Spud Wrench
CSI Division 05, Metals
A hand wrench with a long, tapered handle, used by ironworkers to align mismatched bolt holes between two steel members by inserting the tapered end and levering the holes into alignment before a bolt can actually be driven through them.
Why it matters
Steel connections almost never line up with perfect precision on the first try, and the spud wrench's tapered point is specifically designed to fit into a slightly misaligned hole and lever the connecting plate into the position needed for a bolt to pass through cleanly.
On a real project
An ironworker setting a beam finds the bolt holes on the connecting plate slightly offset from the column's holes, and uses the tapered end of a spud wrench to lever the plate into alignment before driving the first bolt through to hold the connection temporarily.
Who this matters most to
An Ironworker carries a spud wrench as one of the most used hand tools on a steel erection crew, since nearly every connection needs some amount of hole alignment before it can be bolted.
Where this goes wrong
An ironworker forces a bolt through a misaligned hole with a hammer instead of taking the time to lever it into true alignment with a spud wrench first. The forced bolt doesn't seat properly in the hole, leaving a connection that's weaker than it was designed to be.