Peck Stowe and Wilcox

[Private Lugnutz]

Now tell me is the Stow, the same stow of the Liberty Bell, can't be can it?

If you mean the same family, not just the same last name, I don't know. I suppose it's possible.

The "STOW" in "PASS AND STOW" on the bell refers to John Stow, and he and John Pass operated a Philadelphia area foundry. (Not to get too nerdy, but just in case you don't know, the first bell came from England, ironically. It cracked on the first toll. But that's not the famous crack. It was smelted down by Pass & Stow, but they used too much copper in its recasting and the sound of the ringing was off. It was smelted down again. Believe it or not, another bell was ordered and delivered from the same foundry in England, but it sounded even worse. So they used the second Pass & Stow bell. The famous crack happened much later.)

The "Stow" in Peck, Stow, and Wilcox refers to Solomon Stow, of S. Stow Manufacturing Co., in Plantsville, Conn., and before that, S. Stow & Sons, formed in 1847, which merged with Roys & Wilcox, East Berlin, Conn., and Peck, Smith Mfg in Southington, Conn.

To make a connection, you'd have to trace and connect John Stow of Philadelphia, Pa., in the 1750's with Solomon Stow of Plantsville, Conn., in the mid 1800's.

 

[d42jeep]

I found a Pexto ball peen hammer head with a broken handle stub at a Stateline, NV estate sale on Friday. I drilled out and removed the stub, saving the metal wedge. I’ll be installing a new handle on it shortly.
-Don

 

[Outlawmws]

I just found this thread after looking to see if we had a PEXTO therad - and sure enough...!


I added to my PEXTO collection today, with a Driver - IIR Lugz has a smaller #2?

I have a carry box full of other PEXTO and P. S. & W tools, but I won't be digging that box out anytime soon...

 

[d42jeep]

I found a Pexto ball peen hammer head with a broken handle stub at a Stateline, NV estate sale on Friday. I drilled out and removed the stub, saving the metal wedge. I’ll be installing a new handle on it shortly.
-Don

Nice screwdriver, Outlaw. I have one of those somewhere.
I put a handle on the Pexto ball peen head today.
-Don

 

[StillTooManyHobbies]

Hello. I am cleaning up my Pexto 14 pipe wrench. The handle was black, and will be repainted, but what about the rest of it? Was it natural/unfinished? If so, it will get a coat of satin clear or maybe BLO. TIA.

 

[Outlawmws]

Likely bare metal -

Suggestion - Step away from the Media/Bead/Sand blaster, and use Evaporust or an Etank or the like, the blasters change the natural metal patina

 

[d42jeep]

I agree. Generally the business ends of Stillson wrenches are unpainted and the handles often are painted. I have never felt the need to repaint a pipe wrench. Evaporust or Electrolysis is the best way to remove rust followed by some Fluid Film. Here are some Barcalo and Plomb Stillson wrenches.
-Don

 

[StillTooManyHobbies]

Thanks for the info. I will keep the evaporust in mind for the next one.

 

[StillTooManyHobbies]

Here it is all cleaned up. Not a lot of patina, but ok nonetheless.

 

[crguy]

Likely bare metal -

Suggestion - Step away from the Media/Bead/Sand blaster, and use Evaporust or an Etank or the like, the blasters change the natural metal patina

So does Evaporust, or an E tank.

 

[Outlawmws]

Nothing like abrasives do.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I picked up this "Star" brand No. 2-1/2" carriage maker's clamp yesterday, joining my Nos. 4 and 5, all of them flea market finds. What was just one, then a pair, is now a "small collection", with only the Nos. 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 12 to go. I'm not in a hurry. Not knowing whether I will run into another one or not is what will make running into another so much more fun. Hopefully, a few of them will still have their swivel heads! If not, they're coming home to the Basement of Misfit Tools anyway.

 

[Outlawmws]

Green with Envy Lugz! I have yet to find even one, of these!

 

[LesserSon]

Congratulations, Lugz. I didn’t know/remember there was a 2-1/2”er! I haven’t seen one, that’s for sure.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks, guys.

I know you have that gorgeous No. 6-1/2 1885 Shaw Patent rotatable anvil jobbie upthread, LS. Very similar, but slightly older and almost inconceivably even more ornate in shape than the "Star" models. I just find it intriguing that between us we have examples of a major transition in their carriage makers' clamps. In just a few short years they integrated the Whitney patents - D18,376 (Jun 5, 1888) for the frame, 385,983 (Jul 10, 1888) for the screw, and 388,007 (Aug 14, 1888) for the batwing nut that is pinned onto the screw. Odd that they would drop that 6-1/2" size though.

That catalog cut is from the 1910. I don't see any older catalogs on IA/ITCL.

 

[leg17]

See Post #68

 

[Private Lugnutz]

See Post #68

Spectacular collection, Leg! And I see that LS posted an unbranded "Star" No. 4 and No. 7 on the same page in post #56.

Anyone know of other sizes?

See catalog excerpt in Post #72.

Am I correct in seeing that you only need the No. 12?!

 

[leg17]

Am I correct in seeing that you only need the No. 12?!

Yes the 12 is the only one I don't have.

 

[LesserSon]

Here’s the current situation for me.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Dang. Nice and waxy, too. I got some catchin' up to do!

 

[Leviton]

Here’s the current situation for me.

Impressive collection. What did you do to clean and make them waxy?

 

[LesserSon]

I think there is more-than-usual glint on them in that photo, because it was taken in a dark room with a flash. But to answer…
They are maleable steel. I usually negotiate a decent price because they are bent to hell. I put them in a vise and lever them back as straight as I can.
Here’s what I do to virtually all the plain steel tools I collect:
I scrape chunky rust off with a screwdriver or putty knife. I put them on a fine wire wheel under light pressure, and buff off the chalky red rust. I leave as much black oxide as possible, as it creates a slightly porous surface for coatings to cling to. If I was too aggressive, I let them sit around a day or so to allow areas of naked, raw steel to darken a bit in the air.
One of the advantages of never finding these with their screw pads is the screw backs all the way out, so I use a battery brush to clean out the female threads.
THEN, on a morning with warm dry air predicted, I mix a small batch of 50/50 Boiled Linseed Oil / odorless mineral spirits (shaken, not stirred). I used to thin BLO with turpentine, but now I get a poison-ivy-like rash from it. For one tool, a teaspoon would be plenty. I usually do multiple tools in a session, so maybe a quarter cup for a tray of tools. I apply it with a toothbrush and immediately wipe down with paper towels, ONE TOOL AT A TIME. It is ESSENTIAL to remove as much as possible quickly (especially around the screw) to avoid a perpetually gummy mess. I bake it in full summer sun all day. I have a wood fence and a wood bench outdoors, so any excess BLO gets spread on them. I also use it to maintain wooden handles on tools, including long-handled yard tools. It is less essential to bake wood, as it actually absorbs the oil, but if I want to use it soon, I do put it in the sun for a few hours.
That is usually enough to get the look I want. If not, a second day in the sun. (In winter, I lay them on hot water radiators for a week.) If they were to be handled a lot, I would do a second thinned BLO & bake process after a week, on contact areas, avoiding threads.
I am sure paste wax, fluidfilm, or whatever favorite concoction that contains a naturally polymerizing lipid would work. I like BLO.

 

[Outlawmws]

I hate you all Cause you all ****

 

[Leviton]

I think there is more-than-usual glint on them in that photo, because it was taken in a dark room with a flash. But to answer…
They are maleable steel. I usually negotiate a decent price because they are bent to hell. I put them in a vise and lever them back as straight as I can.
Here’s what I do to virtually all the plain steel tools I collect:
I scrape chunky rust off with a screwdriver or putty knife. I put them on a fine wire wheel under light pressure, and buff off the chalky red rust. I leave as much black oxide as possible, as it creates a slightly porous surface for coatings to cling to. If I was too aggressive, I let them sit around a day or so to allow areas of naked, raw steel to darken a bit in the air.
One of the advantages of never finding these with their screw pads is the screw backs all the way out, so I use a battery brush to clean out the female threads.
THEN, on a morning with warm dry air predicted, I mix a small batch of 50/50 Boiled Linseed Oil / odorless mineral spirits (shaken, not stirred). I used to thin BLO with turpentine, but now I get a poison-ivy-like rash from it. For one tool, a teaspoon would be plenty. I usually do multiple tools in a session, so maybe a quarter cup for a tray of tools. I apply it with a toothbrush and immediately wipe down with paper towels, ONE TOOL AT A TIME. It is ESSENTIAL to remove as much as possible quickly (especially around the screw) to avoid a perpetually gummy mess. I bake it in full summer sun all day. I have a wood fence and a wood bench outdoors, so any excess BLO gets spread on them. I also use it to maintain wooden handles on tools, including long-handled yard tools. It is less essential to bake wood, as it actually absorbs the oil, but if I want to use it soon, I do put it in the sun for a few hours.
That is usually enough to get the look I want. If not, a second day in the sun. (In winter, I lay them on hot water radiators for a week.) If they were to be handled a lot, I would do a second thinned BLO & bake process after a week, on contact areas, avoiding threads.
I am sure paste wax, fluidfilm, or whatever favorite concoction that contains a naturally polymerizing lipid would work. I like BLO.

Thank you for the detailed explanation. It is much appreciated.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Saw this radio set languishing on ebay

 

[Outlawmws]

Ohhhh! Nice find!

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Thanks outlaw I can't resist stuff like that!

 

[bmwrd0]

I almost bought that one, but other things have come up. I am glad someone here picked it up.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I ignored it for a couple weeks but it kept haunting me...

 

[AreBeeBee]

Can anyone advise regarding the age of these two PEXTO 18-inch pipe wrenches? They are a local ReStore buy; one has gone through the Evapo and then been wire-wheeled. The other is as-found.

I've looked through the archived Peck, Stow, and Wilcox catalogues, and at AA, hoping that the logo would offer a hint as to date of manufacture (or range). But no luck so far. My hunch, for whatever it's worth, is that PEXTO-in-the-oval is older and the plain type PEXTO is more recent, perhaps post-WW2. However it's all a guess on my part.

 

[LesserSon]

IDK about dates, but I’d suggest wire wheel first, followed by EvapoRust, if you must. You’re not saving electricity either way, but you are wasting EvapoRust doing it first. If you remove what you can reach with the wheel, then the EvapoRust only reacts with the little rust you can’t get to. Putting it in first, it reacts over the entire tool.

 

[AreBeeBee]

IDK about dates, but I’d suggest wire wheel first, followed by EvapoRust, if you must. You’re not saving electricity either way, but you are wasting EvapoRust doing it first. If you remove what you can reach with the wheel, then the EvapoRust only reacts with the little rust you can’t get to. Putting it in first, it reacts over the entire tool.

Good point — I'll follow your recommendation with the second wrench. I was kind surprised by how shiny the one came out. Scoutcrafter's a great guy, but the appearance he works toward isn't mine at all.

 

[d42jeep]

Back in 2016 I found a wood handled Pexto screwdriver in the wild. It wasn’t in great condition but they don’t come along every day. I spotted this one on eBay that was in pretty nice condition so I picked it up. Here are some pictures of the first one and the one that arrived yesterday.
-Don

 

[d42jeep]

Here is a Pexto auger bit that I picked up recently.
-Don

 

[Arne73]

Original paint intact on the handle.

 

[HeelSpur]

8" P.S.W. "Samson", Western Union Telephone Co.

DSCF4108 (2) by wvwheaties, on Flickr
DSCF4109 (2) by wvwheaties, on Flickr
DSCF4110 (2) by wvwheaties, on Flickr

 

[Fred Knox]

Just picked up this Peck Stow and Wilcox Co. 10” adjustable wrench.

 

[RTM]

Here is a new one to this thread, a 17N Heavy Combination Slip Joint pliers, Nickel Plated, as seen here in the 1920 catalog. Mine seem to have a different flare to the handles, so might be a different time. I don't see it in the 1927 catalog, or #38. (interesting, not only are they new to the thread, they (17 or 17N) are fairly rare on the internet too. so far only in the #20 catalog. A promising link to G503 brought me to some Wingnutt frozen finds, but not these. )

The text says Knurled Handles
A heavy Combination Plier with an unusual gripping power. It has both large and small Burner openings, and is fitted with a wire cutter. Handles have strong flat end grips, and Screw Driver feature. In either Gun Barrel or Nickle Plated finish as desired. 12-3/4# / doz, 10" long
Full nickel plate (the N) is $21.30/doz)

The screwdriver is a bit tweaked on mine.



But at just over 1# each, these have a really nice heft to them. When closed, the grip shape feels like you could really mash down on something much firmer than with a regular slip joint plier. Compare the grip position to a common Diamalloy slip joint plier. Really fits in my size 8 hand nicely, still ready to squeeze, not already closed.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Those are sweet! The handles look like you can get some good leverage on them

 

[d42jeep]

I found this little (6-1/2”) perfect handle monkey wrench at a local estate sale this morning. I attempted to clean off the rust and grease enough to determine the brand. After some cleaning it looked to me like S&W Co. After checking four.cycle’s list with no results, I finally checked the patent date and found that I hadn’t cleaned it well enough to see the P. After a little more rust removal it will join my other monkey wrenches.
-Don