Vintage Williams 36'' Wrench -What is it?

[johnsplace]

Hi All,

I have this vintage (1940's or so) Williams open end wrench. It's friggin massive, like 36 inches long. Definitely a two-hander! It's stamped 57B. Its from my stepdad's shop...he was a navy man and a tractor mechanic. I'd ask him about it but he passed away recently.

Does anyone know what what it was made for? I've never seen one like this before?

Thanks

 

[4x4renotaco]

Only wrenches I've seen that were that big were inside the housing of a drag line! Heavy equipment I guess.

 

[davesnothere]

Im pretty sure that was made to keep children in line.

 

[JSBriggs]

Was your dad a Navy Snipe? Im guessing that ended up in his sea bag as a souvenir.

-Jeff

 

[lbgradwell]

You will find the milled openings on that monster to be 3" x 3-3/8".

57B is the size under the old Industry Standard system...

 

[Shocker]

I have seen wrenches similar to this selling locally for 40-50 bucks. Not Williams but other US brands (Proto).

Not alot of guys scrambling to find a wrench like that, but it sure is cool.

 

[johnsplace]

Cool, thanks, that nailed it! It's a pretty amazing piece and I'm glad I understand it better, now.

 

[toolmaven]

I know this is a semi-old thread. Williams made standard carbon steel open end wrenches from No. 721 which was 5/16" x 3/8" to No. 64A, which was 5" x 5-3/8" @ 118 lb. They also made single enders, the first attached picture is of a 5-3/8" single. The other is of me holding a 7-5/8" single, the biggest standard size, back then @ 149 lb. These are museum pieces now, and neither, sadly is in my collection! But, I got to hold 'em! They must have been beasts to use. I've seen the likes of these on a tool board, ready for use, when I toured a TVA dam a few years ago.

 

[oldldh]

You must've had REALLY BIG Nuts!!!

and...

Bolts...

 

[toolmaven]

FYI, the first picture was taken at Joseph Fazzio in Glasboro, NJ. The 5-3/8" wrench has since been sold. Fazzio has monster tools like this for sale all the time, but it is surplus so it is totally hit or miss finding what you need. Every toolish guy needs to go there at least once.

The bigger one is (still) in Altoona, PA at Surplus City, and has a little one welded to the other side. I think it might have been from a Williams display at a trade show - who knows when - but it isn't for sale. Altoona is also home to the Juniata locomotive shops, formerly of the Pennsylvania RR. That gives another theory of how it got there.

I once bought a big old box-end wrench from ebay. It was listed as 1-5/8" x 1-3/4" that, however turned out to be bolt size, not across the flats, so when I got the old Hinsdale monster it was actually 2-9/16" x 2-3/4". Now the kicker. It isn't steel. It is a non-sparking tool, made, I believe of manganese bronze (which unlike modern non sparking BeCu and NiAl bronze, is moderately magnetic). I'd hate to price a non-spark wrench that size today. Since it isn't BeCu, and safe to buff with ordinary precautions, I'll probably polish it for a wall hanger some day.

 

[3baygarage]

Great pictures toolmaven. Williams was the go to company for those single end industrial wrenches. I'm always impressed with the huge stuff they made. I've seen a good number of single end wrenches locally at maybe 3"-4+" size but nothing that big that I recall.

The thread with pics of the tool board at that visitor center was great.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=224171&highlight=williams+visitor+center

 

[madison069]

Altoona, PA

That's not far from me!

Might have to see if they are open on a weekend.

 

[tall_will]

I know this is a semi-old thread. Williams made standard carbon steel open end wrenches from No. 721 which was 5/16" x 3/8" to No. 64A, which was 5" x 5-3/8" @ 118 lb. They also made single enders, the first attached picture is of a 5-3/8" single. The other is of me holding a 7-5/8" single, the biggest standard size, back then @ 149 lb. These are museum pieces now, and neither, sadly is in my collection! But, I got to hold 'em! They must have been beasts to use. I've seen the likes of these on a tool board, ready for use, when I toured a TVA dam a few years ago.

Mother of Pearl! One can only imagine how ripped the guys that had to use those wrenches must have been.
Well, I guess, more likely it would have been multiple worker hoisting those things.