Telcon Beryllium Copper Wrench

[tym]

Picked up this double-open-end wrench at an antique show today for $15 (if it had been a "flea market," probably would have been $5! LOL).

Did a bit of research, and Telcon is (and was) an English firm in Sussex that made, among other things, specialized metals for specific applications. CuBe tools would have been used in an environment where non-magnetic and non-sparking materials were needed.

Anyone know anything else about this, such as approximate age? I found a vintage ad from Telcon from the early 60s and I would guess this tool is from around that era.

Regarding safety, beryllium dust is toxic, so beryllium and beryllium alloys should not be machined/filed/ground in any way. However, handling a tool such as this one and using it for its intended purpose is safe.

 

[leg17]

I wonder how they made that wrench without machining, filing, or grinding?

 

[rlitman]

I wonder how they made that wrench without machining, filing, or grinding?

Forging and stamping. Then the milling and broaching are done wet.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Tym,
I've never heard of that mfgr, but the Beryllium Corporation, trade name "Berylco," was a very large special tools supplier to the US Army Air Forces during WWII. All their tools were, as their name implies, CuBe based. I haven't seen too many CuBe wrenches, but plenty of striking tools, especially hammers, bars, punches, drive pins, and drifts. If you search the internet on combinations of Berylco, Beryllium tools, etc, you will find references, and probably a few ePay sales. They usually go for much, much higher prices than steel counterparts.

 

[bonneyman]

Forging and stamping. Then the milling and broaching are done wet.

Never knew that. Good to know!

 

[Nick Danger]

The Berylco website says that if your tool needs to be repaired or resharpened, send it back to them and they'll do it for free. They must have special facilities that can handle the toxic dust.

https://www.ngkmetals.com/index.cfm/m/95

 

[leg17]

I wonder how they made that wrench without machining, filing, or grinding?

I commented tongue-in-cheek.

Pure Be dust is indeed hazardous.
These BeCu alloys are quite common in industry in many applications and are generally only about 2% Be.
Normal machine shop operations are safe and pose no risk.
After 50 1/2 years in tool rooms regularly working with BeCu, I have never known anyone harmed.
I did know a guy working at Argonne labs near Chicago that once worked on pure Be. They set up a close dust collection system to take care of any risk.

 

[tym]

Interesting. Didn't know the Be was so small a proportion of the alloy. I wonder if the "250" on my tool might denote percentage Be?

 

[fnieto]

I have a vintage set of CuBe Ping golf clubs from the 80's. They too discontinued manufacturing these type of clubs for health hazard reasons. They have a larger sweet spot compared to similar perimeter weighted clubs. The look cool as hell too. Most non sparking tools thee days seem to be made from harder alloy brass or bronze. Those are cool wrenches thogh.

 

[notlob]

Beryllium toxicity can be a very bad thing for those folks who are susceptible to it:

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/beryllium/

NGK/Berylco, Ampco, and others still make non-sparking BeCu tools; there are some highly hazardous work environments where nothing else is allowed. Aluminum-bronze tools (AlBr - not as durable, not toxic, & cheaper) have become more common in less hazardous environments.

 

[rlitman]

I wonder if the "250" on my tool might denote percentage Be?

Probably the model number for that size.

 

[davethorik]

Most non sparking tools thee days seem to be made from harder alloy brass or bronze. Those are cool wrenches thogh.

I have an Ampco 24" non-sparking pipe wrench, the body is bronze but the jaws are beryllium copper.

 

[tym]

Given that my wrench was made by a British company and has both inch and AF spanner sizes listed on it, my best guess is that it was made c. 1950s-1970s, since later than that I'd expect metric sizes.

 

[dutchgray]

We do still use imperial for some things over here, such as threaded pipe, so although we went metric earlier it doesn't mean that wrench has to be that old.

 

[eddiest]

hi all
i just saw the post about beryllium copper tools from telcon metals uk, not sure if this post will be picked up as its over five years ago the first listing.
i worked in the telcon plant in crawley for 16 years, my first job was on the steam hammer (1976) we made a variety of tools, the blacksmith being very skilled at his job, my job was to hold the swages that formed the basic tools.
tools were also made by casting in patterns, i think we were the only manufacturer in the uk, but maybe wrong.
unfortunately the beryllium was deadly and i worked with people that lost their lives as a result of berilicosis, a debilitating respiratory condition that was attributed to the molten stage of manufacture, it was the fumes when inhaled were deadly and would stay dormant for many years until breathing became difficult, ultimately being fatal.
BECU needs super caution when working with it, i worked with BECU in multiple forms, generally at furnace temperature of about 850c from ingots rolled down to strip and billets rolled down to wire, neither of which was hazardous.
its been 45 years since i started there and im still ok,so you can work with BECU but you must be aware of the dangers

 

[Stubby1743]

Found these two this morning at my local car boot sale for 50p including a Hazet spanner.

 

[Ultradog MN]

I was on a submarine tender back in the 1970s. Normally we only worked on subs but once we had a minesweeper come alongside for some emergency repairs.
Much of that little ship was made out of aluminum and wood and most of their fittings ie, anchor&chain, capstans, eyelets etc- were made of stainless or a beryllium alloy. Even their hand tools - wrenches, etc were a light yellow colored.
The reason?
Magnetic mines!