My neighbour brought over a small electric pump that had a stuck 1/2" priming plug. I didn't have a square drive socket, plus the plug was slightly peened. Heat & Kroil didn't seem to help.
I filed the shaft square and dug out an old screw wrench that had survived my childhood
tightened it down and it loosened the plug.
As it was now easy to reinstall, I dug out another old tool I had picked up secondhand for about $15, Bernard/Schollhorn parallel jaw pliers:
The design was patented July 19, 1892; mine were probably made about 75 years ago. The side cutter isn't great but otherwise they work perfectly. Similar ones are still available from numerous sources, including el-cheapo "foreign" knock-offs. The Bernard/Schallhorn line became Oetiker, now owned by Sargent, who still make several models of parallel-jaw pliers. Proudly made in the USA, but not cheap- over $100!
The screw wrench is marked Atco Tool Company, Boston MA, of which I can find nothing. But this one from Coes is identical.
I filed the shaft square and dug out an old screw wrench that had survived my childhood

As it was now easy to reinstall, I dug out another old tool I had picked up secondhand for about $15, Bernard/Schollhorn parallel jaw pliers:
The design was patented July 19, 1892; mine were probably made about 75 years ago. The side cutter isn't great but otherwise they work perfectly. Similar ones are still available from numerous sources, including el-cheapo "foreign" knock-offs. The Bernard/Schallhorn line became Oetiker, now owned by Sargent, who still make several models of parallel-jaw pliers. Proudly made in the USA, but not cheap- over $100!
The screw wrench is marked Atco Tool Company, Boston MA, of which I can find nothing. But this one from Coes is identical.
