Wheeler Fat Wrench

[Hookeye]

With so much time spent on various forums, and not working on gun stuff as much as I used to (or my main job of working on certain equip).............it got me to wondering, on my last scope mounting job...............if I was a complete tool or not.

So I ordered a Wheeler Fat Wrench.

Ruger RSI.
I used a quarter with a small Crescent wrench to set the ring clamps (that way I didn't scratch up the slot).
Used a reg screwdriver with Torx bit to do the rings.
Did that at the bench at ECC, since I had the crosshairs a little crooked. Gun got roughed in zero wise, and all was peachy (I even make sure the scope rings are gapped equally).

That was last weekend. But more webtime had me questioning things.

Just checked the scope rings........20# on about half, the others needed a minor amount to hit it......I'm talking barely move the screw.

Didn't know about the clamp bolts, just did them from memory as well. One was at 40#, the other about 45#.
Supposed to be 40. So pretty darn close again.

So was the wrench worth it? 55 bucks?

I dunno. I'm rusty but still get 'em close enough without overdoing it.

The wrench is fat, but feels alright. Easy to adjust, pull end cap and turn..............but honestly, I'd just as soon have a torque limiter fixed at a specific value.........own multiple torque limiters, rather than have one and dial it back and forth.

No, my prev mounting effort wasn't perfect, but it was close enough, like all the ones before it I suspect.............that such a tool wasn't needed.
My prev job and working in a shop had me pretty well dialed in.

IMHO.

 

[Hookeye]

So the purist that goes into a gunshop and declared a tech a moron for not having a torque limiter..............you might be right.
You might also be wrong.

 

[TJ Kackowski]

It sound like the Wheeler Fat Wrench might be just the ticket for those of us without the years of shop experience. Granted specific tools for specific tasks was pounded into my head from my grandfather, but the cost of such a collection to mount a scope now and again can really add up. I think that it's time to invest some funds into the Wheeler Fat Wrench.

 

[tcecil88]

I have the same wrench and am glad I have it. I too can get close because of previous experience, but now there is no doubt they are done properly. I use a lot of Wheeler's stuff and found them to be pretty good for the money. I rarely work on other people's guns anymore, but I like not having boogered up, stripped out screws on my own guns.

 

[impmouse]

I found its a very good tool to have ..

 

[Hookeye]

Back around 1990 I had a Burris Zee ring screw's Allen hole mess up. Proprietary,a call to Burris got a free pack with 8 new screws.
Have not boogered up one since.

How?

Don't use those cheap arsed Allen wrenches that come with various ring sets. Use your own wrenches, that nobody else uses (and rounds off).
Thankfully, many rings now are Torx.

I have seen piles of crap Allen wrenches at shops where some worker is mounting a scope for a customer. They grab whatever fits, not even checking the end for any rounded edges.
They might slip one, and dump it back in the pile, grab another (or keep grabbing til they finish the job) but then the customer might have boogered up screws and if he wants to adjust the scope or take it off, might have a heck of a time.

Even if a shop has good wrenches, all it takes is somebody else boogering one up and placing it back, without dressing the end to proper.

Again, Torx makes this hopefully a lessening event.

On this last scope mounting deal, I got an offset ring for the rear location on the #1's quarter rib. It arrived being the Torx type of ring screw. My regular set of rings was slotted.
So I ordered another 4B for the front, Torx.

The new rings are slightly wider than the slotted screw version, and the ring gaps at the sides were substantially different. So I had to go Torx (newer ring) to maintain looks IMHO.
The new reg 4B upper ring half would not drop over the M8 4X.

So I sanded the edges of the ring until it just did.

Some supposed tech at a shop probably would have snapped it down and then spun the scope to align the crosshairs, maybe pushed the scope fore and aft ...........scratching the hell out of it.

While Burris does dress the corners and edges of their ring halves (Zee rings- all I use on non Ruger).........I even go farther and reblue. I also check everything for alignment before dropping in that aluminum tube with glass.

Maybe it's from shooting Leupolds since Jr High. I dunno. Kinda cool after yrs of use, to pull a scope and see no marks on it.

LOVE LOVE LOVE the signature insert stuff. Not without some issues, the inserts don't always equispace when mounting, but if you watch for that, and then assemble your system, they will be.

It's still easier than shaving wirebonds off active region silicon under a machine's microscope

 

[Hookeye]

I refuse to work on other people's guns. Would let my hunting buddy and another friend use my tools. Nobody else.

A clean bench, good lighting, nobody around...........I find such work relaxing.

Got way more work done on 2nd and 3rd shift in the lab, back in the day.
I had a skull and crossbones on my micrscope..........anybody mess with it......................
(had several, but one for certain work was moved station to station/machine).

Maybe the OCD I inherited from my dad. He has a bunch of old tools, gunsmithing stuff.............and it's like new.
Books and tools, you treat them like gold.

Lifetime of enjoyment if you do.

 

[Hookeye]

I found its a very good tool to have ..

Yes, I should buy another one for a family member who isn't the most sure of hand.
He shoots some, probably save him a ton of headache.

I got mine of Fleabay for $55. Still have some Paypal left......