Tool Time
Tool Time
Frustrating, isn’t it, trying to get a nut started on a bolt in a tight little space that you can’t even see into, let alone get both fingers into? Even a stick magnet won’t do the trick, because it usually refuses to hold the nut firmly or at the correct angle, plus it offers no “feel."
Well, here’s the answer: the Magnetic Finger Glove from Griot’s Garage {www. griotsgarage.com, 800/345-5789). Yet another of those why-didn’t-l-think-of-that ideas, this $11 tool simply is the index finger of a glove with a small magnet sewn into the tip. You just slip it on your finger, put the nut (or bolt or screw, and all must be ferrous, of course) on the tip, poke your finger into the space at the desired angle and spin the bolt into the nut. It also works just as well when removing a nut in tight confines; you put the magnetic fingertip on the nut while unthreading the bolt, and the nut stays on the glove once it’s free of the threads. The little magnet is surprisingly powerful, enough so to hold the nut firmly in place while you thread the bolt into or out of it. I’ve lost track of the number of times this tool has worked magnetic magic for me in a tight spot, and I’m certain there will be many more in the future.
Another tight-space challenge comes when you have to spin a nut or bolt off and there is insufficient room to swing a ratchet handle or ratcheting box wrench. This is a job tailor-made for the Powerbuilt Finger Ratchet. It’s a knurled wheel, 23A inches in diameter and Mnnch thick, with either a % - or 1/4-inch-drive stud on one side and a ratchet-reversing lever on the other. In many instances, you won’t be able to generate enough torque with your fingers to break the nut or bolt loose with this tool, but once the fastener is free, you can easily turn it with the Finger Ratchet. They’re available for just $7 each at all Checker/Schuck’s/Kragen auto parts stores as well as many other retail parts and hardware outlets.
-Paul Dean
