BUCKEYE JACK MFG Co. Wrenches and Jacks

[leg17]

This set of six DBE wrenches are nicely forged and finished. They are oval shaped shanks with sizes ranging from 3/8 to 1”. I don’t know who actually manufactured them, but the style of the raised lettering does seem to resemble a particular era that Bonney made. Interestingly enough, Bonney ended up with a presence in Alliance, but later than the time of these wrenches.

I have about 25 of these and only five of the raised lettering version have this AD looking mark. Anyone recognize it? Manufacturer’s code?

I don’t know much about the company history of Buckeye Mfg Co. I don’t get a hit in a cursory google search and I haven’t tried much harder than that. This earlier line of jacks seems to be made of castings and stampings, rather than forgings. The Chrome Vanadium alloy is probably later than the auto jacks shown and Buckeye’s later capabilities might certainly have included forging. So…..who actually made them?????

These wrenches are found in two iterations, one with the raised lettering, and the other with the markings in depressed panels. I suspect that the raised lettering version is the earlier one. That raised style was in the pouch when I had to cough up to get it on eBay a little while back.
By the way, I have duplicates for trading as I need a 1/2 x 9/16 in the depressed panel style so I can put this baby to bed.

I have this Cadillac jack and also a Studebaker jack, both by Buckeye.
I have seen others labeled for Peerless, Packard, Flanders, and E.M.F., as well as a general line of jacks for the auto and railroad markets

 

[RTM]

So, there are at least four Buckeye Mfg, one in Anderson, Indiana, and the others in Cleveland, canton and Alliance Ohio

Buckeye Mfg and Foundry was the one in Cleveland, existed around 1918

Buckeye Jack Mfg was in Louisville & Alliance Ohio circa 1904-33 at least

Buckeye Mfg of Canton, made electrical tools, fuse tongs and spuds (1905-16 at least)

Buckeye Mfg in Indiana existed around 1905-22, and made wagon jacks, engines, boring machines, plow coulters (whatever they are) etc. and canopies.

Might want to be VERY precise, with "buckeye jack mfg" as your search term, or "buckeye jack manufacturing" and associated choices. And look in google books for time correct references. Worthpoint etc might get you clues, keywords to add, etc.

 

[woody 73]

Very interesting set of wrenches you have there, very interesting indeed.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Nice, Leg. I see them at flea markets from time to time, always orphans. Cool that you have a set in the original marked bag.

 

[leg17]

.....I have this Cadillac jack and also a Studebaker jack, both by Buckeye.
I have seen others labeled for Peerless, Packard, Flanders, and E.M.F., as well as a general line of jacks for the auto and railroad markets

I also recently have seen Lincoln and Ford branded Buckeye jacks.

 

[MShaw]

A coulter is the single disc like from a disc harrow that cuts the ground ahead of a plow. As my college professor said " something for your gee whiz file of useless information with which to amaze your friends"

 

[DadsTools]

I have a 13/16 x 7/8 DBE with the raised lettering. Don't think it has that odd AD logo on it, but it has the Chrome Vanadium Steel and the size markings. You think maybe 1930s on those wrenches?

 

[leg17]

A coulter is the single disc like from a disc harrow that cuts the ground ahead of a plow. As my college professor said " something for your gee whiz file of useless information with which to amaze your friends"

Far out man

 

[leg17]

I have a 13/16 x 7/8 DBE with the raised lettering. Don't think it has that odd AD logo on it, but it has the Chrome Vanadium Steel and the size markings. You think maybe 1930s on those wrenches?

That would seem to be a real good guess.
They are nicely proportioned as others from the 30's.
Looks like chrome vanadium started showing up in the 1920's.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Snagged this '...like Beckham' Buckeye at the flea market this morning, Leg. It's 11-16" x 5-8". I've got another one in my catch-all WARP ROOM #77 bin, so, not much of a collection with two. The other one is in the correct shape, though.

When I saw this one from afar I was thinking cylinder head torque adapter, but it was kinda long for that, and when I saw the end that would be on top for those was not a drive opening, but one of the double hex openings, I was surprised. They took the 45* offset in the shank out on the 5-8" end by bending that straight, then they bent the angle of the head attached to the shank to 90*. Like a crowsfoot, perhaps, I guess. CHROME VANADIUM STEEL marking. Hyphenated fraction size insets. Cadmium finish.

