Universal for plumbing work can be called gas(aka pipe) key. Such a wrench will help to hold a metal pipe or pipe during operation. An adjustable wrench can also be considered a universal wrench: it is useful when tightening hex nuts and locknuts. However, no adjustable wrench can compare in ease of use with conventional open-end wrenches. The table will help you choose the right size:

Pipeline element name	Image	№№ 1		(G)
				1 / 4 "	3 / 8 "	1 / 2 "	3 / 4 "	1"	1 1 / 4 "	1 1 / 2 "	2"	2 1 / 2 "	3"
				Open-end wrenches(mm)
Double-sided nipple		00	2600	14	17	21	27	34	42	50	60	77	90
Transitional nipple (size indicated according to larger thread)		03	2600	?	17	21-22	27	34	42	50	60	?	?
Plug with internal thread (plug)		41	2600	16	19	23	30	37	47	53	63	80	-
Cork with external thread		40	2600	14	17	21	27	34	?	?	-	-	-
Plug with external thread and flange		F4	2600	10	12	12	14	30	38	38	38	55	55
Hex lock nut		70	2600	17	19	25	32	38	48	-	-	-	-
Straight coupling		46	2600	17	21	25	31	40	48	55	66	84	98
Futorka		44	2600	?	17	21	27	34	42	50	60	?	?
Extension cord round (the size of the internal hexagon is indicated)		D8	2600	-	?	12	17	22	-	-	-	-	-
Hex extension		F5	2600	-	-	25	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Connector (fitting) for hose with internal thread		F1	2600	17	19	24	30	38	45	51	64	-	-
Connector (fitting) for a hose with external (external) thread		D9	2600	14	17	21	27	34	38	44-47	54	66	85
Collector		**	2700	-	-	-	32	38	-	-	-	-	-
Filter mechanical cleaning oblique type (oblique coarse filter, mud filter)		?	?	-	-	24?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
Plug of an oblique type mechanical cleaning filter (oblique coarse filter, mud trap)		?	?	-	-	18, 20 or 21?	?	?	-	-	-	-	-
Meter connection unit (size indicated by fitting)		?	?	-	-	19?	?	-	-	-	-	-	-
Ball valve (regular)		300-326		17	21	25	31	38	48	54	67	84	99
Ball valve (reinforced)		400-457		19	22	27	32	40	50	55	70	-	-
Ball valve union nut		320-322		-	-	30	37	47	52	-	-	-	-

Note:
1. According to the manufacturer's catalog - General Fittings (for fittings) and Bugatti (for ball valves).

And about the sizes of plumbing pipes:

Cylindrical pipe thread(G)	Metal pipe (including galvanizing)	Plastic pipe (including polypropylene)
	measured by inner diameter (the outer diameter of the pipe will be larger than its size)	measured by outer diameter
1 / 2 "	15 mm	20 mm
3 / 4 "	20 mm	25 mm
1"	25 mm	32 mm
1 1 / 4 "	32 mm	40 mm
1 1 / 2 "	40 mm	50 mm

There are several types of wrenches. They are used to secure connections consisting of a nut or bolt. They are made from a chromium-vanadium alloy. To prevent the key from rusting, chrome plating is used. The invention of the first wrench belongs to Solimon Merrick, who patented it in 1835. Kinds wrenches are different. In them a common person needs to Everyday life for a variety of purposes.

Keys are an integral part of the tool box

Having looked at the types of wrenches in the photo, you can understand that in addition to those models that are often found in our homes, there are a huge number of their varieties. They differ from each other not only in form, but also in the purpose of use.

For example, several wrenches, such as a fire hydrant wrench, are used for only one purpose. While others, say a combination or adjustable key, can be used for different purposes. The types of wrenches and their variety are designed to ensure comfort in their use not only by professionals, but also by ordinary citizens. The right tool will help you quickly complete the task.

Types of wrenches, sizes, descriptions, photos

Size is usually indicated by parameters such as the distance between the jaws. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was customary to determine the nominal size of a key in accordance with the parameters of the thread that it was supposed to use. Current practice uses a notation based on the distance between planes.

