Accles & Pollock Ferret Incomplete Set

[Darby]

Finally finished sorting and basic cataloguing some 1600 items from a large facility in Sydney and came across this incomplete set. All engraved with “G↑I” and "I.C.E". Trying to find out what "I.C.E" denotes.
Missing the small ratchet and 2 sockets (I think). 2 of the sockets don't seem to be of the set either.
Still - a nice little find. I'll have a look on the net to see if there is any chance of completing it

 

[unknownroad]

Maybe "Internal Combustion Engine", if it were an automotive tool kit from a manufacturer that also built steam or electric models? Though I'd expect an auto kit to come with some screwdrivers and tire tools as well... Just the first thing that comes to mind.

 

[lardy1]

Nice find.

 

[Darby]

Maybe it was their first petrol engine in a workshop?
“G↑I” denotes a Naval facility i.e. Garden Island in Sydney Harbour. the 'broadarrow" symbol means government property.There are several different engravings over the 1600 pieces but these are the only ones with I.C.E.

A.D.I = Australian Defence Industries

F.F.G = A frigate class built in the USA for the RAN. Oddly enough, those remaining are coming in for their last service in the near future and will then be decommissioned.

S.C.G. = Could possibly be Stategic Command Group. Submarine Chaser Group or even Sydney Coast Guard. We don't know.

One of the funny things is that some of the really large spanners don't have anything on them but a 3/16 socket will.
I'll get in contact with the Naval Historical Society.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Darby,

I was doing some research (i.e., googling) on the subject of clutch type ratchets and I ran into another Accles & Pollock set (Apollo No. 3) looking similar if not identical to yours on eBay. The box has a lid, and the lid has a very cool decal. The seller is not identifying it as Accles & Pollock, because I don't think he knows what the "-A-&-P-" in the decal signifies, and he either hasn't taken the ratchet out of the box, or he hasn't examined the marking on the ratchet.

 

[Farmer J.]

That looks like the one on ebay uk that has been showing up in my searches for some time.. it's missing the small ratchet, but it does have a nice label! The chances of finding another small ratchet for it are pretty slim.

 

[alfazer]

I've got the same set but it's missing the lid and a few sockets. I didn't know there should be a small ratchet so I guess that's missing too.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I guess you'd need the small ratchet for the smaller sockets. Until Farmer J. said that, I was assuming the thing to the left of the small sockets was an adapter for the ratchet. Where would a small ratchet go? I don't see an empty compartment.

If I were you, I would make a lid and have a sticker or water-transfer decal made out of the decal I just posted.

 

[Farmer J.]

The small ratchet goes in the other smaller slot between the sockets, like this in the pics:
I'm not totally sure but I think the long things that look like deep sockets are extension pieces.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Aha. Thanks, J.

 

[Farmer J.]

The company is still there at the same address, making high quality steel tubing.
Here's an advert from 1912 for the 'Ferret' set.

 

[Darby]

Thanks for the replies gents. Haven't been around for a few days so I've been a bit tardy.
I also originally thought that some of them were adaptors until I tied to fit them and realised that there must have been a smaller ratchet. I like the idea of the two sided ratchet - I imagine this arrangement would be less prone to breaking than the modern switch style for clockwise and anti-clockwise although I've never pulled a ratchet apart so I don't know how they actually work but I have broken a few.
If these have been around in a naval shipping yard for a 100 years or so where they would have had a hard life I guess it's not a bad idea.