5 Unusual Types of Wrenches

July 06, 2020

Most everyone has at least one wrench in their home, and the average mechanic may have dozens. If you are handy with tools, you may know the difference between a socket and a spanner, but chances are you don't have any of the following specialized wrenches in your toolbox. From largest to smallest, here are five unusual wrenches.

1. Clincher Tongs

Have you ever wondered how the 2-foot-wide segments of Canada's Trans Mountain Pipeline System were put together? Instead of hiring a giant with a pipe wrench, industry professionals relied on clincher tongs Edson Alberta. These are a type of hydraulic wrench that tightens and loosens large pipes.
This wrench is used for just what its name suggests: opening fire hydrants. Designed with a pentagon-shaped head and 13-inch handle, it has no other practical use. 

3. Bung Wrench

A bung is what keeps the contents of a barrel, keg, or drum from escaping out the bunghole. To open one, you need a bung wrench. In the case that something flammable is inside the container, you can use a special sparkless variety.

4. Pedal Wrench

Unless you are a bicycle repair person or a carny who operates pedal boats at the fair, you probably don't have a pedal wrench. This tool has one or two concave areas that make it specialized for fixing pedals.

5. Nanowrench

A Vermont chemist invented this microscopic wrench to repair other molecules that are just as small as it is. To tighten it, he adjusts the nanowrench's chemical formula.
There are at least 50 kinds of different wrenches, and hundreds more if you consider all the sizes, brands, and varieties of each. Whatever job you are doing, it's nice to know you can always find the right tool to get it done.

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