The size of a wrench is determined by the following parameters: jaw (distance between jaws), thread size (for the nut), handle length. The first parameter has the following range - from 3.2 mm to 155 mm; the second - from M1.6 to M110; the third - from 150 mm to 500 mm.

Single- and double-sided open-end wrenches

This type of key has open ends. These are U-shaped holes. They are often different sizes. These wrenches are useful when working on nuts and bolts that are difficult to access. They provide greater freedom in unscrewing them.

Double-sided spanners

This wrapped wrench has both ends closed loop. It is often designed for hexagonal shaped nuts or bolts. However, in certain cases it can be designed in a square shape. The loops at both ends are different sizes. This type of wrench is used in cases where open models cannot complete the task.

Combination keys

A combination wrench, as the name suggests, is a combination of an open-end wrench and a socket model. It has a closed loop at one end and an open loop at the other. It can be used to loosen nuts and bolts and then quickly remove them using the open end. Combination wrenches are usually used to perform the combination described and hence both ends are the same size.

Adjustable or adjustable wrenches

This is a kind of wrench open type. They can only be used from one end. The hole size is not fixed. It can vary depending on the size of the nut or bolt. However, these types of wrenches are nearly impossible to use in hard-to-reach areas.

This is the most common type of adjustable wrench used today. An adjustable end wrench differs from a regular wrench in that the gripping surfaces of the jaws are offset, as a rule, by 15 degrees relative to the tool handle. The modern adjustable was invented by Johan Petter Johansson.

Let's now learn how to use the adjustable key model.

1. Identify the nut or bolt you want to tighten.
2. Open the rotary key by turning the screw. Check if you have opened it enough for the nut to fit well: if not, it needs to be opened more. Make sure it is open a little more than the size of the nut.
3. Slide the open part of the head onto the nut and hold it in place. Turn the mechanism screw so that it clamps the nut tightly.
4. Turn the wrench clockwise to tighten the fastener or counterclockwise to loosen it. Continue turning until the nut is tight or loose enough to remove.
5. Remove the wrench by loosening the mechanism screw.

End models

In the case of a socket wrench, it fits completely over the nut or bolt. When this type of tool is used, it does not need to be completely removed from the head of the nut or bolt after turning is complete. The handle can be removed and reinserted while the socket remains on top of the nut or bolt.

Impact wrench

There are a wide variety of types and sizes of wrenches. An "impact" wrench is a specialized thick, short, chunky tool with a block-end handle specifically designed for use with a hammer, allowing it to be given greater force. Typically used with large fasteners, especially nuts and pins that have index marks.

Impact wrenches withstand impact and high strength, which is designed to release large or stuck nuts and bolts. They are also useful if space does not allow the use of a large wrench.

Hex wrench

This key has a hexagonal end. These tools are used to loosen bolts with hexagonal sockets on the ends. The way they work is similar to the way a screwdriver works. To better understand the features of each model, you should study the types of wrenches, photos are required special attention. Illustrative material makes it easier to understand the features of each model.

There are two types of hex wrenches general forms: with L-shaped and T-shaped handles. L-shaped wrenches are made from hexagonal wire, while T-handles are the same hexagonal wire with a metal or plastic handle attached to the end. Types of wrenches and their names are presented in detail in our article. Many of their names come from the external shape of the instrument.

These hex keys have a head on the short arm and a hex ball head on the long arm. It offers a larger contact surface on the screw head. This reduces the likelihood of wear and rounding of corners in the screws. The ball on the long arm is designed to allow the key to be easily inserted into the head, allowing it to be turned under the right angle, this is indispensable in hard-to-reach places.

The round key shafts fit comfortably in the hand and help make operation as easy as possible.

Because these quality tools use stainless steel, there will be no problems with rust. If you notice it on the surface of the instrument, there can only be one reason. This occurs as a result of their active use to turn screws or bolts made of ordinary steel. Pressure inevitably leaves traces or particles of another type of metal on the stainless beak, and then corrosion occurs under the influence of oxygen.

