# Plumbing Q: Is a basin wrench just prank on the DIY impaired?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plumbing-q-is-a-basin-wrench-just-prank-on-the-diy-impaired/614655>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 3, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plumbing-q-is-a-basin-wrench-just-prank-on-the-diy-impaired/614655 "2012-03-03T18:22:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plumbing-q-is-a-basin-wrench-just-prank-on-the-diy-impaired/614655/21 "2012-03-06T22:20:36Z")

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> [@LateComer](#):
>
> I came close to doing this replacing my mother’s. I tried heating it, greasing it with penetrating oil, basin wrench, vice grips, putting a pipe on the basin wrench for leverage and it would not budge. I’d have dremeled it if I could have fit it under the sink but ended up using a small hacksaw and cut it off piece by piece. THAT was a chore and not the wrench’s fault.

This happened to me as well. I tried the hacksaw and then remembered that I had a reciprocating saw with a metal blade. It worked like a charm.

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**Author:** ![thelabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plumbing-q-is-a-basin-wrench-just-prank-on-the-diy-impaired/614655/22 "2012-03-07T02:32:27Z")

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Recip saws are the heavy artillery if you can get into the place with one.

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**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plumbing-q-is-a-basin-wrench-just-prank-on-the-diy-impaired/614655/23 "2012-03-07T02:32:29Z")

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> [@GiantRat](#):
>
> Are you that creepy girl I met in that bar in 2004? If so, can we try again without the hardware?
> 
> :eek:

OMG. How did you know? BTW, the hardware wasn’t the problem. I just knew I’d be walking funny the next day. 😉 (j/k in case that was too convincing 😃 )

> [@LateComer](#):
>
> I came close to doing this replacing my mother’s. I tried heating it, greasing it with penetrating oil, basin wrench, vice grips, putting a pipe on the basin wrench for leverage and it would not budge. I’d have dremeled it if I could have fit it under the sink but ended up using a small hacksaw and cut it off piece by piece. THAT was a chore and not the wrench’s fault.

Do you think that an [oscillating tool](http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/reviews/power-tools/4325505) could have worked?

> [@ducati](#):
>
> You’ll need to make a weapon. Look around you– can you construct some sort of rudimentary lathe?

paper clip, rubber band, toilet paper roller thingie.

Yeah, no problemo. :smack: 😃

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**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plumbing-q-is-a-basin-wrench-just-prank-on-the-diy-impaired/614655/24 "2012-03-07T17:11:36Z")

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Are you sure you have it flipped the right way? Flip the head one way to tighten nuts, flip the other way to loosen.

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