 

[leg17]

That would be them.
A candidate for the 'chopped' thread.
As I mentioned in that thread: "you had to be there"

 

[Private Lugnutz]

As I mentioned in that thread: "you had to be there"

Yup. As a veteran of the U.S. Army, I am very familiar with the concept of what we called "field expedience," in which all manner of things were cannibalized, mangled, and abused out of necessity. I'll just say, as I implied in that thread, that I have a less tolerant definition of 'need' in civilization. I can live with being considered overly judgmental about that. Mea culpa. Guilty as charged. But let's leave those worms in the can. I just wish it was a second DBE in original factory shape to go with my other one. I'd try to bend it back, but I'm afraid it would split.

 

[leg17]

...... I'd try to bend it back, but I'm afraid it would split.

Never get it just right. Oh well. Keep looking.
Which one do already have?

 

[wrenchguy]

Buckeye Mfg in Indiana existed around 1905-22, and made plow coulters (whatever they are).

Its a rolling disc knife fastened to turning plow beam, slicing vegetation and inch of soil prior to the share slicing in for the serious depth. Coulters were a bolt on option, not always used.

Your a good searcher!
never mind, i thought this was a recent post on your part.

 

[Ricky Joe]

Snagged this '...like Beckham' Buckeye at the flea market this morning, Leg. It's 11-16" x 5-8". I've got another one in my catch-all WARP ROOM #77 bin, so, not much of a collection with two. The other one is in the correct shape, though.

When I saw this one from afar I was thinking cylinder head torque adapter, but it was kinda long for that, and when I saw the end that would be on top for those was not a drive opening, but one of the double hex openings, I was surprised. They took the 45* offset in the shank out on the 5-8" end by bending that straight, then they bent the angle of the head attached to the shank to 90*. Like a crowsfoot, perhaps, I guess. CHROME VANADIUM STEEL marking. Hyphenated fraction size insets. Cadmium finish.

Could very well be a “torque adapter “, kind of. Old Buicks had 5/8” head bolts in the 1930s, and few people in those days used torque wrenches for anything. The factory wrenches were not even able to be used with a torque wrench. They were advertised as being able to be used from the same side of the engine. This would reach the inaccessible bolts if you didn’t mind switching sides. Probably would use a bar g to though the other side to get leverage.

I still enjoy modifying wrenches to fit. Unlike most, I modify good wrenches. Most recent modification occurred on a 1930s “Perfection” DBE. I have Snap-On, Proto, Plomb, Tru-Fit, Williams, others. If I need it once, i might again, and might as well have quality! Chinese tools in the box give me physical pain.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Which one do already have?

The 1" x 15-16". Here they are together. Bigfoot and clubfoot.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Well, I finally found another Buckeye wrench in the wild. It's the 11/16 x 5/8. Only four (4) more to go! At this rate I'll have a whole set by [checks calendar... does some math...] 2036. Shown with big bro.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Just the way my luck goes, I found a pair of BUCKEYE DBE's at the flea this morning and neither of them were duplicates sizes of the two BUCKEYE DBE's I already have in my collection (posted right above this post earlier this year) - but, they're not the same style! Those have branding, composition, and size inset panels, these don't.

 

[leg17]

Solid examples of both known iterations.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Solid examples of both known iterations.

Thanks, leg. Since I am onesy-twosying it from the wild, and likely never to complete sets of both variants, and all four are different sizes, I may just put them together and be content with a mixed pedigree set.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Ran into this trio at the flea market this morning. I already had the two smaller ones in this style, found last October (see post #18), but I wasn't going to ask him to break up the set or an Abe Lincoln for just the 1 x 15/16 wrench.

 

[leg17]

Very cool.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Well, I added a fourth BUCKEYE long pattern double offset DBE to the trio shown just two posts up, found at the flea this morning. It's afflicted with box rot, but finders can't be choosers. All you other onesy-twosy collectors in this hobby out there will recognize the simultaneous feeling of elation - in knowing it was a size (5/8" x 11/16") I did not have - accompanied by the slight let-down in remembering that the Chrome Vanadium Steel series I have going was the smooth shank style, not the little panels.