Hot take: The new guy tried to use a pipe wrench as a hammer

We were setting up a boiler in a Tacoma brewery last year, and I watched him whack a stubborn flange with the back of his 24-inch Ridgid. He just shrugged and said, 'It's a percussive adjustment tool, right?' Anyone else have a story about a tool being used for something it absolutely wasn't meant for?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_elliot11d ago

Nah man, that's just being resourceful. A pipe wrench is a multi-tool if you're brave enough. I've used a screwdriver as a pry bar, a pair of pliers as a hammer, and a crescent wrench as a cheater bar. Sometimes the right tool is the one in your hand that gets the job done. Calling it a "percussive adjustment tool" is just smart shop talk.

david_jones3810d ago

Okay but "the right tool is the one in your hand" is how you get hurt or wreck stuff. A screwdriver isn't a pry bar, the tip can snap and go flying. Using a wrench as a cheater bar can strip the head or slip. It might work until it doesn't, and then you're buying new tools or heading to the clinic. Being resourceful is one thing, but calling it smart just encourages bad habits.

marywilson11d ago

You're acting like this is some deep philosophy, not just breaking tools.