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My Human Torque Wrench is Failing

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UPDATE:

The ICON torque wrench broke upon fist use.

Being new, I decided to "exercise" it a few times before putting it on my precious rear wheel bolts.

I clamped a 1/4" bolt in my vice. Upon first use it made a loud "CLANG" and then spun freely. I was super careful because I had it set low at like 30 foot-pounds.

I returned it to Harbor Freight immediately. They gave me another one with no fuss.

I "exercised" that one about 10 times at various setting. It worked great, so I did my wheel bolts.

Now I can ride again!


This morning's sunrise trip will be to another Cemetery.

While doing my daily morning News Scan, I ran across this interesting map of Texas Railroads in 1878.

That site has many cool maps: https://texapedia.info/maps/

Lufkin didn't exist then. "Homer" was the seat of Angelina county.

I'm riding to the Homer Cemetery there to see how old the graves are (and reminisce about all the times I took girls there in High School) ☺️ .

The cemetery is right behind a "Biker Church" where I used to go watch UFC on pay-per-view events in the chapel on Saturday Nights.
 
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John Bennett said:
UPDATE:

The ICON torque wrench broke upon fist use.

Being new, I decided to "exercise" it a few times before putting it on my precious rear wheel bolts.

I clamped a 1/4" bolt in my vice. Upon first use it made a loud "CLANG" and then spun freely. I was super careful because I had it set low at like 30 foot-pounds.

I returned it to Harbor Freight immediately. They gave me another one with no fuss.

I "exercised" that one about 10 times at various setting. It worked great, so I did my wheel bolts.

Now I can ride again!


This morning's sunrise trip will be to another Cemetery.

While doing my daily morning News Scan, I ran across this interesting map of Texas Railroads in 1878.

That site has many cool maps: https://texapedia.info/maps/

Lufkin didn't exist then. "Homer" was the seat of Angelina county.

I'm riding to the Homer Cemetery there to see how old the graves are (and reminisce about all the times I took girls there in High School) ☺️ .

The cemetery is right behind a "Biker Church" where I used to go watch UFC on pay-per-view events in the chapel on Saturday Nights.
Click to expand...
Ohhhh thanks for the website. Bookmarked. I like visiting off the path cemeteries.
 
If your looking at old train stuff check out a steam engine on Wt Carter land south of Camden . Carter logged a whole lot of east Texas in the 20s and most of his steam engines were preserved , first dirt road to the east off of 62 south west of the mill in Camden , when you see the log pond take a right . When you get to the gate you can see the engine setting in the field . I climbed over the gate and looked it over . It was at the houston museum in the 60s and they decoded they didnt want it anymore so the Carter family moved it back to their land .
 
I had a pair of 9 1/2” craftsman lineman’s pliers when I was working construction back in the ‘70s. I’d use them to either pull out or cut framing-nails. One good whack with a 28 ounce framing hammer would cut a 16d nail like a giant fingernail clippers.

Because I always had the pliers in my belt, the boss, Larry gave me the job of cutting out old peg and post (knob and tube) wiring in a dirt floored root cellar. I did all of it but one run as I couldn’t tell if that leg was hot. The boss came down into the cellar and asked why I hadn’t cut the last run? I explained the hot, not-hot quandary.

He said “You p…y! Give me the pliers!” There was a big puddle directly under the run. I said at least stand on this piece of split firewood before you cut the wire. Begrudgingly he did. There was a flash as bright as the sun.

Blinking rather rapidly, Larry handed me back my pliers. There was the coolest half round, copper-coated, arced-out “C” in one of the diagonal, chisel cutter blades. Sears replaced the pliers no questions asked.

I wish I’d had enough income at the time to keep the pliers.
 
Cagiva 549 said:
I had a youngster working for me many years ago , we called him Baby Huey 17 years old 6,7 tall and 380 pounds , he was always put on the end of the wrench if it was 3/4 drive and up . Replacing sprocket segments on a D8 caterpillar dozer one day Baby Huey was on the breaker bar 2 1/2 socket on the 1 1/4 bolt , three bolts to each segment section each section about a foot long 4 inch wide with three track drive teeth all bolted together it was a drive sprocket about 3 feet diameter that drove the dozer tracks , he asked me how tight and I said tight , then he said I might break something , I said break it so he snapped the 2 1/4 socket without even grunting , so I went and got a new socket and told him not quite that tight and all was good . He was also probably one of the best dozer operators I ever knew at 17 years old and better than a whole lot that were old enough they should have known how by then .
Click to expand...
I cannot believe how many of the novice mechanics would ask, "how tight" and belived me when I said: Tighten it till it strips, then back if off a 1/4 turn!
 
Downs said:
Ohhhh thanks for the website. Bookmarked. I like visiting off the path cemeteries.
Click to expand...

Glad you liked it!

I arrived at the Homer Cemetary at exactly the right time, 6:21 am.

Enough light to see, with maximum minutes of cool weather to walk around.

Somewhat Disturbing: This plaque says there are 207 graves there. There are only about 60 headstones.

homerplaque.webp



This photo is a good reminder of our mortality:

"Time waits for no man." and "All graves eventually go un-visited."

headstone.webp
 
txbanditrydr said:
purchased from Montgomery Ward around 1978
Click to expand...
About that same time my grand parents bought some monkey wards tools as i graduated high school and was headed off to trade school. several are still in my boxes to this day. I find that I don't need many new items for the shop anymore. I have always been a big pawn shop and in the past a big flea market shopper for tools. In my early years the snap on truck nearly drove me to bankruptcy and divorce. then i wised up to the used half price tool market. Still a big pawn shopper to this day.
 
John Bennett said:
Glad you liked it!

I arrived at the Homer Cemetary at exactly the right time, 6:21 am.

Enough light to see, with maximum minutes of cool weather to walk around.

Somewhat Disturbing: This plaque says there are 207 graves there. There are only about 60 headstones.

homerplaque.webp



This photo is a good reminder of our mortality:

"Time waits for no man." and "All graves eventually go un-visited."

headstone.webp
Click to expand...

I do a lot of cemetery visits. There's no telling how many are actually in most of them. Especially the more remote ones. I found this one on an Arkansas trip, I'll have ot see if I can find the marker on GAIA and the photos I took. It's just past a dead end FS road you have to follow a short path of 2 track about 150 yards down the hill and it's tucked into a small cleared area. Totally found it by accident was just curious what was down the little dirt path. Lots of grave markers back then especially if you didn't have money were probably made from wood or some other substance that would have just went away over time.
 
Downs said:
Lots of grave markers back then especially if you didn't have money were probably made from wood
Click to expand...

Over the years I have seen many rural grave markers constructed from scrap lumber. Kinda sad really.

I understand because I am currently shopping for a grave maker. The darn things are like $2,000.

I like the ones made of QUIKRETE® poured into a wooden box, inscribed with a nail. That I can respect.
 
Good video yesterday from the Torque Test Channel ranking fastener head styles.

If you enjoy Nerding Out on this type of content, they are worth a subscription.

No spoilers, but I will reveal that Phillips does not win. 🙂


I notice he is using stainless steel screws from Amazon. Chinesium Stainless Steel seems to snap faster than your worst-ever girlfriend.

IMHO, it's ALWAYS it's better to wallow out the head than snap it off.
 
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