In-line torque wrenches

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SoupOrMan
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In-line torque wrenches

Post by SoupOrMan »

When I worked on the flight line, every tool kit had at least two of these for putting the correct torque on fasteners without having to tighten, check with a regular torque wrench, then tighten or loosen as needed. You add one ot your speed handle, add the appropriate socket and go to town. I was looking for speed handles to add to my tool kit when I thought about these again. I don't have any need for one at the moment (at least not unless I become a maintainer again), but does someone still manufacture them? Neither Bing nor Google want to help me locate them.
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Rich
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Re: In-line torque wrenches

Post by Rich »

Harbor Freight, and Amazon for starters.

Most of them are the old fashioned kind, but I think Amazon may have the In-line type. Check Sears too.
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SoupOrMan
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Re: In-line torque wrenches

Post by SoupOrMan »

I couldn't find any at Sears. I even looked through Grainger once I got home and also checked Starrett's site in case there was something available. Maybe no one uses them outside of aircraft maintenance or auto racing?
Remember, folks, you can't spell "douche" without "Che."

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Netpackrat
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Re: In-line torque wrenches

Post by Netpackrat »

I work in aircraft maintenance and I have never seen one.
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SoupOrMan
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Re: In-line torque wrenches

Post by SoupOrMan »

Netpackrat wrote:I work in aircraft maintenance and I have never seen one.
Really? Huh. Maybe it was a specialty thing for the military, then. You'd fit them on a 3/8" speed handle and then fit your bit driver on top of the inline. Once you achieved the required torque, it would unlock and spin freely so you couldn't apply any more torque, similar to the torque screwdrivers used in some trades.
Remember, folks, you can't spell "douche" without "Che."

“PET PARENTS?” You’re not a “pet parent.” You’re a pet owner. Unless you’ve committed an unnatural act that succeeded in spite of biology. - Glenn Reynolds
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SoupOrMan
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Re: In-line torque wrenches

Post by SoupOrMan »

Aha! I found something like what we used to use here.
Remember, folks, you can't spell "douche" without "Che."

“PET PARENTS?” You’re not a “pet parent.” You’re a pet owner. Unless you’ve committed an unnatural act that succeeded in spite of biology. - Glenn Reynolds
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Netpackrat
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Re: In-line torque wrenches

Post by Netpackrat »

Well, we only use a torque wrench when the manual calls out a torque, and in which case, we use a regular torque wrench that is calibrated, and the torque witnessed by an inspector (yes, it is a PITA). It's a big no-no to have a personal torque wrench on site that is not part of the calibration program. Anything that we use that is a precision measuring tool has to be part of the cal program. They haven't yet extended that to rules and tape measures, but it wouldn't surprise me if they did.
Cognosce teipsum et disce pati

"People come and go in our lives, especially the online ones. Some leave a fond memory, and some a bad taste." -Aesop
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SoupOrMan
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Re: In-line torque wrenches

Post by SoupOrMan »

Well, considering the nature of the vehicles being repaired, it makes sense. both the regular torque wrenches and the inlines were sent to precision measurement labs on a frequency bordering on paranoia. Then again, we had a few remnants from Strategic Air Command's PMEL labs when I was in.
Remember, folks, you can't spell "douche" without "Che."

“PET PARENTS?” You’re not a “pet parent.” You’re a pet owner. Unless you’ve committed an unnatural act that succeeded in spite of biology. - Glenn Reynolds
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Rich
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Re: In-line torque wrenches

Post by Rich »

I never saw this tool in my military career either.

Anecdote 1: Sometime I was called upon to augment the local PMEL lab when manpower shortages impacted production. Nothing very fancy, just torque wrenches and such for mechanical things, and the older generators, meters and analyzers for the electronics. And I never was issued a certification stamp. :?

Anecdote 2: We had a co-worker at Raytheon (retired Navy) who would religiously use the torque wrench, and then give the fastener he was working on "one final crank." The boss wondered why we were having to send our torque wrenches in for repair and calibration so frequently until we clued him in as to what was happening. He never lost his job though, and he finally dropped dead of a heart attack. He was hard headed Irish from Boston. :shock:
A weak government usually remains a servant of citizens, while a strong government usually becomes the master of its subjects.
- paraphrased from several sources

A choice, not an echo. - Goldwater campaign, 1964
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Catbird
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Re: In-line torque wrenches

Post by Catbird »

I currently work as an aircraft assembly mechanic, (Boeing), and I was in the Army for four years. I too have never seen this type of torque setting device.

At work we use pre-set torque screw guns and nut runners. These are air powered, fixed torque devices. They have a steel disc with the torque setting fitted around the air connector. We also use traditional click type torque wrenches, mostly from Snap-On. Every torquing device we have is on a regular calcert schedule. It's one of the hottest items when the FAA audits us for our production certificate.

The devices shown in the link are essentially fixed torque devices. The prices given are only a little less than an adjustable wrench. You still have to turn them with a handle, so they don't give a clearance advantage. Being small, they would be easy to drop which would void their certification.
"If at first you don't succeed, that's one data point." XKCD
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