What modern technology? Do you have a magnetic restoration strain gauge wrench?With modern technology, does that still apply?
What modern technology? Do you have a magnetic restoration strain gauge wrench?
So far as I'm aware, every torque wrench on the market uses an iron age flexible beam, 100+ year old mechanical linkage, or a 50+ year old variable resistance strain gauge. Maybe quality and consistency has improved, and price has certainly fallen, but there's no new tech I'm aware of.
I used a Harbor Freight 1\4 drive torque wrench for about 11years, last time it went for calibration I was told it was too cheap to calibrate, it had been calibrated 10 times by a different company. What really irritated me was it was not their call to scrap it, it's my decision on whether or not to spend the money to cal it. I went to beam types after that.
I spent many years as professional Master Automotive tech. My tools were all Snap On, Matco. Only kept a few of my super expensive tools...I’ve being the Snap on 1/4” drive torque wrench. Thing is...when I buy a hand tool now, I buy cheap! Harbor Freight usually. Like my HF 1/2” torque wrench. I’ve checked & compared as much as I could over the years...from my professional life to now. I never found anything drastically off about the high/low end measurements. And the el-cheap torque wrenches I’ve tested measured acceptable and to mmh es exactly as my really expensive Snap On torque wrenches.
While I do agree that we want torque values to be consistent....reality is that NOTHING I torque requires any greater precision than the 3-5% that a CHEAP wrench will deliver.
I can't argue the content of what you say. "Drastically" and "acceptable" are qualitative words and no book will tell you to torque to an acceptable amount but don't drastically over torque, why they give a quantitative value.
I agree that a human with the proper skills can be very repeatable but the transfer of that knowledge can be difficult.
I guess that's why I can't make things like my Grandmother could, despite having her recipes, a pinch, dab, little, bit and until looks right are not quantitative.
Good points. Especially on transfer of knowledge. It’s also quite easy for those of us with a skillset to take some things for granted. What may seem common sense to me, may not to another. Everyone from the automotive world understands the saying “I have a Calibrated elbow”.
Any & every fastener has a torque reference. A torque reference is put in place as the point at which said fastener will not loosen. Obviously too light a setting, the faster may loosen. But what is the danger in over torquing? Well, the initial danger is the faster breaking, becoming damaged or stretching(which will also lead to loosening). And obviously, there is a risk to the object being the fastener is securing. Example: crushing a scope tube by over torquing ring bolts. And then there is the difference of Inch/lb. & Foot/lb. values....Inch/lb. being far more sensitive.
I spent many, many years using torque values professionally. And something I’ve learned is a crazy expensive torque wrench just isn’t necessary.