Snap-on WW2 Wright Field tools

[Ratchet.]

Picked these up recently, along with some wright field plomb tools (there is a guy on ebay selling a bunch of what seems to be surplus military tools, including a bunch of NOS war era American made stuff..)

Anyway, other then the 11/16ths F220 sockets these are marked with WF numbers, and have no 'normal' snap on part number, I have never seen that on Snap-On tools before, and I'm assuming they were similarly Wright Field contract made tools?

They are all cadmium plated, couple of them are slightly crudely stamped and made, and are also marked with the 'E' date code so 1944, interestingly they are also all old British sizes.

Wf-95 3-BA single hex socket (British associated)
wf 98 0-BA bi-hex socket (British associated)
wf 102 3/8W bi-hex socket (Whitworth),

Does anyone know anything else about these? i know Snap-on in British sizes are uncommon anyway, but i have never heard of WF code Snap-on

[For those interested, WW2 era manufactured Snap On stuff does show up here fairly regularly, presumably as was used by the US military when based here, and supplied to British army too.

after 1945 (G code) there is a gap until 1965 when they started to officially sell snap on here, so anything with a date code between '45 and '65 is rather uncommon, and probably personal imports]




Oh I also got these at a bargain price, like 99p each! seems non metric Snap-On tools have very little following in the UK, particularly if they aren't shiny chrome...

 

[snapmom]

The WF is the normal model number for 3/8 dr Snap on Whitworth socks.

 

[Ratchet.]

The WF is the normal model number for 3/8 dr Snap on Whitworth socks.

Oh thanks, little wonder i couldn't find anything about it! I guess they carried it onto BA size stuff as well to simplify things?

 

[Bruce Lancaster]

Question for the airplane nuts suggested by this...did US built Merlins retain British fasteners, or were they adapted? I'm wondering if these might have been AAF tools or if they were necessarily for British use.

 

[Farmer J.]

Question for the airplane nuts suggested by this...did US built Merlins retain British fasteners, or were they adapted? I'm wondering if these might have been AAF tools or if they were necessarily for British use.

I'm not an 'airplane nut' but may be a 'whitworth nut'...

From the 'British Fastening Systems' web page:
http://www.enginehistory.org/british_fasteners.shtml

Packard Built Merlins

An often asked question is; "did Packard replicate the British thread system when they built Rolls-Royce Merlins under license during World War II?" The answer is yes; all threads that were used on the Merlin were accurately replicated by Packard. This would include BSW (British Standard Whitworth), BSF (British Standard Fine), BSP (British Standard Pipe) and BA (British Association). Having said that, however, Packard Merlins used U.S. built Bendix injection carburetors; PD-16 for single stage engines and PD-18 for two stage engines, both of which used U.S. Unified threads. British built Merlins employed S.U. carburetors using Whitworth threads. The job facing Packard when they undertook manufacture of the Merlin was daunting to say the least. It’s bad enough having to build a complex product like the Merlin but exacerbating the situation was the fact no tool maker in the U.S. made Whitworth taps or dies. Therefore, Packard were forced into making their own. Although this created a significant hurdle to overcome, the effort was well worth it, Packard and Rolls-Royce components were interchangeable.

 

[snapmom]

There were special tool kits for the Packard Merlin, many makers had tools in the kits, including Snap on. Many did not have a makers name, the model numbers for all the makers started with AT**** , they had special bags.

 

[2oolhound]

I picked up a small lot of these sockets a few years ago. This is how they'd been packed, in a kind of brown wax paper. It didn't stop the rust over the years but when I touched them with the buffer I found the protective coating is what held the rust and most of them shined right up. I don't have a real good example of a highly polished one but you can see one that's been cleaned up pretty good here.

 

[Farmer J.]

There were special tool kits for the Packard Merlin, many makers had tools in the kits, including Snap on. Many did not have a makers name, the model numbers for all the makers started with AT**** , they had special bags.