Balloon keys

This is the name for a type of socket wrench used to loosen and tighten nuts on car wheels. In the United Kingdom and Australia it is commonly known as a wheel brace.

Wrenches can be L-shaped or X-shaped. The most common form is an L-shaped metal rod with a socket wrench on the curved end and an angled tip on the other end. The gripping bit is mainly designed to remove wheel caps, which can fix the wheel end nuts.

Gedore has gained enormous popularity in the tool market. It produces high-quality products that are actively used by motorists from all over the world. Appearance The first Gedore wrenches were enjoyed by car enthusiasts.

Another common type, sometimes called a key spider, is shaped like a cross with spaced sockets at each of the four ends.

Ideally, the nuts (or bolts) should be tightened with a torque tool. Wrenches are much cheaper. Installing a wheel with their help requires the use of greater force. Excessive force can make the nuts very difficult to remove. Additionally, uneven application of force between the various nuts and the tool can cause the brake rotor to warp if the vehicle is equipped with disc brakes.

For this reason, wheel wrenches should only be properly used to remove lug nuts and not to tighten them. In practice, this rule is often ignored for convenience, even by professional mechanics.

For an auto mechanic or just a person whose profession involves using a huge number of tools, you can purchase cutlery in the form of wrenches. This fun gift is sure to make an impression.

Wrench

A wrench is a tool for creating a large torque (a pair of forces) on a nut or screw head. This promotes either wrapping or turning away threaded connection. The first nuts were square, but then the shape was taken as a basis regular hexagon at the base. This reduced the angle at which the wrench bar (lever) can be held while working. If for a square nut it was 90 degrees, now it is 60. Wrenches are divided into three main types.

Types of keys and geometry

Open-end wrenches

The most familiar to us and, most likely, the most commonly used type of wrench. The ends of this key resemble “horns,” hence the name. There are two sizes on the ends of these keys, for example, 10 by 12, 13 by 15, and so on. They have a wide range of sizes: from the smallest 4mm to the largest 55mm. You can purchase such keys either individually or in sets of several pieces.

Single-sided open-end wrenches

Quite a rare key in household, it is mainly used in industry. Hence their sizes: the smallest is 36mm, and the largest is 95mm. A very important advantage is the ability to be put on the handle metal pipe, which will increase the leverage and significantly increase the tightening force.

Double-sided spanners

It differs from an open-end wrench in that the ends of these keys are made in the form of rings. This allows the key not to break off and allows for torsion without repositioning the key. The sizes at different ends of the key are different, for example 10 by 12, or 17 by 19. Sizes vary from 6mm to 55mm.

Single-sided spanners

Like single-sided open-end wrenches, single-sided spanners are not very common in households. Its dimensions range from 30 to 50mm. You can increase the tightening force by putting a metal pipe on the handle.

A type of single-sided socket wrench is the impact socket wrench. Outwardly similar to a single-sided spanner, but much thicker and equipped with a special platform for striking with a hammer or sledgehammer. This wrench is used for powerful tightening; its dimensions vary from 27 to 105 mm.

Combination keys

These wrenches are a combination of an open-end wrench and a socket wrench: on one side there is an open-end wrench of a certain size, and on the other hand there is a socket wrench of the same size. The sizes of such keys vary from 5 to 32 mm.

Socket wrenches

Such keys are also called tubular. This type is familiar to any motorist - this is the key used to unscrew and tighten the wheels. The main purpose of such a wrench is to unscrew recessed nuts or bolt heads when no other wrench can be used. They can be made simply in the form of a tube - such a key is rotated using any lever threaded through a special hole at the end, or have an L-shape - it is simply rotated by hand or a pipe (to increase the force).

Adjustable wrenches

This is the most common type of key in the household. Equipped with adjustable jaws, this wrench easily adjusts to the size of the nut. Adjustable wrenches are small - up to 20mm, medium - up to 30mm and large - up to 46mm.

