T Williams Superslim

[zootmancars]

Do any of you Superslim Experts know if the Superslim DR03 Reversible Ratchet, was in fact, a re-branded Bedford? They certainly look similar and Bedford did make a lot of tools for Halfords during the sixties. Just wondering.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Here's that Superslim I snagged at the flea market this morning, J., with the milled opening conversion markings hand-scrawled on the major jaw face...

 

[Farmer J.]

Thanks Lugz. I checked and I already have several of that one.. Your recent find is one size larger then the elusive rare
5/8W 11/16BSF x 1/2W 9/16BSF which I did eventually find an example of but one of the jaws has been ground out wider!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Your recent find is one size larger then the elusive rare
5/8W 11/16BSF x 1/2W 9/16BSF

Just my luck!

Did you see the weird symbol (looking almost like an asterisk) forged into the shank just to the left of the "SUPERSLIM" marking? In going through all the photos on this thread (which is so much easier with the new site software...), I didn't see another one, and only one other wrench, the one in post #1, ironically, has any other symbol in that location, and it looks like a hyphen or dash.

Second question. Mine has a "W" forged-in just to the left of the symbol. There are a few other examples on the thread, some yours, with either an "A", a "B", or a "W" in that spot. Not too many. Very few, actually. It's far more common to find nothing there whatsoever. Do you know what these single letters signify? (< EDIT: I am guessing some kind of esoteric forge/foundry mark...)

 

[Farmer J.]

Yes, I noticed it was a 'W*' forging. It's reckoned those marks are from different sets of dies used in the drop forging process, they made huge quantities of these spanners over many years and the dies must have become worn and need to be periodically replaced.
They could possibly be date related, but I don't think so.
Other minor detail variations in the castings are consistent with the 'A', 'B','W','*' etc so to me it looks like when they changed the dies the replacements had those marks in them.
There are people who attempt to match up sets all with the same mark, and I have seen some of them advertised as being all 'W' marked or somesuch.. but i was trying not to focus too much on that in an attempt to preserve some shreds of sanity.. I may have to go and look through all mine now, including the duplicates and the sets under the Land Rover seats that's going to be about 150 of them to check..

 

[humber2]

Yes, I noticed it was a 'W*' forging. It's reckoned those marks are from different sets of dies used in the drop forging process, they made huge quantities of these spanners over many years and the dies must have become worn and need to be periodically replaced.
They could possibly be date related, but I don't think so.
Other minor detail variations in the castings are consistent with the 'A', 'B','W','*' etc so to me it looks like when they changed the dies the replacements had those marks in them.
There are people who attempt to match up sets all with the same mark, and I have seen some of them advertised as being all 'W' marked or somesuch.. but i was trying not to focus too much on that in an attempt to preserve some shreds of sanity.. I may have to go and look through all mine now, including the duplicates and the sets under the Land Rover seats that's going to be about 150 of them to check..

I quickly reviewed my stash for these symbols today.

If present they only appear on “Made in England” examples which to my way of thinking date from after the mid 1950’s.

Without logging the examples for review further I don’t see them being an easy way to form meaningful sets.

I would have reviewed over 100 fractional inch sized examples.

YMMV

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I quickly reviewed my stash for these symbols today.

Just out of curiosity..., while acknowledging that you didn't "log" the examples, and while agreeing with both you and J. that they are almost assuredly esoteric forge marks whose meaning will remain opaque if not completely irrelevant to collectors, off the top of your head, did you see symbols other than a crude asterisk (mine in post #162) and a dash (J.'s in post #1), and if so, what were they?

 

[humber2]

I can’t do this for a few weeks but meanwhile there’s a lot of examples in images on this thread.

eg #10 has perhaps the best near set of W

Going back to the Graces Guide link and reviewing Eva Brothers 1958 purchase of TW this to me would be after the start of the “Made in England” named sequences.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

...there’s a lot of examples in images on this thread.

Unless I missed one, there are only two (2) examples of symbols. I already identified them by post. (I am not including the photos of dozens of wrenches on boards, or other layouts, etc, which are too hard for me to see.)

eg #10 has perhaps the best near set of W

I was asking strictly about symbols, irrespective of the single letters (A, B, W, etc) that also appear near the same spot on some wrenches.

Not asking you to do a special deep dive survey. I was just curious if you had noticed any others.

 

[Ayrhead]

One Superslim DOE Wrench 9/16AF x 1/2AF. The 9/16 end has a slight bend about 15 degrees. I’m thinking that was done after market. But not sure

 

[Farmer J.]

The 9/16" cranked open end fits nuts retaining a Land Rover Series 3 front propshaft drive end to it's drive flange. The bolts are captive on the flange and threaded 3/8 UNF. Land Rover helpfully designed the chassis so as a crossmember is right underneath them, so a cranked wrench is needed to access the nuts. Earlier models used 3/8" BSF threads instead. Later on 'Defender' models are still the same UNF bolts right up to end of production in 2016 but at least the access is better.
One of mine is back in post No. #68

 

[Ayrhead]

The 9/16" cranked open end fits nuts retaining a Land Rover Series 3 front propshaft drive end to it's drive flange. The bolts are captive on the flange and threaded 3/8 UNF. Land Rover helpfully designed the chassis so as a crossmember is right underneath them, so a cranked wrench is needed to access the nuts. Earlier models used 3/8" BSF threads instead. Later on 'Defender' models are still the same BSF bolts right up to end of production in 2016 but at least the access is better.
One of mine is back in post No. #68

Thanks for the information on my wrench!

 

[humber2]

Pure BS.

Here is my partial set of what appears to me to be the swansong of Whitworth bathtub Superslims.

The same dimensions are repeated on the reverse side.

No obscure forging idents as these had to be fresh dies.

There should at least a dozen sizes for me to find.

Note that for years the larger dimension was deemed the BSF size but the BS designation is 100% correct.

 

[Farmer J.]

Pure BS.

Here is my partial set of what appears to me to be the swansong of Whitworth bathtub Superslims.

The same dimensions are repeated on the reverse side.

No obscure forging idents as these had to be fresh dies.

There should at least a dozen sizes for me to find.

Note that for years the larger dimension was deemed the BSF size but the BS designation is 100% correct.

That's interesting.
I only have 2 spanners with 'BS' markings, and about 30 with 'BSF'..
The ones I have are:
5/8BS - 11/16BS
3/4BS - 7/8BS

 

[esben57]

That's interesting.
I only have 2 spanners with 'BS' markings, and about 30 with 'BSF'..
The ones I have are:
5/8BS - 11/16BS
3/4BS - 7/8BS

These were stores stock during my 1970's steelworks days. Get a chit from the foreman and off to central stores.
You could and did belt seven shades out of these. They'd just laugh and come back for more. Not pretty or accurate but did a job.

 

[humber2]

That's interesting.
I only have 2 spanners with 'BS' markings, and about 30 with 'BSF'..
The ones I have are:
5/8BS - 11/16BS
3/4BS - 7/8BS

Adding my group shot reveals

11/16 - 7/8 BS

5/8 - 11/16 BS

3/8 - 7/16 BS

5/16 - 3/8 BS

I have no recollection of where, when, who, why, what these were obtained.

I regularly pass on ground out jaws, owners markings etc but can say I’ve never seen a busted jaw.

It would be an interesting exercise to have an analysis of the alloy performed as these spanners are a cut above the millions of carbon steel wannabees.

YMMV