Shopsmith Forums

Open end wrenches make good thickness gauges for planer output.
Caution: Crescent wrenches are not appropriate for this application.

Crescent wrenches are OK if you are doing metric measurements.

Properly used and never abused open end wrenches probably do make good thickness gauges.

Thanks for the TIP. Now I have to check all my open wrenches to see just how wide the openings really are.

I will check the 3/4" and 1/2" first and most critically as those are two commonly used dimensions.

Dusty, my set is from HF. They are all right on.Well, from 1" thru 1/8", anyway. Of course, verified with HF digital calipers.

Gene Howe wrote:Dusty, my set is from HF. They are all right on.Well, from 1" thru 1/8", anyway. Of course, verified with HF digital calipers.

I don't know if this boils down to "what is right on or not" but I just checked my 1/2" and 3/4"Craftsman open wrenches (actually they are combination wrenches) and they are not "right on". The 1/2" measures .506" and the 3/4" measures .756".

Now that is "dead on" when talking about wrenches. When measuring for nearly all wood working projects, that is probably real darn "close to dead on".

I am going to check the rest of my open ends, at least the ones that I am likely to use for this just so that I know.

The TIP warrants a gold metal without checking further.

Thanks for the gold star, Dusty. The last one was in 2nd grade.
When you think about it, open end wrenches probably need to be slightly over sized.
I try for a snug fit of the wrench on the wood. That gives me a nice snug fit in a dado.

Gene Howe wrote:Thanks for the gold star, Dusty. The last one was in 2nd grade.
When you think about it, open end wrenches probably need to be slightly over sized.
I try for a snug fit of the wrench on the wood. That gives me a nice snug fit in a dado.

But of course.

I am surprised .006" is sufficient.

Maybe, you are talking about the same thing I am. I watched Youtube video where the man used the new Harbor Freight open end wrenches for turning sizes, also. You turn the object down to the size of the opening of the wrench. I think he also ground down one side so it is shorter than the other. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4gO1jA2d0g

Steve, the old swampgator

swampgator wrote:Maybe, you are talking about the same thing I am. I watched Youtube video where the man used the new Harbor Freight open end wrenches for turning sizes, also. You turn the object down to the size of the opening of the wrench. I think he also ground down one side so it is shorter than the other. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4gO1jA2d0g

Steve, the old swampgator

I would think a 6" Dial Caliber like mine, that on the dial reads in 1/64s and .01 would much easier to have around then a set of wrenches.

ERLover wrote:

swampgator wrote:Maybe, you are talking about the same thing I am. I watched Youtube video where the man used the new Harbor Freight open end wrenches for turning sizes, also. You turn the object down to the size of the opening of the wrench. I think he also ground down one side so it is shorter than the other. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4gO1jA2d0g

Steve, the old swampgator

I would think a 6" Dial Caliber like mine, that on the dial reads in 1/64s and .01 would much easier to have around then a set of wrenches.

True, but.... If you sharpen a leg of the wrench, you can use it to cut small tenons when turning projects on a lathe. Makes it a snap! Hint, don't use your good wrenches!