TRW brand tools.

[paramudduck]

I know I've probably messed up on the search. But I couldn't find any thing.

Who made and who sold the TRW branded tools? I found a couple of TRW sockets in one of the drawers today and I have no ideal about them.

 

[LoneGunman]

I tried searching once on here for TRW and got nothing, I think it's because it's only 3 letters. I'd also like to know who made their wrenches as I have a few. They seem to be decent but a little clunky and not well balanced.

 

[64merc]

I was kinda wondering who made them as well. I have a TRW wrench or two somewhere. They remind me of C-man wrenches IIRC.

 

[Merkava_4]

I tried searching once on here for TRW and got nothing, I think it's because it's only 3 letters.

Try searching under Taiwanese Ratcheting Wrench.

 

[wrenchr]

Try searching under Taiwanese Ratcheting Wrench.

 

[eschoendorff]

I looked on Alloy Artifacts, but I couldn't find anything. i could've sworn that here was an article that had to do with TRW on there at one time... maybe I am wrong and am thinking of something else.

 

[dxdexter]

Try this link: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15079&highlight=trw+williams

 

[l_bilyk]

I thought TRW made chassis parts

 

[billymade]

TRW sold off its hand tool business in 1984; found this short article about the sale:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C06E6DE1139F931A15750C0A962948260

 

[Joe B.]

Yeah, TRW was one of those strange companies that had businesses in many different areas. It used to be that they were best know for their credit reporting bureau that became Experian when they spun it into an independent company. Back in the cold war, my mother worked for their Ballistic Missile Division. Into the early 90s they were working on an intercontinental ballistic missile system that had underground trains that could move nuclear missiles around so the country so the commies could not destroy them on the ground. Their aerospace group was bought by Northrop.

 

[paramudduck]

dxdexter I knew I had seen it some where on this site. But multiple searches in multiple styles came up empty.

The TRW sockets I have are a average quality USA product. A bit chunky but they work OK.

 

[Thumper]

I have a couple of wrenches I picked up somewhere along the way. Raised beam....a lot like a Craftsman.

 

[vssjim]

TRW owned Wiliams when they were in Buffalo, NY on Vulcan street, Williams also sold tools on trucks by the name of Vulcan tools. TRW brand was made to sell to the Automotive type of market as Williams was mainly sold as industrial market tools. Williams fell on hard times and the whole thing went away in tight times as Vulcan went under TRW brand never caught on and Snap-on bought the whole thing and only the southern factory made as they just left the Buffalo factory to rot away with old out of date tooling still in the building too much trouble to remove or scrap.

 

[Elroy]

Actually Elroy has several TRW "tools". None being actual wrenches

Unless you consider this to be a "wrench":

By the way, That Tap "wrench" is only good for a 1/4" tap MAX. Maybe that is where they get the "No. 4"

 

[Coach James]

The original plan for the MX missile, now called the Peace Keeper, was for them to move around on an underground rail system.

Coach

 

[eschoendorff]

Actually Elroy has several TRW "tools". None being actual wrenches

Unless you consider this to be a "wrench":

By the way, That Tap "wrench" is only good for a 1/4" tap MAX. Maybe that is where they get the "No. 4"

Wow... those are some really nice, clean, tight looking tools!

 

[briannega]

I used to work for TRW back in the '70's. TRW purchased JH Wiliams tools in Buffalo as one poster said. Williams also made the Craftsman line of tools. I have an original 3/4 socket set from JH Williams in the original metal box. It was my Grandfather's who lived in Buffalo.

The tap and tap wrenches displayed were made by Greenfied Tap and Die in Greenfield MA purchased by TRW in the early '70's.

 

[SpiderGearsMan]

used to get TRW tools in the parts plus store and got them really cheap at the englishtown swap meet

 

[lbgradwell]

Williams also made the Craftsman line of tools.

That should be "Williams also contributed to the Craftsman line of tools."

AFAIK, Williams only made the "dogbone" and some adjustable wrenches for Craftsman.

 

[Tool Pants]

I have a TRW wrench I bought long ago at a used tool place. Looks just like a Craftsman raised panel. Recently bought a TRW socket at the flea. Has no country on it but I think it is the same TRW because the font is the same.

Long time ago I asked on the Craftsman tool message board why the wrench looks the same as a Craftsman. Someone had a good answer that made sense. I forget the story.

