Fairmount Tools

[MisterEd]

Do you know in when Fairmount marked their tools with just "FTF CLEVE"?

 

[MisterEd]

It's prewar, Jock. Fairmount did provide an 11" Auto Wrench to Willys MB jeep kits during WWII, but it didn't have a "CLEVE." marking. None of their wartime tools did. They also provided a 16 oz ball-pein hammer, 6" combination slip-joint pliers, and the DOE wrenches (731-A, 28-S, 27-C, 25, and 723) to Willys. I'll have to dig out some of my photos. For now, I'll bump you with these pliers, 6" and 8" combination slip-joints, which I think are also probably immediate prewar with that triangle-FTF (Fairmount Tool and Forge) logo.

As I tried to ask last night . . . Any idea when Fairmount used only "FTF CLEVE" on their tools?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Any idea when Fairmount used only "FTF CLEVE" on their tools?

I've never seen that marking. By "FTF", are you referring to the logo (the initials in a triangle) as seen on the pliers I have posted upthread? Or literally "FTF"? The "CLEVE." marking is generally considered prewar. A photo of the tool might help.

 

[MisterEd]

I've never seen that marking. By "FTF", are you referring to the logo (the initials in a triangle) as seen on the pliers I have posted upthread? Or literally "FTF"? The "CLEVE." marking is generally considered prewar. A photo of the tool might help.

Figured pictures would help so took these while photographing a PLOMB 3070-S. Been a good day for old wrenches.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Same era as the bulky wrenches marked FAIRMOUNT CLEVE. I think the shank is just too small for the die with the full name. Probably 30s.

 

[MisterEd]

Same era as the bulky wrenches marked FAIRMOUNT CLEVE. I think the shank is just too small for the die with the full name. Probably 30s.

I appreciate the perspective. I guess size matters, though the Plomb 3070-S is 18 inches long and the ID is tiny and only 3.5 inches long.

 

[Leviton]

Figured pictures would help so took these while photographing a PLOMB 3070-S. Been a good day for old wrenches.

Roughly, what are the opening sizes on your wrench? Just trying to gauge size. None of my Fairmounts have an "FTF" on them. Always good to see something different.

 

[MisterEd]

Roughly, what are the opening sizes on your wrench? Just trying to gauge size. None of my Fairmounts have an "FTF" on them. Always good to see something different.

The caliper says it's 1/2 x 5/8.

I only know enough about old wrenches to be dangerous to myself, but it seems that unmarked wrenches were often items in a set. Irrespective of its place in the Fairmount history it's a pleasant tool to handle which is probably why my Significant Other picked it up.

 

[Provincial]

Adding a link to Mr.X thread about his Fairmount Body Tool Board:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=444930&highlight=fairmount

 

[Provincial]

Friday I found some Fairmount body dollies.

The light, flat spoon is a number 1036.

The heavy spoon is a number 1050

The curved dolly does not have any markings, and could have come from any manufacturer. There were only these three at the sale, so I suspect the curved dolly was part of the set.

 

[Shiftless]

Here’s one I picked up at an estate sale a few weeks ago.

It’s a number 735 measuring 1 1/8 inches.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Picked up this 16 oz. WWII jeep kit hammer at the flea this morning.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

That's a nice one. Can you tell if that is the original handle?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I'm not positive, mainly because I didn't keep any kind of database of the eyes on the previous FAIRMOUNT hammers I have found and no longer have. But it's certainly possible. Here it is between a 4-oz. and 32-oz. FAIRMOUNT I still have (see Pic 1). The wedge is a little longer and narrower than the wedge in the the 4- and 32-ozers, but it shows some similarities, and it's not as dissimilar as seeing an 'S' shaped wedge, or two wedges, etc. I do have another FAIRMOUNT hammer (see Pic 2) also 16 ozs, but it's not jeep spec, having a so-called "toolbox pattern" (extra short) handle. It has a much different wedge (see Pic 3), but I don't know if it's original.

 

[d42jeep]

I’ll try to get a top view of these hammers tomorrow.
-Don

 

[Private Lugnutz]

That'll work. It's really just a curiosity thing now that Otg asked, because that handle ain't going anywhere. Even if it's not original, it's an old rehang, not modern, and I love the chestnut color. I prefer darker handles to lighter ones.

 

[Provincial]

I found another Fairmount DOE today. It looks like the number "25" was stamped in one face. It has 1/2 and 19/32 openings, and has raised letters forged into the shank that say "CHROMALLOY" on one side and "FAIRALLOY" on the other side. One cheek has "Fairmount made in U.S.A." stamped into it. It has the remains of chrome plating, which I find unusual for Fairmount tools.

 

[Modern Garage]

I found this one a few days ago in a box I've been ignoring for a while. I know nothing about it except it came from an auction quite some time ago.
I think this is my only Fairmount tool.
Joe

 

[Provincial]

I like the script! That wrench made the diemakers work hard, it has so much forged in!

 

[Modern Garage]

I love the script too, like the script on "Barcalloy" wrenches. It just grabs you because it seems a little out of place on a wrench.
Joe

 

[d42jeep]

That'll work. It's really just a curiosity thing now that Otg asked, because that handle ain't going anywhere. Even if it's not original, it's an old rehang, not modern, and I love the chestnut color. I prefer darker handles to lighter ones.

I finally got around to getting them out of my MVMTS. I think that the 4oz handle isn’t original.
-Don

 

[MR.X]

So I stumbled onto this 1st edition of Fairmounts 90 pg. 140 Illustration body work guide for virtually nothing. The cover is detached but the brochure that was inside is super clean and even has instructions on ordering the aforementioned"new instruction manual" "The Key to Metal Bumping"..........$ .25 Each postpaid.

