Ever wish you had 3 hands?

[Dave B.]

Learned a great little trick today from a guy at work. Goes somethin like this:

hard to reach narrow space that requires the install of a bolt from the top and in the small void/space requires the washer and nut from the bottom.

Top is easy to access and is exposed, so a ratchet or box end wrench is easy to slip over the top, but trying to get the nut and washer onto the bolt to tighten down coming up from the bottom in a space you cannot fit your fingers to hold the nut and washer in place while starting the bolt is near impossible....

Well, here comes the tip.

Take a open/box end wrench and use a tounge depressor or old feeler guage blade and tape it around the wrench shank with the attached part (I call it platform) under the box end of the wrench.

This allows you to lay the nut into the box end of the wrench without falling out and lay the washer on top and gently position into place. Once lined up under the bolt, just tap or push the bolt down until it contacts the nut threads and then you can tighten it down.

Basically you make a little platform under the closed end of the wrench and this allows you to hold the nut in place without droppin it, fumblin it and cussin cause you can't hold it in place....

great idea and I'd of never thought of it. Guy at work took 2 minutes by taping on a tounge depressor and finishin the job when we'd of still been messin with it for probably an hour to figure out how to hold the nut and washer in place.

Hopefully I explained it. If not, I can definately post a example pic!!!