off your granddads tools to a knife maker and have him forge you a blade to remember him by? Likely some pretty good steel in those.
That's a brilliant idea, Raven. And yes, it's all about depth of beam in a bending structure, but in this case, it's torsion- the most destructive application of force. Old or fatigued steel or not, quite a feat for a section that size.
Of course the long levers provided by the other arms of the tool itself (20" wrench?) certainly help.
Good call. The best ones I’ve known are dead, but there’s a shop not too far away that might do a creditable job.
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