Question for the "Across the Pond" crew.

[That Man's Mustache]

Wasn't sure if I should have dusted off the old British tool thread or start my own. If it needs moved, so be it. In the meantime, I have a thing for the small hex-socket sets. I've got a couple of complete Indestros and many loose sockets. Came across this at an estate sale and couldn't pass it up.

With my limited Google-Fu, E. A. Radnall produced motorcycles. Would this be part of a tool kit? I haven't found where these tools were sold separately.

All marked with Whitworth and BSF, except for the last little one which is marked BA.

However, the broaching is atrocious. What gives?

Any info would be appreciated. Cheers!

 

[2oolhound]

I've seen lobster claw wrenches before but if there is such a thing as lobster claw sockets, those are them.

Once you get down to 1/8th whitworth*@#$it switches over to BA (British Association) for the small sizes that start a BA 0 and get progressively smaller, BA 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8.

As you can see the whitworth size is always one size small than the BSF size of the same dimension i.e.: 5/16W = 3/8BSF.

Cool old box. I think a lot of these hex dr kits were made for motorcycle tool kits. I haven't seen that name before but it looks old.

 

[Dave455]

Well that's a relic, and I must admit another make I havn't encountered before!

There were a lot of firms making tools like this in the few years either side of the war! You could fix just about anything on a bike with about 4 sizes!

I still find things like this useful - I leave a set by some of my machines for adjusting tool posts and stops! The broaching doesn't look too bad to me. The Hex's are nice and crisp, and even inside it's average for the period! Cheaper tools today wouldn't even be broached!

BSW (Whitworth) only used the larger headed bolts up till the war! From the war onwards, BSW bolts have the same size hex's as BSF. (Hence Snap On, quite correctly, only mark their wrenches 'BS') The only exceptions being 1/8 BSW, which uses a 4 BA hex (1/8 BSF being non existent) and 3/16, which uses 2 BA (1/8 being rare).

If you find 2BA and 4BA sockets in a BSW/BSF set, it's an indication the set is post war! Sadly, you can't tell by the socket markings, as most manufacturers continue to dual mark the sockets to this day, despite the fact that the large hex BSW havn't been standard for 75 years!!