When choosing such a wrench, make sure that the jaws move easily and smoothly when moving apart, and also that there is no play. Buy a wrench with a rubber-coated handle - this will prevent your hand from slipping. Some adjustable wrenches have digital markings on them, which allows you to set the wrench to required size and even measure the size of the part instead of using a caliper. As a rule, adjustable wrenches have a small allowance, so if specified maximum size 19 mm, then when fully extended you will almost certainly be able to unscrew a nut with a size of 20 mm.

Pipe wrenches

People sometimes call them gas keys. These keys are universal. They can be used to unscrew both regular nuts and parts that do not have special grips (couplings, pipes, etc.). The key extends to various diameters grasped parts. Depending on the maximum diameter, keys are divided into the following categories in the Russian classification: No. 1 (from 10 to 36 mm), No. 2 (from 20 to 50 mm), No. 3 (from 20 to 63 mm), No. 4 (from 25 to 90 mm), No. 5 (from 32 to 120mm). In the Western classification, keys are marked by inches: 1, 1.5, 2, 3 inches.

Pipe wrenches also differ in the shape of their jaws. The jaws can be L-shaped - well suited for unscrewing regular nuts and S-shaped for unscrewing round workpieces.

Non-sparking keys

If you come across a yellow or red (copper) key, then this is a non-sparking key. Such keys are used in explosive industries; they do not produce a spark when hitting metal or falling. When working with gas, it is imperative to use just such keys.

Key dimensions and material

Keys in continental Europe are numbered by the distance between parallel edges, expressed in millimeters. IN Russian Empire, and later in the USSR, German technology mainly predominated, and the influence of German engineers was stronger than the influence of the British. Therefore, millimeters took precedence over inches; Soviet GOSTs were based on German standards. Keys can be divided into three groups: small, medium and large.

Small wrenches are designed to work with nuts up to 10-12 mm in size. Medium keys occupy a range from 12 to 22 mm. Big keys- from 22 onwards. This division is quite arbitrary and depends on the equipment being assembled or repaired.

To ensure that mechanics and electricians do not interfere with the work of related specialists, which helps prevent accidents, a rather beautiful move was made: “mechanical” keys have even numbers, and keys for electrical connections- odd.

The material for wrenches is high-strength carbon alloys, the so-called tool steel. The ideal keys are those that are made from tool steel on milling machines and blued ("black" keys). Military-type firearms are often made from this steel. The main attention should be paid to the edges - the accuracy of their processing is crucial. Only this will allow the greatest torque to be applied to the nut without damaging (“rolling”) the shape of its edges. Such a key is worth any money, since it is an eternal key, in the literal sense, if you protect it from rusting by lubricating it and storing it in a dry place. Unfortunately, such keys are now rare. Cast and stamped keys that shine like silver may be beautiful, but from a specialist's point of view they are just junk. Do not try to purchase sets - it is expensive and not optimal. Even if the wrenches are good, select the tool strictly individually for your job.

Wrench selection

So, before you pay for wrenches, evaluate them for the job they require. Previous sections should help you with this. For tight nuts, purchase only the most best keys. If the nut is available, choose a wide wrench with strong arms - it will not break. If the geometry of the mechanism is complex, helpful advice- make a model of a key from plasticine and evaluate it for accessibility of the operation. Be a little bit of both a designer and a technologist. When purchasing, choose a wrench: 1) from the most the best varieties become; 2) with the most precise and cleanly processed edges and the most suitable height faces.

A nut is a fastener for a screw drive or threaded connection. They differ from other parts by having a threaded hole. Together with the bolt (screw), it forms screw pair. Nuts, which are screwed onto a stud or bolt, make up bolted connection. Most often, hexagonal nuts are produced in factories. They are specially made for a wrench. You can also find wing nuts on sale, square shape, round with notches and other shapes. They are made from automatic steel. For this purpose, special automatic machines are used.

