Search results

I picked up a couple of Ford brake adjusting wrenches Sunday. Based on Private Lugnutz's saying "One of anything is just one, two is a pair, but three is a collection." I now have a collection! Since there was an in-depth discussion of these wrenches on a KRW thread, I thought that we should...

There has been much discussion about the way the handle of the Williams M-110 spinner/extension prevents using a ratchet or other drive handle when it is in the free-wheeling position. I was of a like mind until I found one and started using it. I have found that it is a well-designed and...

This chisel was in a tool chest I bought in June. All of the tools inside were older than the Korean War, and probably older than WWII. This one looks like it started life as a cold chisel, and was modified by a prior owner. The interesting thing is the markings: SENTER PORTLAND OR The...

In a large wrench buy I found a DOE wrench labelled "Superslim." The other side says "Made in England" and the sizes are marked 5/8AF and 3/4AF (meaning "across flats"), so I assume it was made for the American market. From what little shows up on the internet, there was a maker named...

Sometimes when going through a pile of items at a sale it is easy to overlook something that you would otherwise want to purchase. Here are a couple of examples, one an "accidental" purchase, the other an item that I overlooked the first two times I went trough the bin. The blue screwdriver...

I picked up another Craftsman Box Head 1/2 drive ratchet today. Comparing it to my first one, I find some differences. I did some searching, and didn't find what I'm looking for. Perhaps the information is there and my search talents are lacking! Neither example has much of a recess for the...

If you work on old cars, you have probably run into a failed switch that is held together by tabs that are bent over to clamp the insulated parts in place. Bending these tabs out straight to disassemble the switch often results in breaking off the tab, usually during the reassembly process...

I found a pair of Utica 6 inch linesman pliers Saturday. They are marked "TL-19-A" on one side, and UTICA 1950-6 on the other. They have a hole in one handle for a lanyard, and two notches in the cutting blade for stripping wire. I know that the Signal Corps had TL-13-A pliers, but haven't...

On another forum, a member is asking if anyone recognizes a couple of tools that appear to be scrapers of some sort. One is 15-3/4" long, and the other 12". Both are stamped with worn off lettering, but he can see "RR" at the end. No one has been able to identify them yet. Perhaps someone...

A friend gave this to me today. As you squeeze the handles, the two jaws grip the work and at the end, separate from one another. I put a piece of wire in it, bent into a loop, and it pulled the loop apart a little. The handle is stamped "PEERLESS TOOL CO." "LODI, CAL." and "PAT. 6-14-24" I...

I saw this old die stock in a lot of tools for sale in McMinnville, Oregon, a nearby city. It is interesting in that the company name and city are cast into the guide that centers the work in the die. It reads "Goldsmith and Lowenberg Portland ORE." I found a reference to Goldsmith and...

Here is an article about why we tend to buy/collect things that we don't need. Fortunately, it doesn't apply to collecting old tools! :evil: https://jamesclear.com/diderot-effect

Thursday night I saw an ad on Offerup for a Plomb Toolmobile for $60.00. I responded, and Friday morning the seller texted that he was available for me to come look at it. It was 30 miles away, and it was almost 11AM before I pulled in to his parking lot. I was expecting that someone else who...

I bought a Kent Moore wrench today. It is marked: KMO-326A 41-W-1495-100 FUEL AND WATER PUMP It has 1/2" 12-point openings. An internet search indicates it was made by (or for) Kent Moore for working on the fuel and water pumps on GMC (Detroit) and Gray Marine diesel engines. I believe it...

I picked up an L-wrench last week. It is marked 0Y-117-3/8 and has a 3/8" 12-point box end. It follows the pattern of special wrenches used on aircraft engines in the pre-1950 era. It has a washer attached to keep the box end from dropping down beyond the nut being tightened. I have seen...

I have had this socket for a while. It came with a bunch of stuff from a retired heavy equipment mechanic. It seems pretty complex for what it does. The small hex measures .551"/14mm, the large hex measures 1.224"/31mm, the large diameter is 1.752"/44.46mm, and the turned-down diameter is...

We often come across "Cool" maker's logos on tools. Collectible tools were made in the era when manufacturers took pride in their products, and a decorative logo was considered a desirable decoration on the tool. Here is a Zenith file I found recently.

I found this Extension/Adapter for reducing 1/2 drive female to 3/8 drive male in a bunch of stuff Saturday. The reach is extended by about 2-1/4". It is marked "VETCO mfg USA 4 1/2", has a fairly rough machined finish and perhaps cadmium plating. All this makes me think it was made for the...

I found a couple of Meteor ignition wrenches this weekend. A search on the Internet found a number of wrenches listed, but little information on the maker. I did find one photo of a red tool roll full of them, with the label: Meteor Bradley Tool & Equipment Co. 5120-091-2302 The two I found...

I'm starting this thread because the Fairmount tools are spread out in many short threads. I have posted Fairmount wrenches in the Garage Sale threads as I found them, but they would be hard to find. I found this Fairmount 9" auto wrench at a sale yesterday. I wonder if it is a WWII toolkit...