Vintage Wright - Share it Here

[Private Lugnutz]

Was there any relationship with the Cornwell company?

Speculatively, but honestly I just had a brain glitch twisting up date code systems.

Bill, sorry for the confusion, long day.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

The old cornwell and wright wrenches certainly share a resemblance, but I've seen no evidence linking them

 

[Mike'smeatshop]

The old cornwell and wright wrenches certainly share a resemblance, but I've seen no evidence linking them

I just read about the cornwell tools in the Alloy or what ever its called and they describe the date stamping like Lugs was talking about.. But no mention of wright.

 

[misterbill]

Was searching for catalogs online and I found a link to Wright's catalog #82 (copyright 2009) HERE. Some of the other catalogs on that page may be of interest, too. I also found this case study by Sonnhalter that is related to the catalog.

Bill

 

[misterbill]

Here’s an interesting lot I was really happy to pick up. From left to right, top to bottom:
-41 dated 1/2” BP16 combination wrench
-9 dated 1/4” drive V-11 sliding tee
11/16” x 19/32” P5F DOE
8+ dated 3/8” drive CT-22 (carburetor?) socket
9/16” x 1/2” P3Z (or is it an “N” on its side?) DOE
-7 dated 3/8” drive MN-11 sliding tee
-8 dated 3/8” drive MS-114 7/16” socket (square opening is off-center and opposite opening is D-shaped)
-8 dated 3/8” drive MS-116 1/2” socket (square opening is off-center and opposite opening is D-shaped)
-8 dated 3/8” drive MS-118 9/16” socket (square opening is off-center and opposite opening is D-shaped)
-9 dated 3/8” drive MD-51 7/16” deep socket
-8 dated 3/8” drive MD-52 1/2” deep socket
-41 dated 3/8” drive MD-53 9/16” deep socket
-9 dated 3/8” drive MD-55 5/8” deep socket
M dated 3/8” drive MD-56 11/16” deep socket
+6 (or 9+) dated 3/8” drive MD-57 3/4” deep socket
7+ dated N40 1/2" ratchet

The combination wrench is the first non-modern one I’ve seen from Wright.

The V-11 confirms that they were making 1/4” drive tools prior to WWII.

The two DOEs probably just add more confusion to the pre-1940 date code speculation. (The "z" is similar to the one on the BW8 in post #34.)

The D-shaped sockets are like the ones recently found by @LesserSon

The “M” dated MD-56 has to be from before WWII because Wright had changed their tool numbering scheme by the time “M” was used in 1972.

If the MD-57 is +6 then it is the first one I have seen stamped with that code.






Bill

 

[misterbill]

@LesserSon had a post in the "Spreading the Bonney affliction!" thread with identical MS-116 and MS-118 sockets. He made an inquiry to Wright and I eagerly await their reply! I have no idea what these sockets would have been used for other than maybe a D-shaped valve/motor shaft.







Bill

 

[misterbill]

Here's the business end of (what I am assuming is) the carburetor CT-22 socket.



Bill

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Chevy oil pan screw socket

 

[misterbill]

Chevy oil pan screw socket

The CT-22?

 

[misterbill]

Never mind. I see Plomb (5239) and Snap-on (F-21-N) made a similar one. FWIW, the Wright version is not spring loaded.

Edit: It is, in fact, spring loaded. You just need to clean the gunk out of it.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Everyone had a version.

 

[Mike'smeatshop]

@LesserSon had a post in the "Spreading the Bonney affliction!" thread with identical MS-116 and MS-118 sockets. He made an inquiry to Wright and I eagerly await their reply! I have no idea what these sockets would have been used for other than maybe a D-shaped valve/motor shaft.







Bill

Did they allow alcohol at that place of business? Looks a little off. Or me.

 

[LesserSon]

It was actually @four.cycle that made the inquiry.
My own thoughts turned toward offset t-slot fasteners, but the closest match has the rounded side of the D-head out at the far end, while the socket has it close toward the center.

Further, in configurations I can immagine the slot would hold the head in situ while a conventional corresponding fastener was driven with a conventional socket to secure it.

 

[LesserSon]

misterbill, I see your sockets have “-8” following the fractional size. Is that a date code? Like 1928 or 1938? Might narrow the search for whatever they’re for.
Mine also have “-8” but the drag link adj has “-7”.

 

[LesserSon]

Here, BTW, is everything I have of Wright. The 307set boxes are empty.

 

[misterbill]

misterbill, I see your sockets have “-8” following the fractional size. Is that a date code? Like 1928 or 1938? Might narrow the search for whatever they’re for.
Mine also have “-8” but the drag link adj has “-7”.

Yes, I believe that the "-7" is a date code - 1937. I have no other explanation for the -/+ prefix/suffix other than the first or second half of the calendar year or fiscal year. I doubt that it is 1927 since that was the first year Wright was in business and I believe that they used an alphabetic code prior to 1937 (I've seen no "6" date codes except maybe the socket I just got, and I think it's a "9").

 

[misterbill]

Did they allow alcohol at that place of business? Looks a little off. Or me.

Alcohol is always an option but I'm trying to think of what sort of fitting may have required the eccentric motion of the offset.

 

[Macduf]

Second 1/4 Wright ratchet I've found in the wild. Does the 59 mean 1959?

