Vintage MAC wrench set find

[ScreechAwl]

I picked these up last week at an estate sale. Apparently they are an early 11pc wrench set from MAC. The original leatherette roll says, "Mechanics Tool and Forge Co. Sabina, Ohio" but it is crumbling away to dust. The wrenches had patchy rust spots, but even after cleaning with Evapo-Rust, they still have a mottled appearance. Is this due to them being hand-forged instead of drop-forged? Also, are hand-forged tools really stronger than drop-forged?

 

[DD T/A]

That mottled appearance you speak of is fairly prevalent in my older Mac tools and its kinda neat. Just reminds me of times when the tool industry was truly Function>Form.

Today everything MUST look pretty. And if it does a good job too, woo-hoo(said in an unenthusiastic tone).





(Maybe this is why I really prefer to use old beat up crusty tools; maybe I'm just poor)

 

[Snaparxon]

I passed on a set like that last weekend for $10 that was missing 4 or 5 wrenches. Lucky to find a complete set.

 

[Username already in use]

Nice set! The leatherette roll seems to be in great shape. Much better than the roll of DOEs that I found. Twertsy has the same roll of combos. Both his and my set are posted in the Mexhanics Tool and Forge thread. You should post your fine set over there as well.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=278029

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Lucky to find complete set. I have seen some onesie twosies . Pretty rare.

 

[Packard V8]

I doubt MAC was hand-forging wrenches. Drop forging has been around since the steam age.

jack vines

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I think hand forging was their big thing on the early stuff

 

[Snaparxon]

Was MAC making their own wrenches then or was Vanadium Tool CO making them for MAC?

 

[Oldtuleguy]

My understanding was the mechanics tool and forge arm of mac made the early ones. They sure look hand forged. The shape of the open end reminds me of cornwell and wright stuff. I took a look at the vanadium tool company on aa, and they resemble those as well.

 

[ScreechAwl]

I passed on a set like that last weekend for $10 that was missing 4 or 5 wrenches. Lucky to find a complete set.

These cost $10. But the 7/8 was missing. Found it across the room on another workbench full of drill bits and such. It was marked $1, so I raised a complaint with somebody from the estate company. They removed the $1 sticker on the one wrench and I got the full set.

 

[ScreechAwl]

Nice set! The leatherette roll seems to be in great shape. Much better than the roll of DOEs that I found.

It really isn't. Pieces keep falling off every time I move it. Part of me want to toss it in the trash. It's crumbling badly. The roll is the worst thing about this set.

 

[ScreechAwl]

My understanding was the mechanics tool and forge arm of mac made the early ones. They sure look hand forged. The shape of the open end reminds me of cornwell and wright stuff. I took a look at the vanadium tool company on aa, and they resemble those as well.

There was supposed to be a rumor that Mechanics Tool was founded by former Cornwell employees. It hasn't been proven true yet...

 

[Oldtuleguy]

It would not surprise me if ex employees from cornwell (also big on hand forging) were involved.

 

[Packard V8]

From Alloy Artifacts.

One of the hallmarks of MAC's early production was the use of hand forging, a process by which steel is shaped by repeated blows of a power hammer under relatively low heat. This contrasts with drop-forging, in which a red-hot billet of steel is forced into a die with a single blow of a drop hammer. Advocates of hand forging maintain that the repeated blows and lower temperature are better at refining the steel grain structure, resulting in stronger tools.

One of the best known proponents of hand forging was Cornwell Quality Tools, a company in Mogadore, Ohio in operation since 1919. Some early MAC tools closely resemble Cornwell tools in design and construction, suggesting that MAC was strongly influenced by the earlier company.

The hand forging process was from the 'teens - '20s. It's doubtful it continued much beyond that period. Does anyone have a reference as to when it was phased out?

jack vines

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Mechanics tool and forge started in 38, mac alliance in 45, so it was at least used by them at that time.

 

[1badbird]

I just seen 4 or 5 of these a week ago at an auction, didn't buy them because it wasn't a complete set. Very cool wrenches tho.