Thank you for sharing this information, it gets me one step closer to the origin of a local legend.. when I was a kid in the 60's and 70's I was interested in tools and local people used to tell me "the people who worked at the WW2 aeroplane place had beautiful American tool kits issued to them, they were best quality we have ever seen" I never found or saw any of those kits.
In 1979 I was ploughing the field which had been WW2 airfield I found a very rusty prybar, I kept it and use it to this day, and have wondered if it is an old Snap On one as it's the same dimensions and incredibly strong.
When I grew up I bought my own Snap On tools, and never regretted it. The price is long forgotten but the quality remains!

I just found a post about this on the General Tool Discussion, under 'Aircraft Tools'..

 

[snapmom]

Here is one of the smaller kits. Most of the wrenches are Blue Point, there is a Bonney in there too.

 

[Farmer J.]

Thanks once again Snapmom, for sharing that information, and the pictures. It's a treat for me to wake up on a rainy Sunday morning and see this! I know what to look out for locally now if any of those type wrenches survive..
I do remember seeing some of the those socket wrenches stored on that wire clip, I think it was in the local village garage workshop. Expect the mechanic used them for the whitworth fasteners still in use..
Have a good day, and best wishes.

 

[Derek420]

I have a set of 3 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 Snap on long handle ratchets with 1964 date codes all mint as the day they were made ,very nice chrome for age can see my face of them. Getting ready to trade them though getting something I can actually bring myself to use also have the flat style ratchet set in same year's but only the 1/2 is nos. I love war era snap on also have some Mac marked no guarntee. Neat stuff

 

[Private Lugnutz]

In 1979 I was ploughing the field which had been WW2 airfield I found a very rusty prybar, I kept it and use it to this day, and have wondered if it is an old Snap On one as it's the same dimensions and incredibly strong.

That's quite a story, Farmer J!

Are there no markings on it? Was it a lady's foot (or rolling head) type pry bar? Is it 16" long? Not to dismiss the possibility of it being Snap-On, they had quite a few contracts with the USAAF, and were the third largest supplier, but it's just as likely to be a Plomb, or perhaps even a Vlchek, Williams, or Wright. Smaller USAAF suppliers included Duro, Hinsdale, and OTC. The shape of a lady's foot pry bar was pretty similar across brands. I've collected many of them from that era, as it belonged to several toolkits. They were all typically branded, though.

I'd love to see a photo if you have the time to snap one!

 

[Farmer J.]

That's quite a story, Farmer J!

Are there no markings on it? Was it a lady's foot (or rolling head) type pry bar? Is it 16" long? Not to dismiss the possibility of it being Snap-On, they had quite a few contracts with the USAAF, and were the third largest supplier, but it's just as likely to be a Plomb, or perhaps even a Vlchek, Williams, or Wright. Smaller USAAF suppliers included Duro, Hinsdale, and OTC. The shape of a lady's foot pry bar was pretty similar across brands. I've collected many of them from that era, as it belonged to several toolkits. They were all typically branded, though.

I'd love to see a photo if you have the time to snap one!

Hi,
I like to have tools with stories behind them, and can bore people for hours with them..! I will get back to you in a few days with a pic, as I'm 300 miles away from my prybar just now..
It would be very interesting to know it's likely make, but the only marking on it is very deep rust pitting from being out in the grass for 33 years, that good strong steel always seems to rust badly.
It's of the style of a Blue Point wrecking bar like part number NPB124B
This is one of my 'lucky tools', you must know what I mean. It was lucky to find it, lucky it didn't go through my tractor tyre or into a combine harvester, and luckily using it has got me out of many a difficult situation over the years.. Also it was much luckier for me than ploughing up a UXB!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Hi,
I like to have tools with stories behind them, and can bore people for hours with them..!

That's a common trait among collectors!

It's of the style of a Blue Point wrecking bar like part number NPB124B

I won't be able to help you there, as I know next to nothing about that type of bar in that era.

Also it was much luckier for me than ploughing up a UXB!

To say the least! Where I live, within walking distance of historic Ft Hancock, at the end of a slender peninsula known now as Sandy Hook National Park, they tend to wash up in the surf from time to time.

 

[humber2]

The WF is the normal model number for 3/8 dr Snap on Whitworth socks.

W for whitworth
F for ferret, the 3/8 drive range to this day.

Just a confusing coincidence with Wright Field items.