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Hi all, last year, my Dad hauled the old Wilton Shop King out of storage in his basement. We didn’t know what had happened to it after their recent move. I don’t think I had seen it in six years. This vice was my Great-Grandfather’s, and when he went into the “old folks” home sometimes in the...

Yeah I think it RKRA380 for the 3/8” drive but you should double check that. Question: if these V ratchets are made “for the military”, how come they are not marked govt property and how do they end up in random tool boxes at yard sales or in tool lots on eBay from private sellers? Can...

When I was a teenager some 30 years ago, I started forging one of my great granddads old tappet wrenches into a knife. I never got around to finishing the blade or heat treating it, but I have dug it out of storage and I plan on carrying through with it someday soon.

Thank you for this informative and detailed write-up. In addition to wondering about war-time tools (which your post addresses) I also have some more recent (say 60’s-80’s) broken socket wrenches (older Japanese brands or Husky) with knurled handles that would also make nice all-metal utility...

What kind of heat treatment would Snap-On have done on their old M and F series ratchets, say the ones used in the 40’s-50’s? Anyone know what specific type of steel it was? Sometimes I’ve seen old tools that cannot be saved, even if a “rebuild” kit may be available. For instance, a screw...

I agree that SC’s methods could be considered invasive by some, as he does appear to love his small belt sander and flap disks. However, I can’t think of any video where he has gone over the top with a resto that mangled an otherwise useful or collectible tool. Some of the projects he tackles...

I have a similar set, model #66273, 3” clamps, but they are not marked Malleable, and they have 75mm also printed on them. Made in the USA, but I don’t know how old they are. It seems like the ones with the metric measurements and no malleable are probably from the 90’s if memory serves me...

Maybe a few dabs of JB Weld in the crevices will do. Technically not a permanent fix, but not a structural alteration of the original part either.

Hi I’m working on basic maintenance of a 71N with a wobbly on/off switch. The square and round sections of the switch seem to be in good shape but there is tons of play where the brass meets the square shaft. Seems that the shaft is n/s and the switch is brass, I was wondering if using a little...

That copper plated one is super sweet. I would love to have mine sent off for a thick copper plating, is that a service anyone offers? If cadmium is deadly I’m wondering if these tools should even be used at all. Can’t it leech through sweat pores when you are wrenching with it? I don’t think I...

I’ve heard phosphate was also common during the war years but, I’m not sure I could tell the differences in photos I’ve seen. I thought cadmium was used in the earlier wrenches, along with nickel or chrome. Is there any safe way to clean any of the war-era finishes other than just wiping them off?

Interesting. So it seems G date code M-70-M wrenches didn’t list the patent numbers. What is this finish called and was it typically used on all G code wrenches of this type? Is there a way to tell?

That’s the best image I could get of the mark on my wrench. It’s wierd because I could see how it’s a G, but it also doesn’t look like many of the other G code stamps I’ve seen.

Is there a way to know for sure what finish was used on G code tools, as opposed to other pre-War years? This site has been helpful but there is a lot of conflicting information out there on Snap On items. Thanks.

So does the G date code mean it was only made for the Military? I’m getting conflicted information about warranties. Why would a 1945 Snap On not be warranty covered if it wasn’t made for the military?

Hi I’m new to vintage tool collecting and I bought my first Snap On wrench on eBay last week. I believe it’s a G code but it’s hard to make out the full letter. It’s a Midget M-70-M with no patent numbers on it and Phillips screws in the back side. I’ve read a lot about the finishes on these...