Spreading the Bonney affliction!

[outofbounds]

Maybe you’re right about this, too. And yet, Detroit is the one that grew. Must have had something going for it.

Detroit (French for "The Strait") had unlimited water, and relatively unlimited flat plains to expand upon.

It is interesting to me that no major hand tools for automotive service sprung from Detroit industry the way they did elsewhere...Chicago & Milwaukee seemingly the principal examples.

Most the tool companies were "tool & die" and "twist drill" companies that were centric to the business happening there locally.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

It is interesting to me that no major hand tools for automotive service sprung from Detroit industry the way they did elsewhere...

Well, careful. Miller Manufacturing and Kent-Moore were major, but they mainly made specialty automotive service hand tools. Ironically, figuratively, I suppose, there was a Bonney presence there, briefly, in the mid 50's, in the form of a HQ, when Miller owned Bonney, and when Kelsey-Hayes bought Bonney from Miller, just before they moved Bonney, Herbrand, and Utica to the sunny confines of South Carolina. But yeah, I know what you mean. I would have to say Detroit's biggest claim to fame - as far as hand tool collectors go, would be in the personage of one Alfred E. Kavalar, the Chief Engineer at The Kramer Fabrication Company, of St Claire Shores, who invented and made and licensed a hell of a lot of CAM-LOC wrenches.

 

[rickhigginshtbr]

This little guy followed me home the other night! Was actually picking up an Oliver woodworking vise for my son, whose 1 and named Oliver, lol. The guy I bought them from is a vise collector and as I was drooling over everything and asked if there were any in particular I was after. Of course Bonney Philadelphia came right out. He said no but had this little guy from Lehigh. Close enough, sold!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LesserSon]

Lovely. Should be a model number stamped on the anvil.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

He said no but had this little guy from Lehigh.

So jealous. LS has one, too. I've been fortunate enough to find a Standard ("I-Beam" type) 2-1/2" vise and a larger Champion vise, which has a really nice Bonney Princeton shield forged in, but no "LEHIGH" yet. I grew up next to the Lehigh river. It has some nice rapids between Whitehaven and Lehighton, but from Lehighton to Palmerton, where I was born and raised, it's pretty lazy except for the false dam and eddie at the Zinc Company. Perfect for six tractor inner tubes lashed together and a case of Rolling Rock!

 

[misterbill]

Starting to fill up the carry box mentioned upthread. Found this trio of Bonney tappet wrenches at the flea this morning. All are 1943 dated. I like that the one still has the sticker on it.

Bill

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Nice finds, Bill. Those are 1929, though. I have some extras I can send you to help you fill out that set.

 

[misterbill]

Nice finds, Bill. Those are 1929, though. I have some extras I can send you to help you fill out that set.

They look an awful lot like the ones on page 61 in the 1941 catalog - including the sticker!

Bill

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Same figures can be found in the 1933 and 1939 catalogs, Bill. Wartime wrenches did not have the Princeton shield inside the brand name on the jaws. Just plain BONNEY. But I'm not going to argue with you.

 

[misterbill]

Same figures can be found in the 1933 and 1939 catalogs, Bill. Wartime wrenches did not have the Princeton shield inside the brand name on the jaws. Just plain BONNEY. But I'm not going to argue with you.

Wasn't looking for one, Lugz, just an education.

Bill

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Sure thing, Bill. I just didn't want to seem obstinate about it.

 

[LesserSon]

Poking through some paper in an antiques barn today, I spotted a Bonney ad on p107 of the Sep1944 edition of Motor Age. Also, a small educational booklet about vocational training, from Textile Machine Works, which is notable on this thread for the TMW-branded Bonney wrenches we’ve seen. I liked the Hollands machinist vise in this pic. And an envelope with an early Mack logo (Mack co-branded tools also turn up).
I didn’t buy the paper, because I was focused on some wrenches.

 

[bonneyman]

Starting to fill up the carry box mentioned upthread. Found this trio of Bonney tappet wrenches at the flea this morning. All are 1943 dated. I like that the one still has the sticker on it.

Bill

Personally I like these tappet wrenches for old American bicycle work. Their thinness and overall length helps alot with clearance on axle cones and such.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Nice. I always like finding those. If they still have stickers even better.

 

[LesserSon]

I bought the 14” Stillson today, because it is slightly different from one I already had, plus the rivet was never fully secured, so it afforded an opportunity to more fully take it apart, than others I’ve rehabilitated. It had a section of metallic conduit as a handle when I picked it up, and I was greatly relieved the original nut was still on the end. I will probably make a wood handle for it. It has no date codes and doesn’t mention Allentown. I am thinking it is earlier than the other example shown, which does have date codes.
Of the ground-off B-shield on the 25F, I can just make out the top right quadrant if the shield, but the “B” is totally gone. I wish it had been a 23F. Oh well, rare enough to not leave behind.

