Unpopular opinion: I chose a 12-inch adjustable wrench over a set of stubby wrenches for a tight panel job in an old Boston brownstone.

The single tool's flexibility got me through a full day of fighting 80-year-old conduit fittings without a single stripped nut, but has anyone found a better solution for those cramped, historic electrical rooms?

3 comments

3 Comments

nathanbennett3mo ago

That adjustable wrench is a solid choice for those old square head fittings. I keep a 6-inch crescent wrench in my bag just for brownstone work, ground the sides down a bit so it fits in the really tight spots. For the worst ones, a set of ignition wrenches can get on a nut where nothing else will. The thin metal bends if you push too hard, but it beats rounding off a hundred year old fitting.

charlesj463mo ago

Ignition wrenches, like the ones for old cars?

cameron7242mo ago

Ignition wrenches are okay for light work but they're the wrong tool for brownstone fittings. Those old gas fixtures have been tightened and corroded for a hundred years, a thin ignition wrench will just twist and round off the nut. You need a proper stubby combination wrench or a flare nut wrench that actually grips the flats without flexing. The adjustable wrench trick works sometimes but it's risky on old soft brass, one slip and you're replacing the whole fixture. Keep the ignition wrenches for modern cars and grab a set of quality offset wrenches for old gas work.