Spanner Maintenance And Care Explained

Spanner Maintenance And Care Explained

A Spanner is a very useful tool when it comes to fastener-related tasks. Many Spanner types are available today, and this useful tool has a long history. I will talk about its long history before coming to article’s title. The first appearance of this tool was in the 15th century. It was similar to a box Spanner. Well, since there was no standard size, the blacksmith made a custom Spanner for every fastener. It’s hard work so. The first use of the tool was to wind up crossbow strings. It was in the 18th century the types came into play.  I mean, all the types we have today came into action in the 18th century. Wrought iron Spanners turned into cast iron versions in the same century.

It was 1825 they introduced the interchangeable Spanner, so it could be used on more than one fastener. It was the turning point of this useful tool (my opinion.) The wrench is another name for this tool.

Spanner maintenance and care

OK, now let’s come to the hot topic. How can you maintain your Spanner to serve it for a lifetime? If maintained properly, it will serve you for a lifetime, and I am showing you the way to do it.

First of all, make sure it’s clean and dry before going into the toolbox (even just for a night.) Dirt on the Spanner is a killer (a cause of corrosion.) Corrosion is one of the main causes of tool failures. Store the tool in a dry place as moisture can harm it. Also, don’t drop other tools on the Spanner as the protective coating can get damaged. There’s a good way to minimize the risk of corrosion. Apply a thin coat of oil a few times a month. WD-40 is a good choice for this purpose.

Vehicle metal polish is a good choice for chrome-plated Spanners. Vehicle metal polish can prevent corrosion buildups on a Spanner, and it will give a good shining effect. Regular inspection is a must for tool protection. A damaged Spanner can damage fasteners too. Some Spanners might be bent under stress, but you can put it back to its original shape. Anyway, it will weaken the Spanner at that point. A bent tool can easily break at the weakest point. Using the wrong-sized Spanner will damage the fastener, and removing it is a nightmare. Don’t exert your brute to remove a tight fastener. Find the reason for it first. Exerting your brute force on a tight fastener can damage the fastener, Spanner, and the workpiece too. There’s a way to loosen tight fasteners. All you need is a good penetrative oil such as silicone lubrication. WD-40 is another option.

Never use a Spanner as an alternative hammer to loosen tight fasteners. Also, not all the Spanners are designed to get hammered to turn the shaft. Never use a hammer on a ratchet Spanner as the hammer blow can damage its mechanism. As you already know, as the length of handle increases, the force does too. So, people tend to extend the handle with a pipe or another Spanner. But it’s not advisable as extra force can damage or even break a Spanner.