It is worth noting that the nuts also differ in their strength class. Thus, for nuts made of carbon alloyed or unalloyed steels, a strength class of 4-6, 8-10 is established. For nuts with a normal height (more than 0.8 d), strength class 12 is established. Those nuts that have a height of 0.5 d-0.8 d have strength class 04-05. The shape of the nuts also differs. There are wing open and closed (defined by GOST 3032-76), hexagonal crown round, hexagonal slotted (defined by GOST 6393-73, 11871-80). There are lower hex nuts, especially high, high and normal height. Hexagonal castle, slotted and hexagonal nuts can be lightweight (with small external dimensions), as well as normal (photo 1).

The most common are hex nuts. Castle and slotted nuts are used when it is necessary to lock the nuts with cotter pins. Round nuts are used to fasten various parts, but for connections that need to be constantly assembled and disassembled, it is best to use wing nuts, which can be easily tightened even without using a special wrench. By the way, if you need to use a large number of nuts in your work, then it is more advisable to take lightweight ones, since they will save significant weight. When it is clear that the bolt shaft is underloaded in tension, it is best to use low nuts. To protect the threads from wear and tear during frequent unscrewing and heavy loads, use especially tall or tall nuts (photo 2).

The size of the nut should be understood as the distance that is formed between the parallel edges. Dimensions are regulated by GOST. Thus, nuts of accuracy class A, low hexagonal, high precision have the dimensions specified in GOST 5929-70. The size of accuracy class A hex nuts is specified in GOST 5916-70. In other GOSTs - GOST 5916-70, 5915-70, the dimensions of nuts of accuracy class B, hexagonal low and hexagonal are given. All sizes can be viewed in the tables given in GOST (photo 3).

The most popular nut, as already mentioned, is the hexagonal one. These nuts vary in size: M 6, M 8, M 10, M 12, M 16, M 24, M20, M30, M27, M 36, M 52, M 48, M 42. To screw such a nut onto a bolt, you need nuts keys. Today there are fifteen types of such keys. There are gas, end, cap, carob, adjustable, balloon, combination, hex and spark plug types on sale, designed for spark plugs (photo 4).

The sizes of wrenches are also different. For the nut, the thread size will play a role, so they can have sizes M1.6 - M110. The distance between the jaws of wrenches ranges from 3.2 millimeters to 155 millimeters. The length of the handle can be from one hundred and fifty millimeters to five hundred millimeters. Popular combination keys- on one side there are caps, and on the other there are carob ones. It is also worth noting that special nuts are used in industry today. These are hex nuts that are used to seal joints and fasten wheels on vehicles (photo 5).

It often happens that it is necessary to use fasteners of non-standard sizes. In this case, there is no other solution but to order nuts according to GOST, OST or according to the drawings. The production and commercial enterprise "Molot" can help. From personal experience Note that sometimes it will be cheaper to order the production of the necessary fasteners than to customize existing ones for the project.

All about wrenches - types and classification

A wrench is a seemingly simple tool that you can’t say much about. However, as it turned out, this is surprising a simple tool a lot can be said. In this article we will try to tell you everything related to wrenches - their types, purpose, what they are made of, etc., where they may somehow appear.

Main types of wrenches

So, let's start with the most important thing - the types of wrenches that exist today. So, until recently there were only 3-4 types of keys, but today, their number has increased slightly due to a slight “modernization”. Well, wrenches have the following types:

Open end wrenches;

Box spanners;

Combination wrenches;

Adjustable wrenches.

Well, let's look at all types of wrenches, in order. As you can see, the topic for discussion is very, very large.

Open-end wrenches

Perhaps the most common type of wrench, which has become a kind of symbol of this tool. So, open-end wrenches have existed, perhaps, since the time when the first nuts and bolts appeared. The difference between these keys is that the axes of the heads of such keys are, as a rule, deviated by 15°. Previously, the shape of the horns had a familiar shape and was made in accordance with a certain GOST. However, recently, adjustments have been made to open-end wrenches - in particular, special recesses have appeared on the horns, which allow the nut to be fixed more rigidly, and therefore the possibility of tearing off the edges of the nut or bolt head is practically eliminated. In addition, the second adjustment was the shortening of one horn, which allows you to quickly move the wrench from one nut to another.

