Slimming down a wrench

Sometimes you’ve got to pare down a tool to fit into a tight space. In this case, I had to snake this 1 3/16” end wrench into a slot 0.375” wide. Since the wrench was well over half an inch thick to begin with, some extensive material removal had to occur. This is exactly the kind of ad-hoc job that justifies keeping an old manual milling machine handy.

There’s one trick I used here that the photo doesn’t show. To enhance grip on the wrench, I sandwiched a strip of emery paper between the moving jaw of the vise on the wrench handle. Combined with the machinist’s jack placed under the wrench head, this allowed for a 0.02” depth of cut, without the danger of dislodging the work. Surface finish was… less than great, but aesthetics were not exactly my highest priority.

For a $15, no-name-brand wrench from a big box store, I am impressed with the toughness of the material. The razor-sharp blue chips covering the mill table are good evidence of that. Certainly enough to justify using a carbide roughing mill. I wonder if the manufacturer will honor their “no questions asked lifetime warranty?”