Wedge Remover
The wedge remover (coll. Also wedge loosener , Nutcracker , Nutkey ) is a technical aid for mountaineers and is used when climbing .
Wedge removers are elongated sheet metal parts that have a small abutment surface and a hook at one end. There is usually a handle at the second, opposite end. The sheet metal often has holes in order to save weight. There are wedge removers with one or more hexagonal holes that can be used to tighten screws or nuts - like a wrench. A spiral cable with a carabiner can be provided for attachment to a belt.
The main function of the wedge remover is to loosen tight wedges so that they can be removed from the rock again. For this purpose, the wedge remover is often pushed, pressed or hit against the wedge against the main load direction of the wedge, i.e. mostly from below or from the front, so that it loosens. The hook can also be used to pull the clamping wedge mostly from above against its main load direction. It is also possible to push the wire cable backwards by hand in the case of a particularly tight clamping wedge, so that the resulting wire loop on the thicker side of the clamping wedge can be gripped with the hook of the clamping wedge remover and the wedge can then be pulled out of the fixed position .
The wedge remover can also be used to loosen other stuck clamping devices such as those used in mountaineering, e.g. B. Hexentrics , Tricams or knot loops . The use is largely the same as loosening a stuck clamping wedge.
Wedge releasers are mainly used when climbing when mobile intermediate securing devices or stabilizers have to be removed again. This is especially the case when climbing , but also when abseiling or lowering the last lead length of the rope.
In addition, clamping wedge removers are often used when threading loops into an hourglass , so-called hourglass loops . The loop is inserted into the first opening of the hourglass, gripped with the hook of the wedge remover from the second opening of the hourglass and pulled through the hourglass.
Such clamping wedge removers, with which screws or nuts can be tightened, can also be used when installing rock hooks .
