Help me identify these ratchets

[white91formula]

Inherited a bunch of stuff from my great grandfather. Was looking through it all and would like to know more about some of them.

I plan to restore/refurbish some of them. Some of them I dont think are worth anything.

First is a Craftsman 1/2" breaker bar. No numbers on it other than a V in the hand and what either appears to be a 8, B or R cast into the handle. Can anyone give me a date it was made ?

Started cleaning it up with some scotch brite and WD40... off to the CLR and then maybe buffer next

Second is a set of Wright 4400 and 4300 1/2" and 3/8" ratchets. Decent shape other than the handles being ****. I am thinking a new set of handles and cleanup and they are good. Any way to tell how old they are ?

Third is the Snap on 3/8" breaker bar.

Here are the rest. Dont know much about them or if they are any good or not. Anyone recognize the 1/2" flex head ratchet ? worth fixing up ?

What is the best way of polishing these up ?

 

[RCStocker]

I don't think you need to be told what they are. Several look like they are made in Japan but they are well built.
2 of them look like the old ones made for Wards but other brands made them

I never pay more than $3 for a 1/2" beaker bar unless it is a truck brand or SK

I sell the ratchets in my store for about $5 each sometimes less. I put tools like that in a box with a fixed low price just to move them. I would not put any new works in the ratchets unless I could get the parts for free.

 

[dandan111]

I like those wright ratchets. I would try to find some nice handles maybe some craftsman screwdriver handles and epoxy them on?
The husky would be a good travel ratchet and the snap on and craftsman are nice. That flex head and Stanley I wouldn't want using real estate in my tool box but they were grandpas so that's your call!

 

[white91formula]

I like those wright ratchets. I would try to find some nice handles maybe some craftsman screwdriver handles and epoxy them on?
The husky would be a good travel ratchet and the snap on and craftsman are nice. That flex head and Stanley I wouldn't want using real estate in my tool box but they were grandpas so that's your call!

The flex head, husky and stanley most likely will be disgarded.

I would like to restore the snappy, cfsman and wrights. Not looking to sell or do anything with those. Still would like to know dates on them.

 

[Flatintoone]

Judging by the "D" and the "E" on the Wright ratchets, I'd say 1964 and 1965, respectively.

http://home.comcast.net/~alloy-artifacts/wright-tool-forge.html

 

[byoungblood]

Here is a guide to the Wright date codes.

http://home.comcast.net/~alloy-artifacts/wright-tool-forge.html

The D on the 1/2" 4400 would have been made in 1964. I have a Wright 3500 that is still marked "64" which suggests that Wright kept marking tools with two digit dates a little longer than Alloy Artifacts suggests.

 

[white91formula]

Thanks guys,

Anyone have any insight on the date of the craftsman ?

 

[03protege]

Thanks guys,

Anyone have any insight on the date of the craftsman ?

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=84807

I really like that Cman Breaker bar, looks solid.

 

[woody 73]

The craftsman V code were made by Moore Drop Forging but the dates have slipped my mind maybe at the end of WWII around 1945 or maybe later, I still bought them in the 70's. Somewhere there is a nice chart for all the dates in a GJ post.

 

[white91formula]

The craftsman V code were made by Moore Drop Forging but the dates have slipped my mind maybe at the end of WWII around 1945 or maybe later, I still bought them in the 70's. Somewhere there is a nice chart for all the dates in a GJ post.

So I should be using the V for the date code...

V = Moore Drop Forge, ca. 1946 - 1967

what is that 8,B or R in the front of the handle signify ?

 

[lbgradwell]

what is that 8,B or R in the front of the handle signify ?

They're just forge markings. If there is a significance, it is not known.

 

[woody 73]

There you have it sometime between 1946 up to 1967, I must have bought a ton of their tools in the early 70's thinking back it must have been new old stock tools.

 

[andywander]

...off to the clr and then maybe buffer next...

clr?

 

[NiteWolf]

clr?

CLR= Calcium, Lime, Rust

http://www.jelmar.com/CLRbath.htm

 

[duke5572]

I have a 3/8 long handled flex head ratchet that looks a lot like your 1/2 incher.

No markings on mine. I've always assumed it was Chinese/definitely not USA.

Mine resides in my road box with all the other miscellaneous foreign stuff. Definitely not an every day tool, and not worth cleaning up beyond making sure it works. The mechanism on my 3/8 is "loose" and not reliable for any kind of torque---it'll slip teeth. The tighten/loosen switch is plastic and difficult to use with greasy fingers.

 

[air]

I have one of those Wright 'Tootsie Roll' handled ratchets in 3/8. I love that thing. I also have the same Stanley ratchet in my junk box