Also, it is worth noting that open-end wrenches can be double-sided or single-sided. Actually, they can be distinguished quite simply - on a one-sided one, the horns are present only on one side, on a double-horned one, on both sides.

Spanners

Let’s immediately make a reservation that a spanner wrench, just like an open-end wrench, can be single-sided or double-sided. The difference between this key lies in something else - namely, in the shape of the key head itself. If in the previous case the wrench had horns between which nuts and bolts are fixed, then in in this case instead of horns, we have certain “rings”, inside of which the shape of a hexagon is notched, which completely repeats the shape of the head of a nut or bolt. According to the size of the product that needs to be unscrewed or tightened, the appropriate key is selected. The advantage of this type of wrench is that in this case the possibility of tearing off the edges of the part is practically eliminated, since the head is clamped even more tightly than in a situation with a conventional open-end wrench.

The downside to the box wrench is one detail to consider when working with nuts. So, you can use a spanner only if there is free access to the nut or bolt. That is, in some situations, the nut may be closed with a sleeve, or any other object. Then, you can use either the open-end wrench given above or the adjustable wrench, which we will describe below.

Socket wrenches

No, you cannot unscrew the nuts without free access using this wrench. In fact, a socket wrench will also not be able to unscrew a nut that does not have easy access. In general, a socket wrench is designed to remove nuts and bolts, and it completely covers the nut while working. Thus, adhesion occurs on all its faces. In a socket wrench, the head can have either 6 or 12 edges, and in general, this tool has several varieties - for example, they come in a “T” or “L” shape, and at the same time, the head and handle will form a single structure . In another case, the heads can be removable.

Another type of socket wrench is a tubular wrench. It is made in the form of a tube, at the end of which there is a hexagon-shaped head, and at the other end there are 2 holes into which the pin is inserted. The pin that is inserted into the key acts as a handle. Also, such a key may not have a head, but simply a hex hole.

adjustable wrench

This is the key that can be used to unscrew a nut or bolt without having free access to it. So, an adjustable wrench is a type of wrench in which the clearance between the arms, or “jaws,” can smoothly change depending on the size of the nut you are working with. The size of the gap between the horns is changed by rotating the worm-type wheel.

This wrench is very good because it can be used to completely customize the size for tightening or unscrewing the nut, so it has a certain “versatility” property. However, it has significant drawbacks - for example, under no circumstances should you hit this key with a hammer. Also, this wrench comes into contact with the nut or bolt on only two of its faces, so the risk of thread stripping increases. And the last drawback is that if used incorrectly or with great force, the “worm” of the key can move apart, slip off the nut, and also break the thread. Therefore, when working with an adjustable wrench, you need to be extremely careful and careful.

Wrench material and sizes

There is little to say regarding the size of wrenches - they are measured in millimeters and range in size from 4 m to 12 mm. This applies to small keys. Then there are medium-sized keys - their size ranges from 12 to 22 mm. And, large size keys - from 22 mm and above.

Much more interesting is the section on the material used to make keys. Thus, almost all keys are made of high-strength carbon alloys, or, as they are also called, tool steel. The highest quality keys are considered to be made of tool steel, which were manufactured at milling machine, and then blued (such keys are black). Also, on modern wrenches you can see the inscription “chrome vanadium”, that is, it is clear that such a wrench is made of chrome vanadium. This alloy is very strong, does not undergo deformation, and has high quality. Therefore, such keys are by no means cheap.

When producing wrenches, the process of making the horns themselves is very important, because you need to make a very precise distance between them in order to get the correct size of the wrench. Moreover, the horns of the wrenches, as a rule, are reinforced with even more high-strength alloys, so sometimes it can happen that the horns of the wrench may be intact, but the handle may be slightly deformed.

Well, now you know almost everything about such a tool as a wrench - about its types and the materials from which it is made. This store of knowledge will be quite enough to choose high-quality keys in a tool store, without resorting to tips from a consultant, who is often interested in selling them the necessary tool.