Torque Wrench Question

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I forgot to set my torque wrench back to zero overnight. I set it back early the next morning. Would this be enough to mess up the calibration?
 
No, one of mine says to keep it on its lowest setting not to set to 0.(which was news to me)
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
No, one of mine says to keep it on its lowest setting not to set to 0.(which was news to me)


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The Harbor Freight torque wrenches say to do this
 
taking it down to zero or at least the lower 10% of the range is best practice.
 
As everyone says, don't fret over it, and a little above zero.

If you are really worried about it ... some people are that way ... you can take it to a machine shop and have them (re-)calibrate it, it's a simple job, won't cost much. Were it me, I'd wait a couple of years and do it then, though.

Worst thing you can do is drop it. (Even then you are probably OK, depending, but not for certain). Keep in in the case when not in use.
 
We keep them at 20% of scale at work (aerospace). At home I've kept anywhere from 0 to 20%, it doesn't really matter. I also send them out once in a while for calibration.

Some wrenches shouldn't not be brought down to zero or below their scale (mechanism inside will loosen), other is won't matter, and even others will have a stop to prevent you from backing off too much.
 
Sturdevant Richmont presents an argument that "some" torque wrench designs will allow the wrench to become uncalibrated if set to zero and all spring pressure is relieved.

http://www.srtorque.com/error-proofing-t...-quality-score/

"When taking pressure off the spring, the design may allow the wrench to relieve pressure on the torque block. This can allow the torque block to disorient, shift. Some wrenches can be set to zero pressure on the spring or have the handle further away from the spring. Not only can the torque block disorient, it can even fall out of place in the wrench.

If the torque block disorients, calibration is lost. Repeatability becomes an issue because the block no longer functions as designed. Typically in the tilt block design, the block itself is not square. That means when the tilt block is reoriented and is on it's side, the torque value has changed without you knowlege."
 
I have an Craftsman Digitorque Wrench and it says to keep it set to 25% capacity. If accidentally left above 50% for more than a few hours set the wrench to the lowest setting and leave it here for a few minutes before using it. Calibration should be checked after 10,000 cycles. I've had this wrench since the early 90's and it is still accurate, checking it against a beam style wrench.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
That's why I use split beams you don't have to do anything with them after using it.

Yep, split beam is the way to go for anything I need torqued!
 
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