 

[OldnSlo]

If we pool all our tools together, we might get a partial set! I have a 5/16" combo.

 

[four.cycle]

Found this while poking through Ebay ads and thought it might answer some questions. The Williams pamphlet and packing slip are included in this TRW 12-pc 3/8" drive SAE socket set.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-TRW...roundbreaking-Case-Columbus-GA-/142284768170?

 

[3baygarage]

Hmmm.. My only question, is there is tie between Columbus and Columbia brand?

Columbia sets, I have seen a couple since first finding a lone ratchet, came in a plastic box like this with a sticker that also said Williams on it.

 

[four.cycle]

Columbia?

Only "Columbia" I know of is "Columbia Tap & Die", a line my old man brought in in the early 1970's. They made taps and dies and drill bits. Good product. I had a full-blown metric tap and die set that I gave to a buddy of mine - I'd had it stored for 20 years and never opened it up!

 

[427]

I work at the former TRW plant. It was built in 1972 and bought out by Parker Ross in 1993. I started in 1994. Anyways one of my friends has been there since 1972 and he has a set of TRW combination wrenches from 3/8 to 1 inch I think. He said they offered them a discount on them sometime in the 80,s. He said when he retired he would leave them with me to use. The are well made raised panel wrenches but not sure where they were made. I will ask him tomorrow if he knows.

 

[BVP]

If we pool all our tools together, we might get a partial set! I have a 5/16" combo.

Hi all, how about you all sell me your bits and pieces to complement my set. Had to look for my needle nose which somehow brought me to this old thread.
So I joined!

 

[m6z]

I thought they made pistons.

 

[ex-x-fire]

M14 rifles too.

 

[Mick56]

Here's some TRW tool boards on Marketplace.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/209380007437997

 

[Unk]

My aunt owed a high-performance automotive warehouse in the DFW area back in the late 70s, early 80s. I worked there off and on. We sold TRW pistons, rings, rockers, etc. and at some point carried some TRW Service Line tools. Anytime we needed a tool for the warehouse, we would go grab it off the shelf and write it out of inventory. When my aunt passed away 10 years ago, I inherited a few TRW tools.

 

[woody 73]

I know this is an old post, some time ago and I cannot recall that post story, but we had one GJ member implode/explode when the topic of TRW would come up; what caused all his anger was the very fact when TRW went belly up warranty went out the door. I can see why he was very upset. I own three big boxes of tap and die sets, and the quality is very good, should they break then I buy another HSS tap or die and replace the broken ones.

 

[john.k]

TRW is a conglomerate with hundreds of listed subsidiaries all over the world.............they were for a time the makers of Dufor tools ,and still list Duly and Hansford as a subsidiary.

 

[yatg]

Here's an article about the history of TRW, formerly "Thompson Ramo Wooldridge Inc"

 

[Steve_P]

This is my only TRW tool that I could find. I thought I had a vise-grip type plier by TRW but I can't find it- maybe I gave it away years ago.

It's a 6" 3/8 drive extension that's next to a Williams of similar vintage; you can see they're the same. I assume that both are from the 1970s as they were my dads.

 

[Jim greengo]

I bought a lot of their pistons back inthe day,but no tools.

 

[vssjim]

This is my only TRW tool that I could find. I thought I had a vise-grip type plier by TRW but I can't find it- maybe I gave it away years ago.

It's a 6" 3/8 drive extension that's next to a Williams of similar vintage; you can see they're the same. I assume that both are from the 1970s as they were my dads.

They were both made on Vulcan Street in Buffalo NY. as were Vulcan tools then TRW sold out and only Williams lives on

 

[4xdog]

Here's an article about the history of TRW, formerly "Thompson Ramo Wooldridge Inc"

My dad, a native Clevelander, often referred to the company as Thompson Ramo Wooldridge.

I have a nice set of TRW-branded combination wrenches probably from the early 1980s in a heavy vinyl pouch. They still get used from time to time.

 

[GaryM909]

I have one TRW 3/8 extension. Kind of an odd looking one.

 

[yatg]

I have one TRW 3/8 extension. Kind of an odd looking one.

Don't think that's an extension with a hex head on it.

 

[GaryM909]

Don't think that's an extension with a hex head on it.

I kinda think it is