Thursday, February 6, 2014
Mechanical Tools for Starters
Many mechanics purchase new equipment as necessity dictates and, over an entire career, they end up with a comprehensive set of tools. The beginning mechanic ought to seek out the necessities: the tools with the broadest range of applications and the tools most frequently used. Whether youre working on small engines or large machines, a familiarity with basic mechanical tools allows you to spend wisely and get to work.
Sockets
Sockets, also called "socket wrenches," loosen and tighten both nuts and bolts. A comprehensive set of sockets prepares the starting mechanic to remove and replace the components on a broad range of machinery, including automobiles engines, heavy equipment and industrial machinery. Sockets are basically hollow, cylindrical pieces of metal. The interior surface of a socket is specially designed to fit snugly over a specific size of nut or bolt. Sockets attach to handles and, individually, mechanics er to the handle as a wrench and the business end as a socket. Socket wrench handles may be rigid or ratcheting and sockets are available in a variety of lengths. The ratcheting sockets handle can move independent of the socket; for example, if twisted clockwise the handle and socket turn in unison and if twisted counterclockwise only the handle turns. The action of the ratcheting socket may be reversed at the turn of a dial. The starting mechanic requires a basic set of both metric and standard (inches) dimension sockets.
Wrenches
Wrenches, like sockets, loosen and tighten both nuts and bolts. Although there are many varieties of wrenches, the most basic, and useful, types for the starting mechanic are the box or "open," wrench and the ring wrench. Box and ring wrenches consist of two parts: a straight handle and a shaped gripping head. The box wrenchs gripping head is shaped roughly like a C; the mechanic pushes the C-shaped opening around a nut or bolt to grip the fasteners adjacent sides. The ring wrenchs gripping head is a closed circle; the mechanic slips the circle over a nut or bolt to engulf its sides. Typically, a gripping head rests at each end of a wrenchs handle. Frequently, a box wrench sits at one side of the handle with a similar-size open wrench at the other, two tools in one in effect. The starting mechanic requires a combination of both box and ring wrenches in standard and metric dimensions.
Screwdrivers
Like sockets and wrenches, screwdrivers loosen and tighten fasteners. However, screwdrivers loosen fasteners that have insertion bit heads, such as slotted openings or a Phillips-style head. Screwdrivers typically consist of three parts: a handle, straight shaft and gripping tip. Screwdriver handles are typically molded plastic, shafts and tips are metal. The length of the shaft occasionally determines the capability of the screwdriver; long shafts reach deep within a machine, short-shaft ones allow the mechanic to use the tool in tight spaces. Screwdriver tips are sometimes magnetized to hold screws in place and provide the mechanic with a free hand. The starting mechanic ought to carry screwdrivers of various lengths and with various gripping tips, such as slotted, star-shaped and Phillips.
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