been cleaning out the mechanical shop – got new (old) tool boxes and am sorting drawers and finding long hidden treasures –
here’s a couple that baffle me – old open end wrenches of odd size and unknown to me markings –
who can explain?
“there’s enough for everyone”
Replies
Just a guess. But, I restored an old MG (British) and they used "Whitworth" sizing. Which, instead of demarkated by the diameter of the bolt, was actually the length of one of the flats on the bolt head or nut. They could be something like that. That makes a little sense considering the opening on the wrench looks about twice that of the size designation on the tool. Again, just a guess.
alexpesta,
I always wondered where that system of measurement came from.
Years ago I worked on oil drilling rigs offshore and far too frequently had to use hammer wrenches. They were sized according to the size of the flats on the nuts.
Now I know. Thanks.
Ron
Ron,
The best is that they are just close enough to think you have a good bite with a standard wrench...then you strip it off. When on the MG, or any British car I've worked on, the ones you strip are usually in some impossible to reach place.
""When on the MG, or any British car I've worked on, the ones you strip are usually in some impossible to reach place."" Hmm ,you might of owned some of my cars before I bought them. On my cars those bolts and nuts were already stripped before I got there. ;-)
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
alexpesta,
I owned a British vehicle once, a Land Rover. It would usually arrange to quit working when in the middle of a large, deep mud hole. I got to hate that machine.
Ron
Ron,
Don't tell me that. I just sold my MG last summer, and was seriously considering buying a Land Rover as the replacement. I was thinking an old Series IIa...seems to make a little more sense living in Cleveland.
alexpesta,
Land Rover might be OK if you live where it never gets damp. And if you drive around all puddles.
Mine was so sensitive to dampness that I'd have problems on Monday if rain was forecast for Wednesday.
Fortunately, the designers knew their own limitations and could compensate to a degree. For instance, the windshield wiper motors (mounted on the windshield) had little levers on them to move the wipers manually because the motors would fail if it was wet out.
I'm sorry to be carrying this so far away from the topic at hand, but I am still amazed at my own stupidity for buying that thing.
Ron
My first thought was that they were some kind of steel or iron workers wrenches.
Then I'm thinking some kind of Imperial measurement?
[email protected]
Here you go.
Check out #3 and #5
http://www.boltsantiquetools.com/toolstandardspage.htm
11 minutes,
You are amazing."Perfect is the enemy of Good." Morrison
Thats what his wife said.
OK -
here's another that you may find interesting - I've got a pretty good set of 'BONNEY' open end wrenches -
is there anyone else here with a 13/32" - 19/32" open end wrench? - -
has anyone ever run into a nut of either those sizes? -
I don't think I have, and I've worked on some odd old american engines/ag tools - -
View Image"there's enough for everyone"
11 minutes? Does he use performance enhancing drugs? :-)
Russell
"Welcome to my world"
Would Vitamin V be considered a "performance enhancing" drug? If it is, would I be prevented from pitching for the A's this season?
Inquiring minds want to know!! - lol
That depend on whether the balls your pitching are MLB approved. :-)
Russell
"Welcome to my world"
very good! thanks - the 1/2 U.S.S. / 5/8 OC is a 'BONNEY' - 'MADE IN USA'the 1/2OC / 1/2 SAE is a 'Williams' - 'FORGED <W>IN U.S.A.'it's maybe kinda interesting that yesterday I stopped in at 'Rettig's Industrial Supply' in Wabash to pick up a brass 1" to 3/4" bushing and a 3/4" street L - Rettigs is in an old brick building on what's left of industrial row, been there a long time - counter inside the door and walls with pegs and cases - plumbing die set on the floor - pile of boxes of angle grinders, bits and tools, gas welding supplies, and on the west wall is 20 feet of 'Williams' orange/black painted pegboard - lots of big/medium sized wrenches hanging there, 3/4" and 1" sockets and bars, pipe hangers, repair parts - just a bunch of real interesting tool/stuff - still a lot of Williams wrenches and sockets and bars on the board - are they still in business?"there's enough for everyone"
Not sure about still in biz.
I do have a set of Williams all over 1" up to 1 15/16th tho', maybe 25(?) yrs old. I call the big one wifebeater..LOLSpheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
you've got some vintage american steel there - are they open end/12 point end? - - I've got a few odd larger wrenches - but not a nice set - it'd be nice, but they would be trophies more than tools - "there's enough for everyone"
Double open end. By 1/16ths. They are hefty.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
1/2 inch capscrew or 1/2" fine thread bolt, and 5/8 capscrew or1/2 inch coarse bolt. Both before 1920.
http://home.southwind.net/~donhaury/wrench-logos/logos-page-1.html
this is interesting, thanks - 5 - Size Standard Markings Note: In the United States prior to 1929 the sizes stamped on wrenches usually referred to the diameter of the bolt not the actual opening size. Thus a wrench stamped ½ U. S. would actually have a 7/8" wrench opening size as a nut for a ½" diameter U. S. Standard bolt would measure 13/16" across the flats and allowing for 1/16 clearance would require a 7/8" wrench opening. This same size wrench would also fit nuts for 5/8" hex cap screw and bolt and nuts for 9/16" S.A.E Standard Cap Screws and thus would be marked ½ U.S, 5/8 Hex Cap, and 9/16 SAE. Carl Bolt's website page on tool standards pictures 17 wrenches with 19 different identifications and sizes all marked 1/2"! This could get pretty confusing so circa 1929 the American Engineering Standards Committee specified that wrenches should be marked with the actual width across the flats of the nut or bolt head they would fitAF Initials: AF (used with size in inches of nut or bolt head i.e. I/2 AF)
Across Flats (British?)
Size as measured across the flat sides of nut or bolt head or actual wrench opening size
OC Hex logo and initial C (used with size in inches of bolt diameter i.e. I/2 OC)
Hex Cap Screw
Found on older forged wrenches before 1920 standard want into effect (see note above)
SAE Initials: SAE (used with size in inches of bolt diameter i.e. I/2 SAE)
Society of Automotive Engineers (fine threaded nuts and bolts)
Found on older forged wrenches before 1920 standard want into effect (see note above)
USS Initials: USS (used with size in inches of bolt diameter i.e. I/2 USS)
United States Standard.
Found on older forged wrenches before 1920 standard want into effect (see note above)"there's enough for everyone"