Brass wrench

The problem is not so much the wrench it self, as it is a construction problem with the cylinders. There is simply not enough meat in the cylinders (towards the transferports) at the pressure points of the wrench...

Surfer_kris wrote:The problem is not so much the wrench it self, as it is a construction problem with the cylinders. There is simply not enough meat in the cylinders (towards the transferports) at the pressure points of the wrench...

I've used it on the Thin Walled TD cylinders for Super Mouse class and the new cylinders would not become burred or distorted. I have tried aluminum, 6061 T6 and 7075 T4 but the wrenches cracked. As you all know a cylinder is torqued lightly anyways like Roy Cox would recommend. I have had samples that were over torqued and this came in handy.

crankbndr wrote:Nice wrench, certainly better than the pliers some folks used years ago. I think ill try to make one, looks so simple a Caveman could do it.
You ever try one made from aluminum?

It is easy as you say, on a three axis mill. I milled the slot thinner to accommodate the cylinders used on the car models, these has zero SPI and a real narrow exhaust. about .050 I think.

Controlliner wrote:

crankbndr wrote:Nice wrench, certainly better than the pliers some folks used years ago. I think ill try to make one, looks so simple a Caveman could do it.
You ever try one made from aluminum?

It is easy as you say, on a three axis mill. I milled the slot thinner to accommodate the cylinders used on the car models, these has zero SPI and a real narrow exhaust. about .050 I think.

Thats why I'm a Caveman, all I have is flat stock, hack saw, file and grinder.

This is from memory so it may not be completely accurate but as I remember it the original wrenches that came with the Space Bug, Thermal Hopper, and Space Bug Junior worked well if you carefully inserted the wrench into the cylinder slots. It was when one carelessly let the wrench slip burrs would occur.

Later when the cylinder walls were made thicker the slots in the wrench were not quite wide enough so they were made just a little bit wider. These wrenches could be used in the older cylinders but you had to be very careful with them.

Before the flats were cut on top of the cylinders, there was a period when the slots were covered with either screening or slotted sheet metal. During this time two methods that I tried successfully were either to use leather wrapped around the fins and pliers (UGH!) used for removal or to drill a hole the diameter of the cylinder fins in a piece of wood (Pine), then saw the wood through the hole so you have two pieces. Attach a clamp and twist. Sawing the wood removed just enough to allow the fins to bite into the wood to hold the cylinder.

Here are some of my Cox wrenches. I'm afraid I don't have any of the original ones: