Kit Wrenches, Auto Kit and others

[Private Lugnutz]

It's been badly mangled. That end is supposed to be a 1/4" open end with a 1/4" square tap opening just behind it. If you search Ronson in this thread or just scroll up to post #183, you'll see what I mean.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

No that's jiggered up

 

[LesserSon]

Ah-ha! I didn’t recognize what it was supposed to look like. Thanks, gents.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

No gents just me! I'm more of a caveman....

You will notice the bottom one is a bottle opener, a screwdriver and an alligator wrench!

 

[Outlawmws]

What, is Lugs Rodney Dangerfield now?

It's been badly mangled. That end is supposed to be a 1/4" open end with a 1/4" square tap opening just behind it. If you search Ronson in this thread or just scroll up to post #183, you'll see what I mean.

No gents just me! I'm more of a caveman....

You will notice the bottom one is a bottle opener, a screwdriver and an alligator wrench!

 

[Oldtuleguy]

My bad! Did not see lugz post. I would certainly never presume to cast dispersions!

 

[four.cycle]

it's a weak point on that particular wrench - I've seen lots of them cracked/broken on Ebay. trying to find a replacement can be something of a challenge.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I snatched this MALLORY (never heard of it) out of a toolbox today and saw some others (unmarked), so I grabbed them, too, but they do not belong together. These are pot metal junk drawer wrenches.

 

[Outlawmws]

I can't imagine the Mallory of race ignition systems fame having those...

 

[d42jeep]

Found this online. They’ve been around for a while.
-Don

ABOUT MALLORY​

Mallory Electric of Toledo, Ohio was incorporated on Friday, February 13, 1925. Mallory Electric manufactured its products at 1742 Nicholas uilding, Toledo, Ohio. Its founder, Marion Mallory, Sr., moved the company to 12416 Cloverdale Avenue, Detroit, Michigan in August of 1935. This initial move from Toledo to Detroit was made due to the company’s enormous growth in the early thirties and the need to be closer to the Ford Motor Company. Marion Mallory Sr. had established ties with his close friend Henry Ford, and together they designed the ignition system for the 1932 Ford V8. Ford Motor Company placed an order with Mallory for one million distributors for its new V8. Mallory supplied much of the “original-equipment” ignition components for Ford through 1948. Even today, Mallory continues to build performance ignition products for Ford Motor Company vehicles. By the late 1960’s the Detroit plant had become too small and “Boots” Mallory began moving his father’s company to Carson City, Nevada in 1969. Ten of the Mallory Electric Company’s nearly one hundred personnel and their families moved from Michigan to Nevada to help the company get re-established. Within a short period of time, the entire company was located at what was then 1801 Oregon Street, Carson City, NV Marion Mallory, Sr. was born on April 4, 1893 in Nevada, Missouri. He has held hundreds of patents in the automotive field since 1916. He first held patents under his own name, and then used the name “Mallory Research Company”. After 1925, all of his patents were under the name Mallory Electric Corporation. Mallory has patents on items such as electrical systems, shock absorbers, internal combustion engines, ignition coils, ignition timers, ignition systems, governors, air inlet devices, carburetors, and even children’s toy race tracks to name a few. Mallory’s specialty was ignitions and fuel timing systems but he also invented a breakerless magneto and improved distributors and coils. His patents are held in several countries, including the United States, Canada, Great Britain, France and Germany. Many of the patents have been licensed to other manufacturers. For many years, Marion Mallory, Sr. was second only to Thomas Edison in patent holdings. Mallory has always been involved in the development and sponsorship of auto racing. The Mallory ignition system first won the Pikes Peak Hill Climb on a Stutz in 1926. The Socony Expedition chose Mallory ignitions for their trek to Moose Factory (the second oldest town in Canada 16 degrees from the Arctic Circle) where no vehicle had ever gone before. Mallory was particularly active in the 1930's at Indianapolis. Wilbur Shaw finished second, driving No.17, the “Mallory Special”, at the Indianapolis Speedway in 1933 with a top speed of 100 M.P.H., equipped with a regular Mallory distributor and D.S.M. coil. Mallory continued to set records at “The Brickyard” for many years, including winning more than 16 consecutive races between 1961 and 1983. For years, Mallory has also been involved in other types of motorsports, including drag racing, sprint car racing and NASCAR. For more than 20 years, the Mallory “SUPER-MAG” ignitions won nearly every N.H.R.A. event in Top Fuel Dragsters and Funny Cars. Mallory provided trackside technical support for its products from its 53-foot racing services trailer. This support vehicle and the involvement of our technicians have helped to keep Mallory, Inc. abreast of all the changes and developments in the industry. Customer service and innovation have always driven Mallory to success.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I can't imagine the Mallory of race ignition systems fame having those...

