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My old boss told me to never trust a new torque wrench right out of the box

When I started at a regional shop in Phoenix, my lead gave me this advice on day one. I was working on a Cessna 172's nose gear assembly about six months ago and grabbed a brand new, still sealed torque wrench from the supply room. I figured it was fine, it was new. I torqued the bolts to spec, 250 inch-pounds, and signed it off. Two weeks later, the plane came back with a shimmy complaint. We found the main bolt had worked loose. The new wrench was off by almost 30 inch-pounds. My lead just shook his head and said, 'Told you. Calibrate first, always.' I had to eat the rework time. Now I check every single tool, new or old. Do you guys have a standard calibration check you run on new tools before putting them to work?
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3 Comments
mila_campbell25
Trusting new stuff without checking is how you get burned in life, not just with tools lol.
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matthew166
matthew16615d ago
That's just wasting good money and time. A sealed tool from a known brand should be trusted, or what are you even paying for. Your loose bolt was more likely bad technique or a worn part.
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nora110
nora11015d agoTop Commenter
My buddy's new impact wrench had a cracked housing right out of the box last month. Manufacturing defects happen to every brand, no matter the price. A quick function check costs you two minutes but can save a whole weekend project.
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