Vintage Wright - Share it Here

[Private Lugnutz]

^ Those tappet wrenches are interesting. What's "OP" ?

Not sure. AA has one with op as well but does not say much about it.

Those are the milled OP.ening sizes that correlate to the nut and bolt standard sizes beneath them on the face.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Good info as always lugz!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I think Wright is unique with that abbreviation. I was trying to think where I'd seen it before, and it was right here on the first page back in 2017. Twertsy posted one in post #8. And I commented on the marking (his doesn't even have a fractional slash!) in post #21.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I see that. Interesting wrench.

 

[gpw_42]

Can anyone (Tin Medic?) ID the purpose of this socket? It's marked 40+ Wright FT-29; it is not mine, so I'm asking for a friend. I have an RFI out to him to determine the size of the 12 point opening, as well as the opening for the drive end, which is an unusual (to me) shape.

 

[MR.X]

Ford fan pulley socket. look in an old Herbrand catalog and there's a pretty good explanation. Johnny Cloud let me try an old Snap on version of that tool out on one of his cars at his museum in Bard CA. You can turn it with the cars crank handle. For loosening the fan pulley so you can get to the pan.

 

[Provincial]

Ford Flathead V-8, to be specific.

 

[gpw_42]

Thanks, Mr. X and Provincial for the quick responses! Figured it wouldn't take long, but didn't anticipate answers THAT fast....already passed the word to the owner.

 

[d42jeep]

Although I don’t collect Wright, I know someone who does so I always pick them up on the rare occasions when I see some.
-Don

 

[jabberwoki]

..................

 

[3baygarage]

Are you trying to see if we're paying attention Jabber? That ad is Armstrong. I think maybe you had Barbara Eden on your mind.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

45- Wright AC set. 3rd one I have come across. Mn60 still works like a clock.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Wow. From the box to the finish to the date and Air Corps markings, that has alot of wartime feels. Clarify "come across," please. Do you mean online? Or in your local geographic area? It could matter, from a historical/provenance perspective.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Got this one from ebay seller in California near the bay area. Probably some sort of military surplus.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks.

 

[Ricky Joe]

.

 

[Provincial]

I don't have one, I just know what they look like.

 

[misterbill]

Here's a new one to me - a Wright N20 1/2" drive ratchet. It has what we all assume to be a date code - "R". No idea what year, though. Got to be between 1927 and 1940, though. Little Easter egg came with it. The drive plug is a Plomb.










Bill

 

[MR.X]

Here's a new one to me - a Wright N20 1/2" drive ratchet. It has what we all assume to be a date code - "R". No idea what year, though. Got to be between 1927 and 1940, though. Little Easter egg came with it. The drive plug is a Plomb.










Bill

I'd bet it's closer to to the early end of your date window, around the same year as that drive plug.

 

[piehammer]

Just picked up this evening off Craigslist. Needs a little cleaning, but very happy to have found it.

 

[Stillgottimefor1]

‘This Old Beast’. Probably is in too bad of shape to be worth fixing up. Lotsa rust, a repair you can see…but it does work, so I will probably clean it up during snow days or something and display it and use it if I need to. (God I hope I never have to work on anything that big ever again)

 

[Oldtuleguy]

There's an old war horse!

 

[Stillgottimefor1]

There's an old war horse!

“Rode Hard and Put Away Wet!” Almost fell over when I found it, but yeah, it’s rough…edit: couldn’t stand it like that so I took it apart and cleaned it. Both the cover screws were wrong and I couldn’t find any with the large heads, they are still wrong. It is much smoother now.. Amateur Restoration-Amateur Photography

 

[misterbill]

I picked up this mini (4" x 5-1/2") catalog off of eBay. It offers some confirmation of the gray (500 series - double pawl) vs black (400 series - single pawl) ratchets that were posted back around posts 135, 145. The preface of the catalog mentions 45 years in business which would date the catalog to around 1972.


Bill

 

[Stillgottimefor1]

Went over to a friend’s place this morning to get a couple pallets to stack hay on, and he knows I’m crazy about old tools. He gave me this socket he inherited from his father in trade for a modern one that he can use. Nearly all his old tools are mangled beyond help, don’t know how this one survived.. Looks like the real deal with that date, haven’t looked up yet what the plus after the 44 means. I’m not going to clean it brush it or anything. I’m guessing one of you serious collectors will want it for a set or something.

 

[misterbill]

It's from 1944. Wright did not chrome their sockets during the war. Nice find.

Bill

 

[Stillgottimefor1]

It's from 1944. Wright did not chrome their sockets during the war. Nice find.

Bill

I told him that, he just said “Well you better take it now, or it’ll get ruined “. I’m supposed to go back sometime and look for other survivors and trade some tools with him. All his kids have Covid so gonna be awhile.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

...haven’t looked up yet what the plus after the 44 means.

I'm not sure we ever figured out what the minus sign (which always appears as a prefix, if I'm not mistaken) or the plus sign (which always appears as a suffix) signify. First and last half of the year? Bill?

 

[misterbill]

I'm not sure we ever figured out what the minus sign (which always appears as a prefix, if I'm not mistaken) or the plus sign (which always appears as a suffix) signify. First and last half of the year? Bill?

I took a run at it (email, phone calls) with Wright a few years back but never got an answer. Nice people to deal with, but never got an answer. I do think the -/+ are first half/last half of the year (or maybe fiscal year).

Bill

 

[Ricky Joe]

.

 

[four.cycle]

what?!?!?!
is THAT what that thing is?
what's the size of the hex opening on that unit?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I believe Herbrand to be the maker.

Strongly concur. That panel is the Herbrand "Ultrabox" style that shows up on all kinds of wrenches between 1937 and 1948, the Herbrand No. 23723 drain plug wrench appears in the 1941 catalog for 1939 Ford V-8, and in the 1948 catalog for Ford V-8 1939 to 1948 inclusive. It's funny, They almost look like they've been chopped. But the other end of that panel on the shanks of double-ended wrenches is not square, it's on the opposite angle.

 

[outofbounds]

Until recently ( the last five years or so), I only knew of Herbrand and Snap-On as manufacturers of Ford V8 drain plug wrenches. I have since seen a Thorsen, and now have one that says “Johnson”, and now a Wright. I’m not sure if Wright outsourced. I feel like Herbrand did, but judging from the similarities in the raised panel between this wrench and some of their others, I believe Herbrand to be the maker.

Are those automotive drain plug wrenches? or maybe outboard motor (boat) propeller wrenches? 1-1/8"?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Are those automotive drain plug wrenches? or maybe outboard motor (boat) propeller wrenches? 1-1/8"?

Well, the Johnson is awfully compelling there, but automotive, for sure, for the Herbrand. 1941 catalog is fairly explicit. Cites Ford and Mercury V-8, talks about the unique offset to reach it, and says something about every service station and garage needing one.

 

[four.cycle]

^ I've seen all kinds of generic "no name" units on the web, and thought they were a bung wrench or perhaps a hub wrench for an early auto.

 

[Ricky Joe]

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[Ricky Joe]

.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

An old single offset wrench

 

[Username already in use]

An old single offset wrench

Nice wrench. Probably not Wight tool and forge but Curtis-Wright aeronautics. The part number is consistent with other wrenches found. C-W seemed to like Bonney a lot for their wrenches but had other suppliers as well.
Nice find.
Some reference material for you to check HERE.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I have a similar blackhawk wrench but a bit different