Matt Darley Nov 6, 2020:

@JessJess - if it's by EN 1090, then I'd go with snug-tight, it seems to be a defined term - although I'd love someone with access to the standard to confirm it!

@Chris - doesn't manually imply 'without power tools', rather than that there is a person involved?

chris collister Nov 5, 2020:

"Manually" implies that it is being done by a "person", which/who is therefore redundant IMO. Rather than "extender", I think "extension" sounds more natural. And "wrench" for US, "spanner" for GB.

jessjess (asker) Nov 5, 2020:

So in the beginning I actually translated serrage au refus by "manually tightened by one person using a wrench without an extender".

jessjess (asker) Nov 5, 2020:

Hello everyone! Thank you for your help. It does specify later in the document, that it is "la visserie serra serrée au refus selon la norme NF-EN 1090-2. Le serrage au refus peut être obtenu par l’effort d’un homme seul utilisant une clé sans rallonge et peut être fixé comme le point où une clé à choc commence à frapper".

Tony M Nov 4, 2020:

@ Matt Ah, I see! I think this is likely US-origin terminology, and I would not disagree with 'snug-tight' — my serious beef would be with 'snug-fit'.
In this extract from one of you refs., it does explain that it is 'more than fingertight':
"This method called for running the nut up to a snug position using an impact wrench rather than the fingertight condition."

Matt Darley Nov 4, 2020:

@Chris yes, snug fit was only at the first use. I should have read on!

Matt Darley Nov 4, 2020:

Lots of sites using snug-tight:
https://www.andrewsfasteners.uk/faq/non-pre-load/tightening-...
https://www.tcbolts.com/en/installation
https://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/(ASCE)SC.1943-5576.0...

The key point here is what kind of translation is required. If this is a technical document describing the process for tightening K2 class HR bolts (as per the EN 1090-2 standard), I really would go with snug fit/snug tight - which looks to be a lot more than finger tight, by the way: "The snug tightened condition is the tightness that is attained with a few impacts of an impact wrench or the full effort of an ironworker using an ordinary spud wrench to bring the plies into firm contact."

If this is a more general document, then yes, something that sounds more natural to the layman is more appropriate.

chris collister Nov 4, 2020:

@ Matt Your ref. actually refers to "snug-tight", which makes more sense than "snug fit". The Bolt Council ought to know what they're talking about, so I'd go with that!

Matt Darley Nov 4, 2020:

Snug fit sounds as odd to me as it does to some of you, but as I say below the wording *seems" to come from the standard, and apart from the original reference, there is evidence of snug being used elsewhere in all apparent seriousness:
http://www.boltcouncil.org/files/2ndEditionGuide.pdf
https://www.boltcouncil.org/files/2014RCSCSpecification-with...

If this is a technical document, and if sung fit really is a defined term used in the relevant industry standard, it would be unwise to swap it for a term that sounds more natural.

Anyone got access to the BS EN standards database?

chris collister Nov 4, 2020:

@ Marco Very interesting link, with useful definition. I must admit I hadn't researched the term, but common sense suggested "finger-tight". Moral: never trust common sense... So according to this definition, using just a small spanner would give you something like "initial" or "preliminary tightening", i.e. at least enough to prevent it unscrewing easily.

Marco Solinas Nov 4, 2020:

Definition This site https://fixation.emile-maurin.fr/custom/images/rtf/fiche-i-s... and many others indicate that the "serrage au refus" is done with a wrench. This site also specifies that "L'écrou ne peut plus être dévissé à la main."

chris collister Nov 4, 2020:

"Refuses to be tightened further".... Yes, but by what? "Fingers" I think may be the answer, i.e. "finger-tight". Imagine you're screwing a nut onto a bolt: first you spin it on, then you do it up as tightly as you can with your fingers, then you use a spanner, and finally (if it's a critical part e.g. in a gas turbine) you use a torque wrench. I'm far from convinced that the translation "snug fit" below is spot on.

Marco Solinas Nov 4, 2020:

To Asker This may be helpful (see page 2): http://btscm.fr/dicocm/B/Boulons_fichiers/Fixations_mecaniqu...
It sounds like complete tightening, but avoiding over-tightening. The "refus" is the point at which the nut "refuses to be tightened further. ""full tightening" or some variation on the theme?