 

[misterbill]

Second 1/4 Wright ratchet I've found in the wild. Does the 59 mean 1959?

Indeed it does! Here it is in Wright's 1959 Catalog #100.



Bill

 

[four.cycle]

LesserSon's curious Wright MS116 and MS118 sockets prompted misterbill to post his equally curious Wright MS114, MS116, and MS118 sockets.
In the meantime, I was waiting for a reply back from Wright.

Below is all that was found for these Part #s.
They appear in the 1939 Catalog, but not the 1957, so they were made somewhere in-between that timeframe.
Most likely in the late 1940s as these appear to be a little more “beefed up” instead of having open sidewalls.
List price 45 – 55 cents.

1939 Wright Weatherhead sockets

 

[four.cycle]

^ ".... used on top and bottom of purolators ..."

(in lower case, no less.)

 

[misterbill]

Nice 4C! Thanks for chasing that down!

 

[four.cycle]

@misterbill -

Per my communications with Wright, I have put "Wright" on my radar screen so I will be looking for any material I can find.
No idea where they came up with a 1939 catalog. (Wonder if they'd shoot a copy and send it to Mark?)
These are some screen shots from the 1948 catalog - a paltry offering, but it's all I got:


1948 Wright Tool catalog No 52 front cover

1948 Wright Tool catalog No 52 pp 4-5

1948 Wright Tool catalog No 52 pp 8-9

1948 Wright Tool catalog No 52 pp a b

1948 Wright Tool catalog No 52 pp c

1948 Wright Tool catalog No 52 pp d

1948 Wright Tool catalog No 52 pp e f

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Picked up this wartime (-43) MU-53 (9/16") swivel socket at the flea yesterday. If I could only find where I have the MU-55 (5/8"), MU-56 (11/16"), and MU-57 (3/4") swivel sockets I found and posted here just last August (see Pic 4), it would make a terrific group shot.

I have serious storage issues when it comes to pieces like this. I collected a whole set of Snap-on over the years, and they're in the Snap-on box. Ditto with the WF- Plomb. But I don't have a Wright box. I have a whole drawer full of miscellaneous orphans in a Dorman chest. The Wright aren't in it, probably because there was a string of them, or because they're wartime. But they're not in a box where I throw orphan wartime. Aargh!

 

[misterbill]

Picked up this wartime (-43) MU-53 (9/16") swivel socket at the flea yesterday. If I could only find where I have the MU-55 (5/8"), MU-56 (11/16"), and MU-57 (3/4") swivel sockets I found and posted here just last August (see Pic 4), it would make a terrific group shot.

I have serious storage issues when it comes to pieces like this. I collected a whole set of Snap-on over the years, and they're in the Snap-on box. Ditto with the WF- Plomb. But I don't have a Wright box. I have a whole drawer full of miscellaneous orphans in a Dorman chest. The Wright aren't in it, probably because there was a string of them, or because they're wartime. But they're not in a box where I throw orphan wartime. Aargh!

Use an old Kennedy cantilever box. Ahia-based manufacturer and it will be heavy enough that you will never be able to move it!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I don't have enough Wright tools to merit a box, honestly, but that's funny. This isn't a space/place issue, though, but one of organization. I store most things by brand. Some by type. Apparently the Wright are somewhere in the neitherworld.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I have found old wright tools to be challenging. The tools and documentation are not easy to come by.

 

[misterbill]

I have found old wright tools to be challenging. The tools and documentation are not easy to come by.

What he said!

 

[jabberwoki]

Chevy oil pan screw socket

I thought that was a hammer?

 

[d42jeep]

I don't have enough Wright tools to merit a box, honestly, but that's funny. This isn't a space/place issue, though, but one of organization. I store most things by brand. Some by type. Apparently the Wright are somewhere in the neitherworld.

I have found a simple solution regarding what to do with any Wright tools that I run across. I just put them in the mail headed to misterbill. Problem solved!
-Don

 

[misterbill]

I have found a simple solution regarding what to do with any Wright tools that I run across. I just put them in the mail headed to misterbill. Problem solved!
-Don

And I gratefully put them in a Kennedy box!

 

[d42jeep]

They do hold some stuff.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ does that box look familiar?

(still kicking myself for clipping the original padlock and chain off the thing... I have to confess complete ignorance on that one.)

 

[d42jeep]

I found this crusty example at a sale this morning. It’s a wartime 1-1/4“ 1/2” drive wartime socket made in 1944.
As found
Knocked some of the crust off of it
misterbill can finish cleaning it up.
-Don

 

[3baygarage]

These are far from vintage as you know, but they’re way cool so thought I’d post them here. I threw a low bid down with little hope and somehow wound up with them.

An anti-sparking 1/4 ratchet and 3/8 breaker bar. Complete with some green tarnish here and there.

 

[misterbill]

Some early wrenches - from the top a BW4 DBE, P3 DOE, and P1 DOE.





Bill

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Very nice

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

Got this Wright 217 set for Christmas, but it had no ratchet. If anyone has one they want part with in a trade, please PM me. TIA.

 

[S-K Tool Fanatic!]

Forgot to mention I believe it’s a Wright 2400.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

but it had no ratchet.

Forget the ratchet! Get thyself a silver demitasse spoon, an oyster fork, and a gravy ladle, spiff it all up as shiny as the pieces in that set and you could use it as flatware to serve the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts in the ballroom!