Spreading the Bonney affliction!

Private Lugnutz · Jul 1, 2018

Probably just some kind of unknown forge code. (Or a very early date code! "V" would actually fit for 1915, but they usually came in pairs for the months, and it's not thought that they started date coding that early. The company was still known as Bonney Vise & Tool Works when your wrench was made, not Bonney Tool & Forge. That's how old that is.) It sure looks like the largest (No. K) of the machinery wrenches to me. I have no idea if they were marking model numbers that early. Probably not. I was just curious what that was. The wrench sure looks like it is made from malleable iron from here. When you tap it with a small jeweler's hammer, does it give off a dull thud (iron) or ring (steel)?

Private Lugnutz · Jul 1, 2018

HeelSpur said:
Never heard of Bonner Tools before. Picked these up today,

Nice finds on those S wrenches, HeelSpur. I've only seen the Bonner pipe wrench.

Mikeske · Jul 2, 2018

I seen John Deere wrenches before that were made by Bonney and I passed on a set at a pawn shop but the other day I saw a Bonney made 1/2" ratchet on eBay with make a offer. My offer of $20.00 including shipping was accepted so now I have a John Deere 1/2" ratchet TY3523 made by Bonney.

DonglordActual · Jul 6, 2018

Here's a first post. Sorry about the poor lighting and dirt. The AS-150 is missing almost the entire needle and the clicking mechanism (which I will get to in a second) so it is eventually going to become a decoration for some part of the workshop.

The AS-150 Sensory Release Signalling Torque Wrench. (AP-150 shown but they're functionally the same now because the AS-150 in later pictures is broken)

It is a beam wrench that clicks using Sturtevant's 1944 patent as marked on the back. Unfortunately, the device that makes these click is gone and was attached to the wrenches via a thumb screw in the big empty hole in the middle. I can't seem to find one that isn't broken/incomplete on the internet. Maybe the mechanism was prone to failure and people threw it away? (SEE FINAL PICTURE)

The AP-150 is a similar wrench without a hole for the trigger finger and trigger mechanism responsible for making it click. It and also has a cheaper plastic handle instead of a metal one. The torque values are also not white numbers on a black background. This makes it harder to read at a glance.

bonneyman · Jul 7, 2018

Mikeske said:
I seen John Deere wrenches before that were made by Bonney and I passed on a set at a pawn shop but the other day I saw a Bonney made 1/2" ratchet on eBay with make a offer. My offer of $20.00 including shipping was accepted so now I have a John Deere 1/2" ratchet TY3523 made by Bonney.

Nice. I have a NOS 1/2"er but it's way too bulky and heavy on the gear head end for me to use it daily. 1/4"er is fine, 3/8"er I could live with, but the 1/2"er is just too big. When I need a 1/2"er I pull out my Thorsen open gear. :yikes:

Mikeske · Jul 8, 2018

bonneyman said:
Nice. I have a NOS 1/2"er but it's way too bulky and heavy on the gear head end for me to use it daily. 1/4"er is fine, 3/8"er I could live with, but the 1/2"er is just too big. When I need a 1/2"er I pull out my Thorsen open gear.

I pull my Snap-on ratchets out for most work. I just collect interesting Bonney and Bonney off shoots. The John Deere Bonney ratchet likely will hardly ever get used as I have Snap-on ratchets from a 1/4" to 3/4" and duplicates of the Snap-on ratchets.

I had bought the Snap-on ratchets in the early to mid 1980's and used them ever since. Really the only thing I ever bought Snap-on was the ratchets and ratcheting screwdrivers. Everything else I prefer my Bonney sockets and wrenches over Snap-on.

bonneyman · Jul 8, 2018

Mikeske said:
I pull my Snap-on ratchets out for most work. I just collect interesting Bonney and Bonney off shoots. The John Deere Bonney ratchet likely will hardly ever get used as I have Snap-on ratchets from a 1/4" to 3/4" and duplicates of the Snap-on ratchets.

I had bought the Snap-on ratchets in the early to mid 1980's and used them ever since. Really the only thing I ever bought Snap-on was the ratchets and ratcheting screwdrivers. Everything else I prefer my Bonney sockets and wrenches over Snap-on.