 

[GalaxyRat]

Saw this on Reddit today and thought I would share.

Credit to user "Iwanttoplaytoo" for welding it up

Sent from my SM-G973U using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[bonneyman]

Saw this on Reddit today and thought I would share.

Credit to user "Iwanttoplaytoo" for welding it up

Sent from my SM-G973U using The Garage Journal mobile app

Smokin!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Saw this on Reddit today and thought I would share. Credit to user "Iwanttoplaytoo" for welding it up

Smokin!

Looks especially good next to the brushed steel mirror frame. But I hope those aren't Bonney "Mack" S wrenches! I still need a few.

 

[LesserSon]

eBay purchase arrived today: CSBonney 9” Button pliers, P’td 28Apr1903, when he was in Portmouth OH. One inner jaw has a notch for wire. I thought they’d be cool to compare to the multiple Utica variations. Pivot is a little sloppy, but not bad for 115ish years.
I’m not sure I think there’s much innovation worthy of a patent here. The one jaw having a convex interior so that things gripped don’t slip out is common enough on combination pliers. And neither his original scheme nor the actual example for the side cutters is an improvement on the Button pattern. Maybe more a testament to his ingenuity of getting patents approved.

 

[leg17]

Here's some Bonney Lehigh clamp-on vises.
1~1/2", 1~3/4", and 2~1/2".

Also some Bonney Champion style.
1~1/2", 2", and 2~1/2".

I really need to get off my **** and get them cleaned up.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

As I reported on the Garage Sale thread and my 'Kent's Tools' thread, I picked up this Bonney 2881 half-moon wrench yesterday. Now the only question is whether to put it in my Bonney box or with the half-moon wrenches collection. Decisions, decisions.

 

[LesserSon]

Have you guys seen this near-complete, immaculate-condition ES5 set on eBay? Holy cats. It’s shown at the bottom of p5 of the 1938 catalog.

 

[outofbounds]

Have you guys seen this near-complete, immaculate-condition ES5 set on eBay? Holy cats. It’s shown at the bottom of p5 of the 1938 catalog.

I had seen it. Seems like a good deal for the committed collector IF if can be had at or near the starting bid. I'm sure that a few guys here might not be nuts about you posting this!

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Not cheap but wow.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Hmm. I have the missing grabber and points file for whoever buys it. Real cheap.

 

[LesserSon]

I had seen it. Seems like a good deal for the committed collector IF if can be had at or near the starting bid. I'm sure that a few guys here might not be nuts about you posting this!

Yeah, I get you. I usually post stuff like that after I’ve decided not to go for it myself, but would prefer to have it belong to someone on this thread, hoping they’ll document it here for all to enjoy.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Here is a 3/8 set I picked up using the make offer option.

 

[outofbounds]

Here is a 3/8 set I picked up using the make offer option.

Sweet haul! I love the breaker bar in particular

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Bonney tools of that era were stylish

 

[Username already in use]

Here is a 3/8 set I picked up using the make offer option.

Nice. Can you post a few pictures of the markings on the short sockets. I have the same (empty) box that I'd like to fill up. What sizes are the shorts and deeps?

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Some more pics. Hope these help! 3/8 to 3/4 shallow, 3/8 to 13/16 deep...

 

[Username already in use]

Perfect. Thank you!

 

[RagTopTA]

Found a Bonney 4 way and a Bonney PWA extension at the swap meet sat!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

That's a nice snag, Rags. I've never seen a 4-way in the wild or anywhere else.

 

[RagTopTA]

Are these Boards any good for $25 each ? only an hour and half away or so.

 

[Provincial]

Troll!

(Sarcasm)

Are they in your shop yet?

 

[RagTopTA]

Troll!

(Sarcasm)

Are they in your shop yet?

not Yet!! waiting on a message back tomorrow! Hope to grab em this weekend while off.

 

[twertsy]

I'd grab 'em!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

The "7 hours remaining on that Exorbitantly Expensive Extra Small ES5 set on evilBay and trying to talk myself out of bidding..." photo.

Missing the DBEs, some of the ignition wrenches, and the hammer is not 4 ozs, but it does illustrate how they cobbled that set together from other wrench sets.

 

[bonneyman]

Found a Bonney 4 way and a Bonney PWA extension at the swap meet sat!

Nice!

Didn't know Bonney made tire lug wrenches. What are the socket sizes?