[Closed] Now *that* is an allen key

I now have key envy

to beat all the other pedants, shirley my dear "that is a hex key"

[url= http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/PR-Kingpin/ ]Proper working one![/url]
Halfway down the page, as image isn't working properly (or intermittently)

[img] [/img]

Looks a little photoshopped. Is it a real thing?

Awesome! Why is it that all small objects look brilliant when massive, whilst all large objects look great in miniature!?

What's the difference between a hex key and an allen key?

this one looks less impressive but more real;

[img] [/img]

McMoonter has two of them 😉

[i]What's the difference between a hex key and an allen key? [/i]

An Allen key is a hex key made by a specific manufacturer.

[quote=njee20 ]
What's the difference between a hex key and an allen key?
The same difference between an iPad and a tablet, an iPhone and a smartphone, a Hoover and a vacuum cleaner.

same as a philips head and cross head screw driver?

Man with tiny hands successfully bends hexagonal piece of licorice candy.

annebr - Member
same as a philips head and cross head screw driver?

Nope, [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_screw_drives ]philips and cross heads are different designs[/url]

oh my pedantism is on form in this thread!

TBF I thought Philips and Pozidriv were the same thing, apparently an updated design!

Ta, everyday is a school day 🙂

Fasthaggis, I think my biggest Allen key is only a 14mm. If this was an adjustable spanner thread, I may have a contender.

And this is a decent sized bolt:
[IMG] [/IMG]

How do we know that's not made by Allen ?

Mcmoonter, bigger than this?
[IMG] [/IMG]

If that one is made by Facom, I have its twin.

If only I was in work now!!

Visiting service engineers from the states refer to the above as "hex wrenches" for some reason

Visiting service engineers from the states refer to the above as "hex wrenches" for some reason

Because they're tools.

🙂

A wrench (or spanner) is a tool used to provide grip and mechanical advantage in applying torque to turn objects—usually rotary fasteners, such as nuts and bolts—or keep them from turning

I guess these here hex key thingummies fall within that definition of wrench (or spanner).

Yes but why not KEYS

No need to be insulting about foreigners

Merkins also talk about ****ing on a wrench...

EDIT - oh, filtered... well you'll have to imagine what it was...

They have Hex keys that size in Highland Industrial Supplies in Inverness to buy off the shelf. What a shop for a bit of browsing!

I was impressed with the 10mm hex key I bought recently!

I've worked in several workshops (inc the one i'm in now) that have Hex-Keys and adjustable spanners in 'man-sizes'

We build huge refrigeration plants for Navy ships and submarines here, and some of our compressors need huge hex-keys for servicing.

I love the fact that for huge nuts/bolts (as I cm across) you'd expect there to be some fancy tool to tighten and loosen them....but no, it's just a bloody great spanner exactly as if someone took a normal 10mm spanner and pressed the 'enlarge 10x' button.

speed12 - Member
I love the fact that for huge nuts/bolts (as I cm across) you'd expect there to be some fancy tool to tighten and loosen them....but no, it's just a bloody great spanner exactly as if someone took a normal 10mm spanner and pressed the 'enlarge 10x' button

For ginormous nuts and bolts, its common to use a hydraulic jack to temporarily stretch it, screw the nut up by hand, then release the hydraulic jack, thereby placing the bolt/stud under tension.

Either that or a little flogging spanner and a humunguous hammer.......

No need to be insulting about foreigners

You're not British are you? 😉

Its not big he has small hands

I used to enjoy using slogging wrenches, designed for whacking with proper sized sledge hammers, you didn't want to miss.

googles big tools 😆 😮 😯 😡 😳

I had to buy one of a similar size for doing some work on a vw golf mk1 gearbox

In my old place of work there was a 70 odd mm spanner. Commonly known as the comedy spanner

I found a picture of a couple of massive spanners:

[img] [/img]

😉

needs a ball end

An iron mongers in Birmingham (Whites IIRC - are they still there?) tried to sell me and Allen Key like the one in the OP, maybe bigger. For a £5. He actually had two of them and was clanging them together and hollering like a town cryer. I was tempted until I found out the cap head screws it fitted into were about £100 each.

Found a giant spanner in a scrap yard in brum too. You could hold it like a guitar. Embossed with the brand name 'King Dick'

[img] [/img]
I like the big nuts and bolts on the bridge as you pull into Charing Cross Station.