Am I the only one who thinks the 'right tool for the job' rule is sometimes wrong?

I had a stuck aperture ring on a 1980s manual lens last month. The proper tool is a spanner wrench, but I didn't have the right size. Out of frustration, I carefully used a small pair of smooth-jaw pliers wrapped in two layers of electrical tape. It worked perfectly with zero marks. I've been doing this for 15 years and always heard you must use the exact tool. Sometimes a safe workaround with what you have is fine. Has anyone else fixed something with a tool that wasn't technically correct?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamesm481mo ago

You used pliers on a camera lens. That's insane. I would have been sweating bullets trying not to scratch the metal or crack the glass.

nancybailey1mo ago

Totally get it. Sometimes you just gotta make it work with what's on hand. Your tape trick was smart.

parkera221mo ago

Sweating bullets is right, I get that feeling. My dad once fixed our old lawnmower pull cord with a bent coat hanger and some duct tape because the real part was weeks away. Thing ran for two more summers. Makes you wonder how many "proper" tools were invented after someone messed around with whatever was in the garage.