A big Barco wrench, or Stillson wrench both of which are available from almost any tool outlet, Scewfix, Tool station, B&Q and many more. All available up to about 900mm in length so have wide jaws. I suggest you take your time otherwise you easily do a lot of damage with slipping spanner and skin been missing. Also, if your spanner jaws are to wide apart fit a sliver of folded tin inside the jaws or a bit of sheet steel, as the trawler men do, fit all that way.

What do you mean by a ‘BSP fitting’?

Even something as common as 15mm and 22mm compression nuts, which are supposed to be a standard size, vary between fittings.

Union nuts should be a standard size (but even then, there appear to be two standards, with some of them octagonal and some hexagonal).

Do you have a set of calipers? Measure the fitting and use a file on the nearest lower spanner to tune it to the size you need.

I have never heard of Barco – sounds like a canine product. Berndt August Hjorth would be turning in his grave at the thought. Bahco, however, is an established manufacturer of adjustable spanners, at premium prices. Draper Expert black oxide finish adjustable spanners are very good value for money.

I have a couple of the Monument “compression fitting spanners” bought from screwfix, don’t use them as much as an adjustable or footprint type grips but they do come in handy on occasions. They do both cheap stamped out ones and better forged ones

I think it’s down to poor quality control/don’t care if it’s about right, on many plumbing fittings sold nowadays. They approximate to Whitworth a/f dimensions, but the approximation can be pretty vague.

My plumbing tool bag includes Whitworth open-ended, various adjustables (including Stlllsons and King Dick), water pump pliers and some special ones for basins and the like, and I still find myself rooting around for something that will just about fit, and work in the usual ridiculously awkward spaces. I think all plumbing should be exposed, not hidden away to make life difficult – and don’t get me started on solvent weld vs. push fit waste pipe incompatibility (I had a couple of awkward plumbing jobs this week…)

On 2 May 2024 at 17:23 Andrew Tinsley Said:

[…]

.I don’t want anymore bodging with bits of tin etc If I can’t buy these spanners commercially. then it looks like […]

Admirable sentiment, Andrew

… what rather surprised me, when I came [late] to this Topic, is that no-one seems to have yet mentioned Flank-Drive spanners.

If I am mistaken, then I’m sure someone will correct me.

MichaelG.

On 2 May 2024 at 19:15 Andy Stopford Said:

…….  think all plumbing should be exposed, not hidden away to make life difficult – and don’t get me started on solvent weld vs. push fit waste pipe incompatibility (I had a couple of awkward plumbing jobs this week…)

100% #2 son has a stupid mixer tap for the bath, it is mounted on splashback with the pipes behind, then the bath plonked in front and the outer corners mated to more splashback on the walls at 90 degrees, so you can’t get at the pipes without destroying the splashback. The pipes were channelled into the wall, so when it sprang a leak (well known for this type of tap according to the emergency plumber) it ran down the cavity and wrecked the decorations. What should have been a hundred quid to fix will be thousands. Fortunately it is covered by insurance

For this type of fitting and other delicate items like odd sized coaxial connectors, I have a pair of Knipex “plier-wrench” https://www.knipex.com/products/pipe-wrenches-and-water-pump-pliers/pliers-wrenches-pliers-and-a-wrench-in-a-single-tool/pliers-wrenches-pliers-and-wrench-single-tool/8603150

Parallel action, smooth faces and locking coarse adjustment. They also do soft covers for the faces.
Very high quality and priced to match, around £40. Mine are never used on rough surfaces. They do larger and smaller sizes.
Coaxial (radio) connectors are a whole other world. Fortunatly most are standard sizes across flats. However most are soft metal and a lot have narrow access. Good quality thin spanners are expensive. The Precision connectors need a torque wrench. I have a small selection of spanners reserved for connectors…

Robert.

If you have space for access, I’ve found Cromna the best adjustable spanners around.
No longer made, but they do crop up on eBay, auto-jumbles & steam rallies etc.
There’s 4 sizes, and yes, the smallest should be that shape on the end, I’m guessing as a bicycle tyre lever.
There’s a few photos either side in the album

BSP seems murky.  In my sources Across Flats measurements either aren’t mentioned at all or are given in millimetres.  I guess it’s because the standard is for a pipe thread, not a fastener, and the AF dimension is decided by the needs of the fitting, not the thread.  The choice is down to the manufacturer, hence plumbers are fond of adjustable spanners and pipe-wrenches.

Although BSP is clearly inspired by Whitworth in that it has the same 55° rounded crest and valley form,  it isn’t Whitworth compatible.   The diameters are different, and BSP is often tapered too!

Dave

On 2 May 2024 at 21:35 bernard towers Said:

Aren’t flank drive spanners/sockets still size specific but just drive on the flats not the points?

If you think about the geometry … they can obviously accommodate a modest range of A/F dimensions.

MichaelG.

.

Some helpful illustrations on this page:

https://the-shed.nz/size-matters-2/

On 2 May 2024 at 21:35 bernard towers Said:

Aren’t flank drive spanners/sockets still size specific but just drive on the flats not the points?

Yes. All the other miracle things they’re alleged to do is just marketing for the gullible/desperate.

Real plumbers never worry about the ‘right’ spanner unless there isn’t room to use an adjustable

Not sure Flank Drive will work on “Conex” compression nuts which have the six lumps and are not hexagonal. The Monument/footprint ones I linked to will work on these as well as hex 15mm and 22mm compression nuts.