Socket set ??

[Andre B.]

The other thread reminded me of something I was wondering about a while back.

Here in the US we buy a metric socket set but it comes with 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, etc. drive sizes.

Do metric countries have socket sets with metric drives? If so is it possible to get a true metric set here in the US?

In metric countries do they buy inch sockets with metric drives?

One year my dad wanted a metric measuring tape, not a combination one but one that was metric only, ended up having to order the thing.

 

[elkimmeg]

Andre ever use metwrenches the same socket fits both Metric and standard bolts Best tool for removing stripped rounded bolts I have a 1/2" drive set

 

[Corie]

I personally such a hard time thinking in american when it comes to sockets. Everything else my brain defaults to inches, pounds, feet, etc. However if I look at a bolt I automatically see 12mm.



That's a good question though Andre. I imagine they have different socket drive sizes, because I bet most people accustomed to metric wouldn't know what to make of a 3/8" drive ratchet.

 

[GVA]

You guy's ever use British Wentworth wrenches?
They really mess with your mind..
I can't quite remember the #s but a 9/16 BW is bigger than a SAE 9/16" and a little bigger that 13mm.

 

[DiscoInferno]

Andre ever use metwrenches the same socket fits both Metric and standard bolts Best tool for removing stripped rounded bolts I have a 1/2" drive set

Hey, I remember that infomercial! I always assumed that it was basically a set of each mixed together and sorted by size, sans one of each metric/standard pair that was "close enough". I know in my $12 Pamida special socket set that has separate metric and standard that there's sometimes one of each that will acceptably fit a mystery bolt.

I wonder if the US will ever finally go metric? When I had my roof redone a few years ago one of the guys I got an estimate from mentioned to me that I had metric shingles: 1m x 1/3m rather than 36" x 12". Seems around the late 70's or early 80's the US was gearing up to go metric, and then it didn't happen. (I recall learning it in grade school back then.) So these metric shingles were made and then dumped for cheap. Which matches the construction in the rest of this house... :blank:

 

[DonCT]

So these metric shingles were made and then dumped for cheap. Which matches the construction in the rest of this house... :blank:

What, dumped for cheap????

Sorry, couldn't resist

 

[DiscoInferno]

So these metric shingles were made and then dumped for cheap. Which matches the construction in the rest of this house... :blank:

What, dumped for cheap????

Sorry, couldn't resist

Just plain cheap.

 

[Andre B.]

I wonder if the US will ever finally go metric?

It is interesting how many people do not realize that the 1970s was not the first push for changing to metric in this country.

I like reading old books on steam engines, machine shop practices and such. I love Google Books, just wish they were a bit more careful with the scanning process, I don't really care what the finger tips of the person flipping the pages look like.

Back in the mid 1800s a lot of engineering test and study results in the US were published in metric.

 

[babalu87]

Vise-grip

 

[Andre B.]

Andre ever use metwrenches the same socket fits both Metric and standard bolts Best tool for removing stripped rounded bolts I have a 1/2" drive set

No never have, stuff like that always seems to be a compromise and while they may work for most things I always seem to be working on something that has been rusted tight for the last 50 or 100 years.

British Wentworth wrenches are, as far as I know, labeled with the size of the thread of the bolt they are to be used with rather then the size of the head. And the head sizes are different for a given thread size compared to SAE stuff, also the thread angle is 55° rather then 60° which if you mix the nuts and bolts results in damaged threads.

 

[elkimmeg]

that where metwrenches work best the grab the mif ddle of the heads o not at the points one can still remove rounded off bolts with the metwrench sockets where all others have failed

 

[DiscoInferno]

that where metwrenches work best the grab the mif ddle of the heads o not at the points one can still remove rounded off bolts with the metwrench sockets where all others have failed

Does that claim seem to hold up in practice? I recall it was one of the big selling points in the infomercial. But they appeared to be 6-point sockets with the corners rounded out leaving a bump in the middle of each edge (see picture), so I could never see how they could grip any better than the same size standard 6-point socket since the Metrinch opening is actually larger in some dimensions and smaller in none. I think on TV they compared it to a 12-point socket, which is of course quite unfair.