How Many, Under 40 Years Old Can Identify A Box End Wrench?

[Ingomike]

As the title says how many under 40 can identify a box end wrench? The context for me was in the thread about electric car mandates and those that support them but the grid will not be enough to power them, but supporters have no practical knowledge of how anything works. Their whole lives they plugged their phones and games in the wall and they just come on. They put a key in the ignition and the car runs.

 

[jerrob]

Nope. Boxes r skware

 

[Twangbanger]

It isn't about whether you understand wrenches. It's about whether you understand Thermodynamics...

 

[Ingomike]

View attachment 171457

Nope. Boxes r skware

I believe they were square when the nuts were square…

 

[Farmerjon]

My engines students can! Boxed end, combination, open end, line wrenches, offset, torque and ignition wrenches.

 

[Ingomike]

My engines students can! Boxed end, combination, open end, line wrenches, offset, torque and ignition wrenches.

They are the few, sadly. Let go to IU campus and see how many can pick out the box end wrench in a lineup of tools…

 

[Mr. Habib]

Most IU students will either mistake it for a sex toy or complain that the Bluetooth doesn't work on it.

 

[Farmerjon]

They are the few, sadly. Let go to IU campus and see how many can pick out the box end wrench in a lineup of tools…

Yes, sadly, common sense isn't so common anymore. I agree, my students are a small percentage of our school's population.

 

[printcraft]

 

[Snapdragon]

You forgot bacon.

Let's make it even simpler. How many young people who work in hardware/home improvement stores can identify a box end wrench? Or . . . dowel rods? I went to Menards for dowel rods and had to ask four people before I found one who even knew what they were. The first three were in their twenties , and I got everything from "What?" to "No, we don't have those" to "Towel rods? they are in the bathroom department." Finally sought out a guy over 40 and he told me right where to find them.

Don't even get me started on the lady at Lowe's who didn't know the difference between wood screws and bolts.

 

[Biggredchev]

Box ends are cool but have you ever used a double box end flex head ratcheting wrench?

 

[jamil]

As the title says how many under 40 can identify a box end wrench? The context for me was in the thread about electric car mandates and those that support them but the grid will not be enough to power them, but supporters have no practical knowledge of how anything works. Their whole lives they plugged their phones and games in the wall and they just come on. They put a key in the ignition and the car runs.

Hmm. I need to find that thread. Sounds interesting.

 

[HoughMade]

My sons can identify...'cause I've been yelling at them about bringing me the right wrench since they were each about 7.

...but my boys know that an adjustable wrench is almost NEVER the right tool. They make wrenches in specific sizes for a reason.

 

[Mr. Habib]

That is not an adjustable wrench. The correct term is cresent hammer.

 

[jamil]

My sons can identify...'cause I've been yelling at them about bringing me the right wrench since they were each about 7.

...but my boys know that an adjustable wrench is almost NEVER the right tool. They make wrenches in specific sizes for a reason.

The tool box on my tractor has two different sized adjustable wrenches, medium sized channel locks, a rubber mallet, a ball peen hammer, a small crow bar, some c-clamps, duct tape, a torpedo level, tape measure, and some odds and ends hardware. Oh. And various cotter pins, clevis pins and such. I can’t carry a whole tool chest with me so I have tools that are close enough to the right tool where I need them. The right tool is sometimes whatever you have that’ll work. Amazing what you can do with a keychain multitool in a pinch.

 

[HoughMade]

The tool box on my tractor has two different sized adjustable wrenches, medium sized channel locks, a rubber mallet, a ball peen hammer, a small crow bar, some c-clamps, duct tape, a torpedo level, tape measure, and some odds and ends hardware. Oh. And various cotter pins, clevis pins and such. I can’t carry a whole tool chest with me so I have tools that are close enough to the right tool where I need them. The right tool is sometimes whatever you have that’ll work. Amazing what you can do with a keychain multitool in a pinch.

That's why I said "almost"- for "mobile" situations...sure.

NOT when the tool chest is right there.

 

[churchmouse]

That is not an adjustable wrench. The correct term is cresent hammer.

Polish metric wrench that will double as a hammer.

 

[Ingomike]

Yes, sadly, common sense isn't so common anymore. I agree, my students are a small percentage of our school's population.

And that is the point. So many of those that are pushing nonsense in things like power generation and transmission have themselves never thought about how to generate a watt of power much less have done so. Never even rode a mini bike and certainly never tried to figure out how to make it go faster.

But they have strong opinions on the things you do, like e-fuel, emissions control, fuel mileage. Yep, just decree it and utopia will happen…

 

[churchmouse]

And that is the point. So many of those that are pushing nonsense in things like power generation and transmission have themselves never thought about how to generate a watt of power much less have done so. Never even rode a mini bike and certainly never tried to figure out how to make it go faster.

But they have strong opinions on the things you do, like e-fuel, emissions control, fuel mileage. Yep, just decree it and utopia will happen…

I grew up “Building” mini bikes. Also go karts. We learned pretty quickly to make them faster required more power. Once we learned to bypass the air vane governor for full RPMs from the 3 horse Briggs we then learned why it was governed when it pitched the rod. But man we were flying.
Then we took the engine off a friend’s brothers wrecked dirt bike (old Bultaco I believe) and we all learned to weld. How to fabricate bits and pieces with the
Simple tools we had at hand in dads tool kit.
Once you show the boys a real motorcycle engine on your mini bike that actually has all 4 forward gears you are king of the hill.
Until you wreck it. Ouch ouch ouch.

Then you find a 250 Honda scrambler engine and cobble it into your Go kart and actually have all 4 forward gears. Not much brakes but Again you are king of that hill. Until your friend wrecked it.
Another triple ouch.

That’s how we grew up. Kids have lost this in the tech world. And it makes me very sad.

 

[Ingomike]

I grew up “Building” mini bikes. Also go karts. We learned pretty quickly to make them faster required more power. Once we learned to bypass the air vane governor for full RPMs from the 3 horse Briggs we then learned why it was go wow when it pitched the rod. But ma we were flying.
Then we took the engine of a friend’s brother a wrecked dirt bike (old BIL taco I believe) and we all learned to weld. How to fabricate bits and pie with the
Simple tools we had at hand in dads tool kit.
Once you show the boys a real motorcycle engine on your mini bike that actually has all 4 forward gears you are king of the hill.
Until you wreck it. Ouch ouch ouch.

Then you find. 250 Honda scrambler engine and cobble it into your Go kart and a actually have all 4 forward gears. Again you are king of that hill. Until your friend wrecked it.
Another triple ouch.

That’s how we grew up. Kids have lost this in the tech world. And it makes me very sad.

Similar here. Those are experience’s and lessons that are understood at a level an engineer will not know. LOL

It is not just that people don’t have any fundamental experience and ground level knowledge, it is the arrogance with which they push what they don’t have the slightest clue about…