Question

Difficulty: EasyGripping and Holding Tools

A pipe wrench should not be used to turn finished hexagonal nuts and bolt heads because its hardened, serrated teeth can bite into and permanently damage or round off the fastener's edges.

Answer: Answer

Answer

True
The statement is true because pipe wrenches rely on aggressive, directional serrations that cut into metal to achieve leverage on round stock, which severely damages and rounds off the precision edges of hexagonal nuts and bolt heads.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary design feature and purpose of a pipe wrench.
A pipe wrench features pivoted, serrated jaws engineered to dig into cylindrical pipes and round stock to create mechanical grip.
Understanding jaw geometry determines which workpiece shapes the tool safely accommodates.
2
Analyze the effect of serrated jaws on hexagonal fasteners.
The sharp, directional teeth crush and gouge flat hex surfaces, quickly rounding the corners.
Hexagonal nuts and bolts require smooth, parallel-jaw tools that contact the flats rather than the points.
3
Evaluate the validity of the statement.
The statement correctly describes safe tool selection and workpiece damage prevention.
Using a pipe wrench on hex fasteners causes avoidable tool and workpiece damage.

Key Concept

Tool application and fastener damage prevention for gripping tools
Estimated Time:30s
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