Maintenance of Wrenches.

Use And Care Of Handtools And Measuring Tools
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bolts.

(6) Do not exert a hard pull on a pipe wrench until it has a firm

grip on the work.

(7) Remember to pull on the wrench when possible, in order to protect

your knuckles in case the wrench slips.

(8) Always keep the wrench in good condition; clean, and free from

oil or grease.

f. Maintenance of Wrenches.

(1) Grinding and Filing Damaged Jaws. Fixed open-end and adjustable

open-end wrenches with damaged jaws can be made serviceable by grinding

and/or filing. When attempting this repair, finish- grind or file the jaw

opening of the fixed open-end wrench to the next largest standard size. Jaw

faces must be flat and parallel.

Use a part of the known size or a gage

block to test for correct size and parallelism.

Dip the jaws in water

frequently when grinding to preserve temper which can be lost because of

overheating.

(2) Renewing Jaw Serrations.

To renew the serrations in auto,

monkey, pipe, and vise grip wrenches, use a fine triangular or flat tapered

file, and carefully deepen the low points between the serrations.

Do not

remove more material than is absolutely necessary.

(3) Adjustment for Play.

The movable jaw on adjustable open-end

wrenches may not remain parallel to the stationary jaw after prolonged use.

In most cases, the trouble is due to wear and to the worm spring having

weakened.

To increase spring resiliency, remove the axle screw from the

wrench and separate the adjustable jaw, worm, and worm spring from the

handle (figure 32 on the following page).

Stretch the worm spring if the

spring is not cracked and is in good condition. Stretching the spring will

increase its tension and