# What's the opposite of a turnbuckle? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 12, 2008, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-opposite-of-a-turnbuckle/463266 "2008-09-12T13:53:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brossa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brossa/32/3040_2.png) [@brossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brossa)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-opposite-of-a-turnbuckle/463266/1 "2008-09-12T13:53:17Z")
A turnbuckle works under tension - it draws two opposite-threaded rods closer together by screwing them into a central barrel. What is the name of a device that has a central rod, left-hand threaded on one end and right-hand threaded on the other end, which works under compression to force two nuts apart symmetrically? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-opposite-of-a-turnbuckle/463266/2 "2008-09-12T13:54:09Z")
> [@brossa](#): > > A turnbuckle works under tension - it draws two opposite-threaded rods closer together by screwing them into a central barrel. > > What is the name of a device that has a central rod, left-hand threaded on one end and right-hand threaded on the other end, which works under compression to force two nuts apart symmetrically? Wouldn’t that just be a turnbuckle that you turned the other way? ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-opposite-of-a-turnbuckle/463266/3 "2008-09-12T13:55:41Z")
A Screwjack ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-opposite-of-a-turnbuckle/463266/4 "2008-09-12T15:21:25Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Wouldn’t that just be a turnbuckle that you turned the other way? The ends would need to be different. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-opposite-of-a-turnbuckle/463266/5 "2008-09-12T18:11:07Z")
deturnbuckle ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-opposite-of-a-turnbuckle/463266/6 "2008-09-12T18:15:46Z")
> [@Santo\_Rugger](#): > > The ends would need to be different. Thats why wielders were invented. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-opposite-of-a-turnbuckle/463266/7 "2008-09-12T18:18:28Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > Thats why wielders were invented. Do they wield welders? I think the answer is jackscrew. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-opposite-of-a-turnbuckle/463266/8 "2008-09-12T18:22:24Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Do they wield welders? Crap. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-opposite-of-a-turnbuckle/463266/9 "2008-09-12T18:40:40Z")
> [@chacoguy420](#): > > A Screwjack Winner. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-opposite-of-a-turnbuckle/463266/10 "2008-09-12T19:48:49Z")
It’s called an “elkcubnrut”. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-opposite-of-a-turnbuckle/463266/11 "2008-09-13T00:40:30Z")
> [@chacoguy420](#): > > A Screwjack AKA JackScrew it’s most common name. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-opposite-of-a-turnbuckle/463266/12 "2008-09-13T02:00:51Z")
> [@brossa](#): > > A turnbuckle works under tension - it draws two opposite-threaded rods closer together by screwing them into a central barrel. > > What is the name of a device that has a central rod, left-hand threaded on one end and right-hand threaded on the other end, which works under compression to force two nuts apart symmetrically? A turnbuckle has one RH threaded end and one LH threaded end.