What in/lbs torque wrench are you using???

[pastaslinger]

Question for all the FIX IT STICK owners…. I was always curious about how their torque limiters work? Do they have a click feature or do you just stop when everything lines up?

No torque limiter, it works like a regular deflecting gauge torque wrench

[TWR]

One thing to watch out for on the fat wrench is mine seems to lock up once in awhile. The other night I set it to 13 inch pounds and began tightening a small screw, it never clicked. I dug my Fix it Sticks set out of my range bag and finished the install vowing to never use the fat wrench again.

[Pnut]

Another observation with many of my torque wrenches… they seem to be more accurate in their middle and upper ranges and less so in their lower extremes. At least with my ft/lbs wrenches.

[RJ]

Another observation with many of my torque wrenches… they seem to be more accurate in their middle and upper ranges and less so in their lower extremes. At least with my ft/lbs wrenches.

This is a very good practice.

One time, I checked out a strain gauge from Metrology, to use to validate the specification for the anti-stall forward pressure on the control column of a C-130J-30 cockpit full full flight simulator for USAF /AMC. We had a couple options to choose from and working with the ME we opted for the one with the expected value right in the middle of the tool range.

(Testing it was actually a lot of fun; I had to take off from Albuquerque Sunport, climb up past Sandia Peak, then put the aircraft in a stall until the stick pusher took over, and measure the force. Simulated. )

[Archer1440]

The good thing about the digital Wheeler is that you can just set the thing in “live” display mode and torque to the desired reading on the display. No real need to have it “pop” at the torque values on these small fasteners.

I like Fix-it-sticks just fine- in fact I helped develop a specific application kit that one of my clients sources from them- but the granularity of the Wheeler digital is handy for those odd numbers (like, for example, 18 lb/in for my HK plates).

[Sero Sed Serio]

I use a Borka (http://www.borkatools.com/)

Looks like the business is down for a while.


Okie John

Accurate, easy to use. Website claims variation of 4% or less.

I’ve been very happy with my Borka BTD

[Pnut]

All this talk about Borka made me realize that I bought one 15-20 years ago. It’s a discontinued model called the ATD that has preset settings for 15, 18, 21… up to 72. Last time I remember using it, it worked well and I had no complaints, but ended up shelving it due to the simplicity of the Fat Wrench which was replaced with the Vortex wrench.

I decided to dig up the Borka and test it’s measurements against the Vortex

***DISCLAIMER***
I don’t have any scientific way to test the calibrations of each tool so I tested them against each other. I attached the Borka to the Vortex and adjusted their settings until they both broke together. The first numbers below are what the Borka was set at and the second numbers are where the Vortex showed the Borka to break at. I don’t know which is more accurate because I couldn’t calibrate each individually.

Borka/Vortex
15/20
18/23
21/26
24/31
27/34
30/38

[D-der]

I've been using a Vortex, supposed to be calibrated ?
Nothing's broken or come loose, so far...so good.

[Thy.Will.Be.Done]

I use a Borka (http://www.borkatools.com/)

Looks like the business is down for a while.


Okie John

That was true until recently but I placed an order in early May and received it within the last week. The owner's wife passed away according to the memo on the homepage, they should be up and running now with a bit of delay in shipping perhaps. Really excited about mine, seems like a very practical choice for both field and bench.

[J0hnny]

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1008914672?pid=258924

I've used this for years, just convert Nm to in/lbs. Clicks are very positive. I don't remember it being this expensive but it's on sale, and, Zee Germans!