标签: bolt

I am really thrilled when a package arrives at my desk, especially when I'm not expecting anything. Well, an unexpected package just arrived from EETimes blogger Aubrey Kagan (a.k.a. Antedeluvian) in Canada. When I ripped this little rascal open (the package, not Aubrey), I discovered something called the "Finger MAXX":     "Finger MAXX? Give me a break! Is someone taking the mickey?" I thought. But no, it's a serious product. Actually, it's a "dream product" for its creators, because it probably costs only a few cents to make, but you can sell it for a couple of dollars, and just about everyone who plays with tools on the planet would love one of these little scamps.   This actually falls into a class of products that are loosely called "Finger Wrenches." Not surprisingly, the first thing you do is to stick it on the end of the index finger of your "other hand" (i.e., if you are right-handed, you place it on your left hand, and vice versa).     There is a gap all down the back side, thereby allowing one size to fit a wide range of fingers. Next, you slip a nut or bolt into the wrench as shown in the two images below.       Finger pressure keeps the nut of bolt in place. What you can't see is a tapered slot inside the wrench that prevents the nut or bold from turning.   I cannot recall how many times I've been in an awkward position trying to attach a nut to a bolt, cursing every time I dropped the little ragamuffin. This finger wrench would have been a tremendous asset during those trying times.   In fact, this would be a perfect little "stocking filler" gift for so many people I know. I just performed a Google search for "Finger MAXX," which returned some images, which pointed me at FingerMaxx.com, which resulted in a "404 Page not found" error. Can they possibly have gone out of business with a killer product like this? If you know where to find these little scalawags, please share this knowledge with the rest of us.