How to make a tension wrench from a windshield wiper blade.

[xxgonzoxx]

I figured I'd post this just in case. No pics but should be easy enough to follow without them.


Go to your local gas station and ask them if you can have the wiper blades they have replaced. They will probably let you go through the garbage and pull them out.

Once you have one:

1)bend back the clips on the ends and pull out the metal strip.

2) One end should have a notch in it, the other end should be clean and round. Cut a piece off from this end about 4-5 inches in length.

3) If you get some burrs from cutting it off, use sand paper to sand them off until it's smooth again.

4) Using a pair of pliers, hold one end about an inch from the end.

5) Bend this end to form a 90 degree angle.

6) You know have a tension wrench.

7) For added control in tension, you can use two pair of pliers to put a twist in your new wrench so that you will be applying tension using the flat part of the wrench.

8. To do this, about an inch from your 90 degree bend, use one pair of pliers to hold the flat part.

9) While holding the wrench in the pliers, grab the wrench about half inch down from the first pair of pliers with the 2nd pair.

10) Turn both pair of pliers towards each other, until the edge of the tension wrench, is aligned with the flat part of the 90 degree bend.

Steps 7 - 10 are not required, to take a look at this twist, look at my post entitled "First Picks"

[JackNco]

there is no way im going through a bin to save cash on buying a tension wrench.

John

[timal]

I buy Arco wipers at the Auto parts store. With the largest wipers you can make about 8-10 Large picks from the inserts. I throw away the wipers, and only costs about $4.90

[Firearm]

I race stock cars and strip cars all the time so I have an almost endless supply of old wiper blades.

[pauly003]

I agree with jacknco. I went to canuk tire for used blades and the guy told me he had just thrown some out. I figured they would be on the top of the pile, but they were in garbage bags, with a buch of other crap. There was no way in hell i was going dumpster diving for used blades. I will ask the local mechanic to save me a couple from his next job.

[xxgonzoxx]

After the first time, my local gas station now saves the blades for me. soemtimes he has 1 or 2, other times he has 10 or so. if I don't pick them up by Firday, they go in the garbage. After a while, you'll have more than an ample supply to last you without digging through the garbage.

[Gordon Airporte]

Here are the Magic Dimensions for a wrench blade that I've found works well in standard Schlage and Kwikset keyways:
~.02" thick x .113" wide x however long (~.75" works for me.)
Then you can shape the other end to be .11" wide x just .19" long for use at the top of keyways.

I agree that there's a limit to the dumpster diving you should do for wiper blades, but I found that simply looking around the parking lot of an auto parts store, especially if it's a rainy day, will score you enough to plenty of stuff. And you're cleaning the place up.

[Irish Joe]

my bro works in a garage so 2 wiper blades were my present !

I've been away life sorta caught up since the summer and I've only just gotten around to making a tension wrench and hook. I *know* I should get a proper set first but if I do that then I'll never make any so I'm ging to practise wiht them and make a few more. But I do find that the wiperblades are good, springy enough but if you heat and cool them then they are soft enough to cut and file but still have a lot of that springyness