We could be long lost brothers! :lol_hitti

I'm a Bonney man, but I never really liked their ratchets. I put together a NOS set just for the collection. When I need a ratchet for use I usually grab an S-K or a Thorsen.

Mikeske · Jul 9, 2018

The ratchet heads are rather large and the action is not as smooth as it could be on Bonney ratchets until you take the head apart and clean it with brake cleaner then after all nice and clean go and get some disc brake grease and put a like coat on the internals and on the inside of the ratchet then reassemble the ratchet. It really improves the action and the back drag is almost glass smooth. I experimented trying different greases and such and found the disc brake grease really works the best on Bonney ratchets.

I still prefer the Snap-on but the Bonney ratchets can be made to operate much smoother.

Username already in use · Jul 10, 2018

A few Bonney additions from last weekend.
1/2" drive A-702K ratchet, 9/16" combo, 3/4" drive 1-3/4" socket, 6in adjustable and 1/2" drive 916" socket.

bonneyman · Jul 10, 2018

Username already in use said:
A few Bonney additions from last weekend.
1/2" drive A-702K ratchet, 9/16" combo, 3/4" drive 1-3/4" socket, 6in adjustable and 1/2" drive 916" socket.

The combo wrench looks like a satin finish 5-digit, so the chipped chrome ain't gonna hurt much, especially on the OE. And I don't see any Bonney adjustables in my area. Nice finds.
How much did you pay for the lot?

Username already in use · Jul 10, 2018

bonneyman said:
The combo wrench looks like a satin finish 5-digit, so the chipped chrome ain't gonna hurt much, especially on the OE. And I don't see any Bonney adjustables in my area. Nice finds.
How much did you pay for the lot?

Thanks. I did pretty good on the Bonney price wise. I think I only gave about maybe $10 total. Most of that was the adjustable at $4, you just don't see many of those.

bonneyman · Jul 10, 2018

Username already in use said:
Thanks. I did pretty good on the Bonney price wise. I think I only gave about maybe $10 total. Most of that was the adjustable at $4, you just don't see many of those.

Hey, that's a fair price. The ratchet is a solid user, though a bit "clunky" in my book. Mikes lubing advice sounds like something to try for that.

Private Lugnutz · Jul 11, 2018

This is an old odd little Bon{B}ney B-Shield critter and it's had a hard life, too! Someone did some profile grinding on the largest head and also on the faces of both heads, but the strange thing is the ISN/model number. Whether that's a "23A" or a grinding-obscured "723A", neither one matches the opening sizes or the S.A.E nut sizes Bonney stamped on the faces. I mic'd the openings. A wrench with milled openings of 5/8" (for 7/16" S.A.E. nuts, as marked) and 1/2" (for 5/16" S.A.E. nuts, as marked) is a "726".

bonneyman · Jul 11, 2018

Private Lugnutz said:
This is an old odd little Bon{B}ney B-Shield critter and it's had a hard life, too! Someone did some profile grinding on the largest head and also on the faces of both heads, but the strange thing is the ISN/model number. Whether that's a "23A" or a grinding-obscured "723A", neither one matches the opening sizes or the S.A.E nut sizes Bonney stamped on the faces. I mic'd the openings. A wrench with milled openings of 5/8" (for 7/16" S.A.E. nuts, as marked) and 1/2" (for 5/16" S.A.E. nuts, as marked) is a "726".

Maybe I'll need some profile grinding in my later years to be kept useful! :lol_hitti

Hopefully I'll be looking as good as that wrench.

d42jeep · Jul 12, 2018

Private Lugnutz said:
This is an old odd little Bon{B}ney B-Shield critter and it's had a hard life, too! Someone did some profile grinding on the largest head and also on the faces of both heads, but the strange thing is the ISN/model number. Whether that's a "23A" or a grinding-obscured "723A", neither one matches the opening sizes or the S.A.E nut sizes Bonney stamped on the faces. I mic'd the openings. A wrench with milled openings of 5/8" (for 7/16" S.A.E. nuts, as marked) and 1/2" (for 5/16" S.A.E. nuts, as marked) is a "726".