I didn't even think about that.

Found this online.

Thanks, Don. I wish I had the Stutz Bearcat with the Mallory ignition system in it that won the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in 1926!

 

[d42jeep]

I can’t remember where I parked the Stutz Bearcat. I know it’s around here somewhere.




Oh yeah, right next to the Stanley Steamer.

-Don

 

[four.cycle]

interesting find on that Mallory wrench. is the center hole a re-threader? 5/16" 3/8" ?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Interesting find on that Mallory wrench.

Thanks. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than shrewd. The name when I grabbed it meant nothing to me.

Is the center hole a re-threader? 5/16" 3/8" ?

Yup.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I know it’s around here somewhere.

Snerk. Whose garage is that?

 

[four.cycle]

The name when I grabbed it meant nothing to me.

Because you weren't in the parts business or into automotive racing. Mallory was and still is a big name in automotive performance.
We sold their "dual point" distributors at our Tillicum store, and I stocked replacement points sets, condensers, rotors, and caps for them in Niehoff. (The Niehoff caps, unfortunately, were black, not "Mallory red".)
I'm curious as to why they would stamp out an open-end/rethreader wrench. That's got to go back to when they were building magnetos for Ford. What other possible explanation makes sense, considering the openings are 1/2" and 9/16"? That sure as hell wasn't designed to adjust the timing on later distributors.

Interesting find. First time I've seen any tool with the "Mallory" name on it.

(Then of course there was George Mallory (1886-1924), the man who, when asked why he wanted to climb Everest, said "Because it's there,"
which (among the hiking and climbing community) is all the reason we'll ever need. )

 

[d42jeep]

You probably remember that I mentioned my High School buddy that was restoring a WW2 British bike when you were having your Dispatch bike worked on. He has a very nice collection in Contra Costa county. His neighbor across the street purchased an old Chevy dealership that houses an incredible collection of vintage cars.
-Don
My buddy’s shop.
The collection across the street. I’ve been able to tour it a couple of times.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

World class.

 

[four.cycle]

wow!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I found my second "[FRANKLIN]" kit this morning (the one on the bottom in Pics 1 & 2). As I surmised the first time, I am intuiting that the "C.R." in the branding has to stand for Cold Rolled steel. This set is missing a wrench, the smallest one (13/32" x 5/16"), which I would be tempted to pilfer from the first set, if not for the fact that the coppery ("RUST-PROOFED") finish has been worn off and would offend my sensibilities. So I will be keeping an eye out for an orphan. And if one does not present itself before my patience runs out, maybe I will copper plate it myself.

 

[four.cycle]

I was hoping YOU would know!

Franklin is another one that's been puzzling me for years. I've got three "Franklin" listings (four if you count the private-label files):

Franklin / Franklin Metal & Rubber Co., Hatboro, PA / plumbing wrenches /

Franklin / Franklin Specialty Co., 8th & Cherry St., Reading, PA / hammers /

Franklin / Franklin Tool & Wrench Co., Portland, ME /

Franklin / Franklin brand files possibly house brand for Supplee-Biddle Hardware Co. (pers. comm. M.S. 12/15/21) / see 1927 Supplee-Biddle catalog pp 143 /

The only one that makes sense is the Franklin Tool & Wrench Co. of Portland, Maine, but I have zero information on the company.

I know there was a "Franklin" automobile, but that seems too far a stretch. (Why would a car builder copper plate a stamped wrench?)

Still back at square one.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I know there was a "Franklin" automobile, but that seems too far a stretch. (Why would a car builder copper plate a stamped wrench?)

That's the answer I am pulling for!

 

[four.cycle]

I'm way off track here, but:
It would appear that "Franklin Specialty" was forging hammers. That's all I've got on that one.

.... and the reason I do not own a set of "Franklin" wrenches is that I've never found a complete set listed online where all the pieces were all plated.

(after looking at that set of ebay photos again it appears there's a double on the 9/16 x 5/8 unit)

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I pulled this E. Edelmann & Co kit wrench out of an old homemade tool box this morning at the flea. I may have a few other orphans. I'll have to see. I liked the rule on the shank regardless.