 

[RTM]

Here is my only Fairmount tool, a double 15/16" DOE, but with an interesting offset head, which caused me to pick it up in the first place.

Scored it back in June, and it finally made it through cleanup and is now in the drawer with all my other wrenches.

 

[NYBODYMAN]

So I stumbled onto this 1st edition of Fairmounts 90 pg. 140 Illustration body work guide for virtually nothing. The cover is detached but the brochure that was inside is super clean and even has instructions on ordering the aforementioned"new instruction manual" "The Key to Metal Bumping"..........$ .25 Each postpaid.

If you ever want to let this go let me know. This is awesome.

 

[ZRX61]

I finally got around to getting them out of my MVMTS. I think that the 4oz handle isn’t original.
-Don

I have a 20 & a 4oz.

 

[MisterEd]

My Significant Other was compelled once more to pick-up some "FAIRMOUNT CLEVE." wrenches and one 731A. The trip gave us dirty hands and also netted a walk on the beach, later. Guess it might be true that you can never have too many or enough old, dirty wrenches!

 

[lardy1]

This cleaned up fairly well.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I snagged these 8" combination slip-joints (see Pic 1) at the flea this morning. They cleaned up well (see Pic 2). Not sure on the OEM. Maybe in-house. Maybe JPD. EDIT: Scratch that. The jaws and the die lines (not shown) on the smooth grips kinda sorta match up with the other example of Fairmount 8" combination slip-joints I have in a dull potentially cadmium finish with the fancy FTF logo and gull wing style handles (see Pic 4) that was clearly made by Vlchek. And you see that little "A" there on the shoulder in Pic 2? There's a different forge mark (. . 3) but in the exact same location on the pair that were made by Vlchek (see Pic 4)(diemaker's signature tell right there1), so I am leaning Vlchek.

 

[Leviton]

There was some discussion about "FTF" markings above. This weekend I picked up the first one I've seen (in person) with an FTF marking, and the first I've seen anywhere with a "Co." attached to the end.

It has a 12-inch overall length, and a 9/16" hex opening. There are a few traces of black paint on the interior parts of the handle.

 

[d42jeep]

I don’t hang onto them but a picked a couple up recently for a Fairmount collector friend in TN.
-Don

 

[NYBODYMAN]

Found these in a load of tools I grabbed yesterday.

 

[d42jeep]

I put a new handle on this 8oz Fairmount head today.
-Don

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Some flare wrenches, couple of them marked martin

 

[4xdog]

There was a Pierce Arrow tool roll a while back, a canvas roll full of Fairmont wrenches and so on with a nifty red-orange half-painted design. I have the pix downloaded someplace, but I'll bet @Private Lugnutz or one of our other correspondents can remind us of what thread where they were originally shown.

The aesthetics of the red-orange on black tools was quite appealing.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Awesome set. You re-posted them in a Pierce-Arrow thread, here, scroll down to post #30, from their original, older thread, here.

After I work with @NUTTSGT to fix the Sticky Index problem I recently encountered (post limit of 30,000 characters), I will add it to the Sticky.

 

[RTM]

Here is a new addition to the Fairmount family. It was part of my mystery bag from HJE, a Spark plug socket, and crossbar, that were covered in Cosmoline, but also look slighlty used, like someone used a big pair of channel locks on them.

 

[PowderKeg]

Fairmount ratchets, 4 different sources - New Britain, Wright, Thorsen, & Proto/Pendleton. No triple plays (yet...).

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I found this 7-pc angle wrench set at the flea market yesterday.



As I was saying on the GS thread, I would've bought it if it was empty, just for the sweet logo.



The set is not exactly as show-worthy.

It's complete in the sense that it goes from No. 3710 (3/8") to No. 3716 (3/4"), but the wrenches are a curious mix of several production eras, with an orphan MAC thrown in. The orphan MAC is not too surprising, not conspicuous, and kinda cool and instructional, when you consider the small Ohio-based regionality of the only mfgrs who made these style wrenches - skinny shank, one obstruction angle, hex throat, which included Cornwell, MAC, Vanadium Tool Co, Fairmount, and much later, the company that took over for Fairmount when they hit the import wall, the conglomeration era, and finally ran out of gas.

One look at the photos below, where I have assembled them top to bottom, in descending order, for closer viewing of all the markings top and flip side at once, will show you what I mean.

- The 3716 (3/4") and 3714 (5/8") wrenches are from the same production line with that elaborate size, model, branding mark on the top side and nothing on the flip side.
- The 3712 (1/2") and 3710 (3/8") wrenches are from the same production line, and they are the oldest. Much more primitive brand and model on the top side, sizes on the flip side. Not chromed. Almost certainly 1940's and very possibly wartime (although I have never seen a Fairmount angle wrench in any manuals, etc).
- The 3713 is from the same production era as the 3712 and 3710, but it is chromed, so probably a little later in the 40's.
- The 3715 (11/16") is the odd duck. Chromed, just the brand on the top side, with the model number and sizes on the flip side.

So it will end up being a patient project where I hope to go from this to a matching set. If that ends up being all later (like the 3714 and 3716) I wouldn't mind, because that probably matches the pouch best. My preference would be an older set, despite the later pouch.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Stoked that a friend of mine with a 1955 Fairmount catalog found the set for me. It helps with a number of things. The wrenches with the more elaborate markings on the top side and nothing on the flip side (3714 and 3716) are show in the catalog, and are therefore later, as I suspected. That helps lend credence to my theory that the wrenches with the more primitive construction, more primitive markings, and natural finish (3710 and 3712) are early and probably wartime. And the others probably in between. My pouch has a different color scheme than described, but the same model number (C-70).

 

[Jazz1]

I have a Fairmont screw driver