I saw a picture of that wrench in the dictionary under the word clunky! That thing makes my early Dunlap and Barcalo wrenches look svelte.
-Don

Mikeske · Jul 12, 2018

I went pawn shopping today and hit three of the pawn shops in my area and the first one had old SAE 1" Triangle era open box wrench. The poor thing was battered from box end to open end and had rust and the guy wanted $24.99 for it, needless to say it still at the pawn shop.

Shelbylex · Jul 12, 2018

Got some Bonney sockets from prior tool pick ups. however, this is the first complete set I got during the last sale.

Private Lugnutz · Jul 12, 2018

I picked this up today. I am 100% convinced the decal (1930's and 1940's Bonney logo) is original, over original paint. Strangely, though, this style of flip-top box, issued in massive quantities in WWII, is not included in any 1930's, 1940's, or early 1950's Bonney catalogs. This box was made by Union Steel Chest Corp., in Leroy, NY. It looks just like the boes they made for WWII GMTK's, and has the dimensions of a WWII GMTK box, but it has a deeper tote tray that sits deeper in the compartment, with a different socket tray layout, and no hole for the upright spout of a spring-bottom oiler. I cannot wait to get my Bonney tools stowed inside of it - mystery or not!

LesserSon · Jul 13, 2018

Lugz, that is begging for 585-series DOEs! A real beauty.

bonneyman · Jul 14, 2018

Shelbylex said:
Got some Bonney sockets from prior tool pick ups. however, this is the first complete set I got during the last sale.

Nice find! Now all you need is a 3/8" torque wrench gear assembly and you can make yourself a 3/8" head in 1/4" body ratchet. :lol_hitti

bonneyman · Jul 14, 2018

Private Lugnutz said:
I picked this up today. I am 100% convinced the decal (1930's and 1940's Bonney logo) is original, over original paint. Strangely, though, this style of flip-top box, issued in massive quantities in WWII, is not included in any 1930's, 1940's, or early 1950's Bonney catalogs. This box was made by Union Steel Chest Corp., in Leroy, NY. It looks just like the boes they made for WWII GMTK's, and has the dimensions of a WWII GMTK box, but it has a deeper tote tray that sits deeper in the compartment, with a different socket tray layout, and no hole for the upright spout of a spring-bottom oiler. I cannot wait to get my Bonney tools stowed inside of it - mystery or not!

Very nice find, Lugz!

The logo indeed has the original look to it, but it's not centered between the square dimples. Could it be the owner put the Bonney sticker on himself at some point (being you can't find it in any of the Bonney catalogs)?

Private Lugnutz · Jul 14, 2018

That's one of the leading theories we were kicking around on another forum and also came up on the GJ toolboxes thread here, Bonneyman.

Moose373 · Jul 14, 2018

I have a Bonney hand ratchet but it will. Not hold its setting. When I put pressure the tool. Can't hold the stting and slips. Us there a place to have them fixed?

bonneyman · Jul 14, 2018

Moose373 said:
I have a Bonney hand ratchet but it will. Not hold its setting. When I put pressure the tool. Can't hold the stting and slips. Us there a place to have them fixed?

Since Bonney is long since out of business there's no official warranty available. Though one of us might be able to do something for you. Can you post a pic of the ratchet in question?

LesserSon · Jul 14, 2018

bonneyman said:
Very nice find, Lugz!

The logo indeed has the original look to it, but it's not centered between the square dimples. Could it be the owner put the Bonney sticker on himself at some point (being you can't find it in any of the Bonney catalogs)?

Hmmm...I suspect you guys are over-thinking this, and maybe over-applying the “they don’t make ‘em like they used to” mantra.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/283052102981
This same-era decal isn’t perfectly centered, either. Rather than invent non-investigable tales requiring the existence of owner-applicable Bonney decals (where are the ones that got jammed onto drawers instead of getting applied?), can’t we apply Occam’s razor, and interpret that the assembly-line worker slapped the decal on with just enough precision to get it on the lid, because in those days tolerances on decal centrality were not held as critical as those of the functional components, like hinges and hasps?

Private Lugnutz · Jul 14, 2018

Point very well taken, LesserSon - and I have saved your example for posterity (and use every time I meet skepticism!) :lol:

Seriously, not only is that HD set decal not centered on the handle, it's not centered front to back either! BTW, I didn't say I ascribed to the theory, only that it seemed to be the one several people have pointed to!