 

[four.cycle]

^ new to me.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I posted an E. Edelmann & Co flaring kit, one of my favorites in my collection, on the Reefer thread. I didn't know they made wrenches. Maybe it's related to gas or something like that and somebody drilled a hole in it.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I didn't know they made wrenches.

I take that back! @leg17 posted a wonderful set of tappet wrenches in their original pouch on my Tappet wrench thread.

And 4.c just sent me this photo. I don't know if they're his or not. But it proves the kit.

 

[four.cycle]

^ Sorry - I was really immersed in something else last night when those came up and I didn't want to walk all over the thread with a mess of ebay images. Edelmann isn't part of my collection - I just harvested the photo images for reference.

Edelmann apparently made several iterations of small "kits" with different names, as well as the "No. 3" tappet wrench set.

Edelmann / E. Edelmann & Co., 2638 No. Crawford Ave., Chicago, IL / "E.E.", "Han-D", "Sextet", "Sexto-Rench" / "Four-in-One" / http://toolarchives.com/index.php/node/126 /

These are snips from early catalogs. Unfortunately documentation on early Edelmann seems to be in short supply.


1920 Kelley-How-Thomson Co. catalog pp 403 Edelmann "Han-D" six-piece SAE wrench set

1924 Schafer Co. catalog pp 433 - Edelmann "Han-D" six-piece SAE wrench set


1921 C.M. McClung & Co. catalog pp 962 - Edelman "Sextet" six-piece SAE wrench set


1927 Belknap Hardware & Mfg. Co. catalog pp 2724 - Edelmann "Sexto" SAE six-piece wrench set

 

[RTM]

Here is a set of Auto-Kit No 100 wrenches picked up early in the month at the big Alameda NAS Antique flea market. Saw them sitting on a table, set up correctly. Figured I'd ask a price. When they were will below my expectations, they went home with me. Was surprised I didn't have to scramble to find all the pieces for the price. And it has the screw and nut.

No Pat Pend, no serif font, so guessing it is a later version.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

No Pat Pend, no serif font, so guessing it is a later version.

They DO have the serif font (dubbed "Typewriter" by AA), RTM. It's the sans serif font that is later. Also, they have date codes. What are they?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Conversely, I found a partial (missing the 1/2 Box x 9/16" Open, and the pin and nut) Auto-Kit No. 100 "Batman" set at the flea this morning that is later. All the markings on top and flip sides are sans serif font and, if you look closely at the second smallest wrench in the kit (the 7/16 Box x 1/2 Open, see Pic 4), it is actually CONTROLLED STEEL (vs FORGED VANADIUM STEEL) composition. The date codes (see Pic 5) are 5, 5, 6, and 6 on the VANADIUM wrenches, and 8 on the CONTROLLED STEEL. A little wonky in the sense that I don't think of JPD as going back to Vanadium after the war, but I suppose it's a set issued with wrenches made in 1945, 1946 and 1948.

 

[RTM]

They DO have the serif font (dubbed "Typewriter" by AA), RTM. It's the sans serif font that is later. Also, they have date codes. What are they?

Oops, ***** mode was apparently on that day. Serif v Sans Serif used to be easy, part of the day job....

Smallest to largest looks like

E31 Or E3.1
A11
Z5? or Z.5 or Z.3
Z10.0
Z.2.1
B.11.0

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Looks like your kit is from 1940/1941 production.

 

[RTM]

Was just reading AA on date codes, and was sort of guessing that, tho the 9/16 might be a '43 If its Z.3?

 

[Tostal]

. Some references to the meaning of Continental

Here's an example of a 'continental made imitation' made afaik in the 1980's (I don't know if I'd describe it as 'inferior' though, might not be my 1st choice to use but better than nothing in an emergency...)


~T.

 

[d42jeep]

I found a rusty little Crown wrench like some posted upthread.
-Don

 

[four.cycle]

^ that "Crown" branded wrench is one I've never been able to pin down the OEM on.

 

[LesserSon]

for decisive Ronson fans:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1654285580...CCzUo9GQ4O&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[four.cycle]

^ watch out on the one with the square hole punched out at the end - they break there. that one looks sketchy.

 

[LesserSon]

Picked this up yesterday, cleaned it up today. I looked for others in the vendors dozen trays of rust, to no avail. I’m not actually trying to put together a set.