15 replies to this topic

[Jase]

I wonder if anyone can suggest a supplier. I have a good set of spanners I have used for the last 25 years. They all slotted together nicely in a clip, one on top of the other, great for storage and selecting the right size as well as keeping them all together. This has broken and of course they are now everywhere. I can't seem to find anyone selling these, I know their not a high value item but their bloody handy.

Any suggestions or links greatly received.

Thanks

Jase

[benjy_18]

Something like this?

eBay item number
370434064303

[Jase]

scuse the drawing, but something like this:

 

[Jase]

bump

[thespikeyone]

http://www.ebay.co.u...4-/151093748491

[Jase]

Yep, found these but just looking for a simple spring clip as the drawing. It doesn't take up any room and the spanners just click in each section. The power of the internet and I can't seem to find one

[ibrooks]

If it's any consolation I'm hunting for the same thing. I have two variants on the theme, one is a spring clip like you've drawn and the other is a two part clamp that holds the spanners in the same way. The spring clip is the better all-rounder as you can take one spanner at a time out rather than having to remove them all when you open it. It's also not so critical of the size/shape of the spanners if they aren't the set that it originally came with.

 

Iain

[Jase]

Thanks Iain, thought I was 30 years out of date, let me know if you find one. I'm going to call into an old school ironmongers later this week. The spring clip did the job and was easy to use.

[Jase]

Getting close:

 

http://www.alibaba.c...h_Clip.html?s=p

[Ethel]

I think you'd be lucky to find one as the spanners could vary a fair fit in thickness.

 

Some ideas:

 

Cut a strip out of an old saw blade and try bending it - be careful, it may snap & cut you.

Try sticking them between the coils of a valve spring or similar.

Cut or fold something in the right shape and use magnet(s) to hold the spanners in - old hard drives are a good source of rare earth magnets.

[Jase]

I think you'd be lucky to find one as the spanners could vary a fair fit in thickness.

 

Some ideas:

 

Cut a strip out of an old saw blade and try bending it - be careful, it may snap & cut you.

Try sticking them between the coils of a valve spring or similar.

Cut or fold something in the right shape and use magnet(s) to hold the spanners in - old hard drives are a good source of rare earth magnets.

 

 

Thanks but as they are sprung the spanners just slot in. We used to have loads of these, never thought of putting some to one side.

[ibrooks]

Getting close:

 

http://www.alibaba.c...h_Clip.html?s=p

That looks like the clip is the second variant I was talking about - it hinges to form a closed tube sort of thing with the spanners inside. It has a leaf spring in the bottom to hold them under a little tension when they are all in place. It's OK but means as soon as you open it and remove one spanner they are all loose. It's also less tolerant of variations in the size of the spanner.

 

Ethel - as Jase says the spring type is fairly tolerant of different shapes and sizes of spanner because it's a spring. They are wider at the curved end so that when a spanner is inserted it goes "over centre" as it were and is pulled into the clip rather than pushed out.

 

Magnets are a no-no in my workshop as they collect swarf and grinding dust like the proverbial. The reed switches on the doors for the alarm and the limit switch on the roller shutter use magnets for the sensors and they end up looking like small furry animals crawling up the door frames and need cleaning off periodically.

 

It seems to be a gap in the market for storage. I keep my tools in a roller cabinet and the options are all geared towards laying them out nice and pretty in the drawer. Problem is that means I need to go back to the drawer every time I want a different size socket/spanner/screwdriver. I'd much prefer they were all in a neat clip so I could just grab a set of whatever from the drawer and take it to whatever I'm working on. When I finish they all go back in the clip and then back in the drawer.

 

Iain

[ibrooks]

Again - close but no cigar (and I don't want the spanners).

 

http://i.ebayimg.com...3NVQ~~60_35.JPG

[mahesket]

For combination spanners you could use a large caribina?

[Jase]

 

Getting close:

 

http://www.alibaba.c...h_Clip.html?s=p

That looks like the clip is the second variant I was talking about - it hinges to form a closed tube sort of thing with the spanners inside. It has a leaf spring in the bottom to hold them under a little tension when they are all in place. It's OK but means as soon as you open it and remove one spanner they are all loose. It's also less tolerant of variations in the size of the spanner.

 

Ethel - as Jase says the spring type is fairly tolerant of different shapes and sizes of spanner because it's a spring. They are wider at the curved end so that when a spanner is inserted it goes "over centre" as it were and is pulled into the clip rather than pushed out.

 

Magnets are a no-no in my workshop as they collect swarf and grinding dust like the proverbial. The reed switches on the doors for the alarm and the limit switch on the roller shutter use magnets for the sensors and they end up looking like small furry animals crawling up the door frames and need cleaning off periodically.

 

It seems to be a gap in the market for storage. I keep my tools in a roller cabinet and the options are all geared towards laying them out nice and pretty in the drawer. Problem is that means I need to go back to the drawer every time I want a different size socket/spanner/screwdriver. I'd much prefer they were all in a neat clip so I could just grab a set of whatever from the drawer and take it to whatever I'm working on. When I finish they all go back in the clip and then back in the drawer.

 

Iain

 

 

 

Iain, I agree, I'm going to contact one of the engineering firms we use and see if they can make these up, I'll let you know how I get on.

 

Jason