THANKS!

LesserSon · Jul 15, 2018

A little Bonney came home with me today, after 6857 miles of highway recreation. I’d been eyeing the Zenel 1/2dr ratchet for a while. It has a very clunky action, and was priced higher than I really wanted to pay, but it’s ZENEL, man.
The LR24 pouch with this Bonney logo shows up illustrated in catalogs in the 50s/60s, but the Outline-style of H-series wrenches don’t. Illustrations still show Zenel wrenches, even when the printed description says Bonaloy. My guess is, there is a lag in catalog illustrations, and this partial N20R set is from early 60s. Unexpectedly, the H10 & H12 that were in it have “Made in USA” stamped on them, instead of “USA” that the Zenel types acquired in the late 40s. I already had a very similar H16, which has the expected “USA”.

bonneyman · Jul 16, 2018

ZENEL tools do have an appeal due to their vintage look.

LesserSon · Jul 17, 2018

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/183323463127
Just saw this. Sadly, beyond my current means. What a beauty, though.
I think it’s an MB76 from the early 1950s.

bonneyman · Jul 17, 2018

LesserSon said:
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/183323463127
Just saw this. Sadly, beyond my current means. What a beauty, though.

Nice. I've got the means but not the need. :lol_hitti

P.S. Someone placed a bid on it. Not me!

Mikeske · Jul 17, 2018

I had a Bonney roller and a top box made by Waterloo made in 1983. I retired last year and bought some better toolboxes as the originals were totally wore out. I did grab the Bonney emblem off the old toolbox and transplanted it onto the new Harbor Freight 44” toolbox that is dedicated to my Bonney tools.

Private Lugnutz · Jul 18, 2018

LesserSon said:
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/183323463127I think it’s an MB76 from the early 1950s.

Agreed. My red 40's flip top would look fantastic on top of that with the lid closed! :lol:

I have to say I almost spit out a gulp of coffee all over my keyboard when I saw the ad though. "Item location: Palmerton, PA". That's my hometown, born and raised. About 18 miles from the old Bonney plant. My brother and I and a couple of friends made that trip in reverse one night. It was the only gear working. 2AM. Drunk off our ***. Not a cop in sight.

Mikeske · Jul 18, 2018

Oh how I like the Habitat for Humanity store. 7/8 X 13/16" double box end 2809C for 40 cents. Also found a 5/8" Snap-on deep socket for 25 cents. Cannot got wrong for those prices.

rickhigginshtbr · Jul 19, 2018

Private Lugnutz said:
Agreed. My red 40's flip top would look fantastic on top of that with the lid closed!

I have to say I almost spit out a gulp of coffee all over my keyboard when I saw the ad though. "Item location: Palmerton, PA". That's my hometown, born and raised. About 18 miles from the old Bonney plant. My brother and I and a couple of friends made that trip in reverse one night. It was the only gear working. 2AM. Drunk off our ***. Not a cop in sight.

Right? I've had CL searches going for 3-4 years from Scranton to DC looking for one.

Mikeske · Jul 19, 2018

Antique store today and it was a RF23 refrigeration wrench.

bonneyman · Jul 20, 2018

Mikeske said:
Antique store today and it was a RF23 refrigeration wrench.

Great, durable, and simple design. Waterwheel gear, with easily field-fixed ratchet pin and spring. :thumbup:

LesserSon · Jul 20, 2018

Bonney and related from today’s single stop. The advertising 12” rule/level is from a company a few blocks southeast from Bonney. Looks 1950s to me. Also spotted but didn’t buy a F18 socket and a Bonaloy 1027 DOE.

Bill Ramsey · Jul 22, 2018

Recent Bonney finds.

E30 7/16x1/2 ignition wrench D.T
E1820 9/16x5/8 DOE wrench J.N
1167 7/8 Bonaloy combo L.X
1170 1 Bonaloy combo A.X

Love the Bonaloy combos. They are substantial yet graceful.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

DD T/A · Jul 22, 2018

Found a very nice condition 1114 7/16" combo Long wrench.

RagTopTA · Jul 22, 2018

Got this box over the weekend at a garage sale! Its going to hold my Bonney sockets and stuff. I think I can fill it up!

Spreading the Bonney affliction!

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